Sunday sightings! Marine Big 5 daily blog
Written by March 15 2020

We took Whale Whisperer, Dyer Island Cruises smaller vessel, out for a spin today making for some up close and personal sightings. Moving along the coast line we encountered Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins for the third day in a row as two individuals surfaced, one identifiable as the same individual as a few days ago. We spent some time with this stunning creatures before heading out to meet the shark cage diving vessels. With good timing we were lucky enough to see an estimated 4.5m female Great White shark, not wanting to disrupt this activity we soon were on our way moving through the bay. Maneuvering the boat close to Dyer Island, we spent some time enjoying the views of the birds there including the African penguin, Cape and White-breasted cormorants before moving to the other side of Shark Alley and admiring the abundant colony of Cape Fur seal on Geyser Rock. Before heading back to harbour we moved through the deeper waters on the outskirts of the bay with eyes peeled for any other wildlife, but with no luck we swung back towards land ending the trip with four out of the Marine big five, a great day on sea!
What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin
Humpback dolphins are an endangered species, with small populations living very close to shore, typically in water less than 25m deep and an average home range of 120km. Their proximity to land makes these animals particularly vulnerable to human influence.
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.
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.