Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 05 May
Written by May 5 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 05 May 2024:
An early morning trip for our guests on board Dreamcatcher. Leaving Kleinbaai Harbour, we made our way towards Danger Point where the iconic Birkenhead ran aground. Whilst in the deeper waters we spotted a whale spout, leading us to our first sighting of the Bryde’s whale who remains in our bay all year round. Active coastal birds in the distance were accompanied by a large pod of Common dolphins, displaying fantastic feeding activity around the boat. The activity continued with a further two whale sightings. We proceeded towards our sister company Marine Dynamics to the shark cage diving vessel Slashfin where we caught sightings of the Bronze whaler sharks. Our final stop was to Shark Alley, hugged by the Cape fur seal colony on Geyser Rock and the neighbouring Dyer Island where the African penguin colony resides. A successful trip, with the full Marine Big 5 encountered! Thank you to all who joined us on board today.
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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 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.
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.
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 Gannet Cape Gannet
Well documented for their aireal displays, experiences with with the famous Cape Gannet are always breath taking, and hold a special place in every photographers portfolio.
