Playful whales on a windless day, 15 August 2018

We could have asked for better sightings or a more eventful day out at sea...

Written by Jax Bath, August 16 2018

Playful whales on a windless day, 15 August 2018

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Guest Comment:

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The experiance was amazing. The crew were hands on and very caring. Th crew made sure that we all had info about everything we saw.

Savjana

Guest Comment:

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Amazing!!! Well organized. We enjoyed every minute from the booking to the hot soup. Well done! Thanks!

Maya

Guide Summary.

We embarked on 3 tours today. Launching the first two tours in Gansbaai and the last from our quaint little Kleinbaai harbour.

The first tour of the day started off with the sighting of two Humpback whales who were moving along the coast. Although these whales were taking deeper dives, we never quite knew what to expect when they did surface which made for a exciting sighting. We got a few breaches and even a tail slap from these whales before moving on towards Dyer Island. On the way we spotted a host of Shy Albatross as well as a very relaxed raft of African Penguins. At the island, we were ale to help an entangled seal who was being heavily weighed down by rope. We have seen these seal a few times over the last week and were so relieved that we were finally able to help him. Kira expertly caught the seal using a grappling hook and was able to cut the rope off before allowing the young seal to jump, finally free. After this awesome rescue, we made our way back to Gansbaai Harbor.

Trip two started with a sighting a Southern Right Whale with a calf, which we cruised by before spotting yet another Southern Right Whale hanging around Danger Point. This whale was super relaxed, and we got to see spend some quality time with him before heading off. Next up was a rope retrieval when we found a large raft floating in the water. Whales are well known for playing with things like kelp, so it is not surprising that they often entangled by discarded ropes and nets. When these get stuck on the animals, it can cause them excruciating pain and may even lead to their deaths, so we feel strongly about trying to take out as much as what we can on our tours.

The highlight of our final whale watching adventure was definitely a group of Southern right Whales, which included one animal that seemed to really enjoy our company. After stopping at Slashfin and catching a quick glimpse of a juvenile Great White Shark. We then travelled to Pearly Beach where we caught up with 5 Southern Right Whales. We spent some time observing a mating group before we had a single whale completely steal the show. This animal would to leave the boat alone. He kept circling us, moving from side to side and surfacing directly below the railings. As if this was not awesome enough, later on in the sighting, he got a bit playful with the seaweed, putting it on it’s bonnet and showing it off like a domestic dog would with a new toy. This was absolutely breathtaking and we could not have asked for a better sighting.

Best Snaps for the day.

Discarded rope that we picked up on today’s tour. Whales, seals and other marine mammals often become entangled in rope such as this, so when we do see any out at sea we will always make an effort to pick it up.

Whale watching.

A Southern Right Whale Flipper.

A stunning spy hop.

Some typical mating behavior observed on trip 3.

Whales having a bit of fun.

A Southern Right Whale approaching the boat.

A very curious whale spy hopping meters away from the boat.

This whale kept checking us out from below, moving beneath us again and again.

This whale hung out around the boat for ages, giving us the sighting of a lifetime.

This whale showing off his kelp and melting our hearts.

Like a Labrador with a new toy, this is one of the most incredible things we get to see.

A juvenile Shy Albatross.

A Humpback Whale breaking the surface.

These Humpback Whales were travelling along, giving us the occasional breach and even a tail slap.

Humpback whales are known to have some of the longest migrations in the world, with these gentle giants travelling thousands of kilometers between feeding and breeding grounds.

An Adult African Penguin with a juvenile. We call the juveniles baby blues.

Cape Fur Seals doing some napping.

About to take the plunge.

Geyser Rock is always a hive of activity.

A Southern Right Whale showing off his V-shaped blow.

Slowly Cruising.

Tail.

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Written by

Jax Bath Guide

Jax has been guiding for Dyer Island Cruises since 2015, quickly becoming famous for the excitable shouts coming from her direction every time we see incredible wildlife (which is often!).

Jax's profile
Jax Bath

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