Common Dolphin! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog
Written by April 7 2021
Today started off overcast but the sky cleared up throughout the trip. Out of Kleinbaai harbour we were heading along the coast, past Uilenkraalsmond and Die Gruis before reaching the shark cage diving boats. After having spent some time there we continued out into the deeper waters where our spotter saw some splashes in the distance. Heading into the direction of the movement we saw that they were from a pod of common dolphins and shortly we were surrounded by hundreds of them. Before reaching Dyer Island we spotted a Bryde’s. Most of the seal pups from last year were chasing each other up and down Shark Alley alongside the boat and at the end of our tour we encountered a big group of African penguins. It has been a fantastic day at sea with such diverse wildlife.
What species did we see today?
Common Dolphin Common Dolphin
With an 'hourgalss' patch on either side and aerial activity the common dolphin is an agile and majestic species, that may easily reach a speed of 40km/h.
Brydes Whale Brydes Whale
The mysterious Bryde's whales visit the Dyer Island area throughout the year, with most sightings occurring during summer into winter.
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.
