Playful whales, 17 September 2019
Written by September 17 2019
It’s been another amazing day out on the water, with calm waters and plenty of sunshine. Our Southern right whale sightings have been really nice, with plenty of mother and juvenile pairs and some really cool behaviours. We have seen the whales rolling around in the swell, especially the juveniles who are very playful. On the afternoon trip we had some particularly playful whales, starting with an adult just off Pearly beach. This whale was rolling around, slapping its pectoral fins on the water and constantly raising its beautiful large tail high in the air. While watching this one we noticed another whale breaching in the distance, so we went there and found an adult with a juvenile. We got to see these two really well as they raised their heads high out of the water and came near our boat. We had some very nice shark activity today as well, with both Great white sharks and Bronze whaler sharks. At the end of the day a Great white shark even passed very close to our boat and we could see the whole animal really well through the water. We saw some African penguins on Dyer Island, two together in the water just a short distance from the island. A cape fur seal was also seen in the water, feeding on an octopus, while another one was seen together with two of the Southern right whales on the second trip. All in all it’s been another fantastic day out on the water with Southern right whales, Great white sharks, Bronze whaler sharks, African penguins and Cape fur seals for everyone to see.
Photos from today
What species did we see today?
Bronze Whaler Shark Bronze Whaler Shark
The Bronze whaler (also known as Copper sharks) here in Kleinbaai are very curious and interactive. These sharks eat mostly fish, with sardines being one of their favourites.
Southern Right Whale Southern Right Whale
Southern right whales attract thousands of visitors every year to experience these gentle giants off the South African coast.
African Penguin African Penguin
As one of only 17 penguin species left in the world (and the only one on the african continent), the african penguin often breed in offshore colonies, such as Dyer Island.
Cape fur seal Cape fur seal
With a local population of 60,000, it's no wonder our guests capture so many photographs of these wonderfully playful marine mammals.
Cape Cormorant Cape Cormorant
One of the most famous species of Cormorant in the Western Cape, the Cape Cormorant is well known for it's beautiful turquoise eye and impressive size.
White-breasted Cormorant White-breasted Cormorant
White-breasted Cormorant is the largest African cormorant and they have an iconic white chest, it is a favourite for many of our repeat visitors, and professional wildlife photographers.
Great white sharks Great white sharks
Gracious, beautiful, misunderstood - three words used by guests of Dyer Island Cruises after witnessing South Africa's most infamous marine species: The Great White Shark.