Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 05 December
Written by December 5 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 05 December 2025:
With good conditions ahead of us, we started our day by heading out to sea. Our trips began with a slow cruise along the coastline towards Pearly Beach. Along the way, we were lucky enough to spot some of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins. Known to be a rather elusive species, we managed to get some great looks at them! Within deeper waters, after a bit of patience, we spotted a spout in the distance. A Bryde’s whale made an appearance and stunned our guests. It came up for a fresh breath of air a few times before submerging into the deep for a longer period. We made our way to Geyser Rock, where the bustling Cape fur seals were happily splashing in the water, and a final stop was made near Dyer Island for our critically endangered African Penguins, bringing the trip to a calm and scenic end.
TripAdvisor – https://bit.ly/2YZ0jDR
Google – https://g.page/r/Caej8uYZYnR8EBE/review
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WhaleWatchSA
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
