Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 15 January
Written by January 15 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 15 January 2024:
We had another sunny and calm day here in the greater Dyer Island area and launched a Marine Big 5 Tour out of Kleinbaai. Along the coastline of Franskraal, we spotted some endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins close to our natural estuary. These dolphins like to forage along the estuaries and rocky reefs of our coast and are often spotted here in our bay. We spent some time with the dolphins before moving on to see some sharks at the shark cage diving vessels and weren’t disappointed to get some good looks at the Bronze Whaler shark. Continuing our journey along De Clyde, a kelp forest, we approached Dyer Island to see the endangered Africa Penguin. Around the island, we also got to see other seabirds including some Giant Petrels. Next up was a stop at the Cape fur seal colony and the famous Shark Alley before venturing into some deeper waters behind the island. Out in the deep, we were lucky to see a sunfish, what a treat! And after a stop at Danger Point we slowly started our journey back to Kleinbaai harbour.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
