Sunny Saturday! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog
Written by December 19 2020
As we were cruising through the small channel leading out of Kleinbaai harbour we saw thousands of Cape cormorants flying passed the harbour entrance and Black Sophie, a bigger rock formation just off the coast. Further down the coastline we stopped at the shark cage diving vessels where we also passed again at the end of our tour. At the cage diving boat ‘Dream Catcher” we saw a Bronze whaler shark as well as Short-tailed stingray, how lucky. Out in the deeper ocean it has been quiet today, but we managed to have glimpse on an African penguin before approaching their colony on Dyer Island. We also passed through the world-famous Shark Alley to see the Cape Fur seal colony on Geyser Rock. Although their breeding season is coming towards an end there are still lots of big bulls on the island fighting with each other over females and their territory.
What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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 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.
