Whales, dolphins and seabirds everywhere! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog
Written by April 3 2021
We had a beautiful Saturday out at sea with no wind and lots of sunshine and the most amazing sightings, it is hard to find the right words to describe all the different wildlife encounters we had through out the day on two trips. Both trips started off with hundreds of African penguins out in the bay where also other seabirds were seen feeding. In the same are we also manged to find the usual shy and elusive Bryde’s whale. Back along the coast and heading past Uilenkraalmond we spotted on both trips some of the Endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins very close to the shore. On the second trip we got surprised by a humpback whale close to the river mouth and made a stop before getting to the dolphins. The whale was very curious and approached our vessel while we were just drifting along. Closer to Dyer Island and saw plenty of Cape cormorants and a few more penguins. Heading into Shark Alley we already saw that Geyser Rock is empty but the nearby waters around were packed with playful Cape Fur seals.
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.
Brydes Whale Brydes Whale
Mysterious and often solitary, Bryde's whales frequent the Dyer Island area throughout the year, with most sightings occuring during the summer months.
Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin
The Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin is South Africa's rarest coastal cetacean. These animals get their name from their accumulated fat hump under their dorsal fin and have a range of up to 500km.
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 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.
Humpback Whale Humpback Whale
One of the larger whale species to visit area and with their distinctive body shape, humpback whales are a special favourite of Dyer Island Cruises guests and crew alike.
