Sunfish surprise! Marine Big 5 daily blog
Written by February 14 2020
The day started rainy but luckily it cleared by the time we were launching our vessel Dream Catcher into a calm and beautiful sea. At Slashfin we got to see two beautiful bronze whaler sharks through the clear water and even a seal joined in to have a closer look at what was happening. On the way to Dyer Islands we picked up a loose piece of kelp floating around and had a better look at the seaweed that’s growing all along the coast in this area. Just before reaching Dyer Island we encountered an African penguin and got to see even more on the island itself. The cape fur seals were playful as usual and other were lazy on the beaches of Geyser Rock. Traveling around Geyser Rock into deeper water we were delighted to find a sunfish, a special sighting we don’t get to see very often.
What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
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.
