Whales and birds! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog
Written by December 25 2020
We had another ocean adventure on Christmas day. Close inshore we saw some Storm petrel, coming in with some westerly wind. These little pelagic birds are often overlooked because of their size weighing only around 20g. Further out in the deeper water behind the islands we spotted a very friendly Bryde’s whale coming up close to our vessel Whale Whisperer. After seeing the Cape Fur seal colony and the endangered African penguin we slowly made our way back towards Kleinbaai harbour.
What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
