Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 17 March
Written by March 17 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 17 March 2026:
Today we had some overcast conditions with a breeze on the water. Leaving Kleinbaai Harbour behind us, we made our way towards the coast, passing the natural estuary of the area before reaching the Shark cage diving boats, anchored within the Shallows. Both Bronze whaler sharks and a Short-tailed stingray were seen in front of the cage! Moving through the local reef system, we made our way toward the island system. First off, Dyer Island and its colony of the critically endangered African Penguins. Next up, the Cape fur seal colony on Geyser Rock in world-famous Shark Alley. Toward the end of the trip, we made our way through deeper waters, leading all the way to Danger Point. Even though accompanied by several different seabirds, it has been rather quite.
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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.
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.
