PARTNERS
ISLAND CRUISES MARINE BIG 5 - GANSBAAI, CAPE TOWN
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0% of guests recommend
Duration
4 Hours
Tour Type
Seaside
Group Size
24 persons
Location
Cape Town
Overview
GANSBAAI ISLAND CRUISES MARINE BIG 5
Dyer Island is home to one of the broadest arrays of marine wildlife species in South Africa, and with Dyer Island Cruises there’s a good chance you’ll see them all – in just a single trip!
To see resident:
- DOLPHINS
- HUMPBACK WHALES
- BRYDES WHALE
- SHARKS
- SEALS
- PENGUINS
- VARIETY OF SEABIRDS
- GREAT WHITE SHARK
RATE
Adults: USD$ 145.00 per person
Children u/12 years: USD$ 106.00 per person
Children u/5 years: Free of charge
Duration: about Half Day Tour
When: All year round
1 January – 31 May 2022 Marine Big 5
1 June – 31 December 2022: Marine Big 5 Southern Right Whale Season
Where: Gansbaai, Cape Town
Weather: Weather permitting
Common Dolphin
With an 'hourgalss' patch on either side and aerial activity the common dolphin is an agile and majestic species, that may easily reach a speed of 40km/h.
Humpback Whale
One of the best-known whale species, they are renowned for their acrobatic behaviour and complex melodious song as well as extremely long flippers and are a special favourite of Dyer Island Cruises guests and crew alike.
Brydes Whale
The mysterious Bryde's whales visit the Dyer Island area throughout the year, with most sightings occurring during summer into winter.
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.
Great white shark
Gracious, beautiful, misunderstood - three words used by guests of Dyer Island Cruises after witnessing South Africa's most infamous marine species: The Great White Shark.
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
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.
Crowned Cormorant
Recognisable by their iconic red eyes and glossy coat, these beautiful birds are often spotted feeding on the wide variety of local fish-life close to the Dyer Island shoreline.
Requirements
Minimum Age all ages allowed
Minimum Height 0.0 m
Maximum Height 0.0 m
Fitness Level No Fitness Requirement
Qualifications Not Applicable
Certification None Required
Experience Level No Experience Requirement
Important Links & Contact Details
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/skybornetravel
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RESERVATIONS: E-mail: info@skybornetravel.com
Tel: +27 67 085 0602
WEB: https://www.skybornetravel.com
Included/Excluded
Morning trips: Coffee, tea and muffins on arrival and a light lunch after the trip. Intex Inflatable Swim Vest. Afternoon trips: Light lunch before the trip followed by soup and bread after the trip. Visit to the African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary. Stopover in Hermanus on return trip to Cape Town. Return Transport From Cape Town.
COMPULSORY R30 CONSERVATION FEE PER PERSON
Travel Styles
Nature & Adventure
Marine
FAQs
COMMON DOLPHIN - How large are these dolphins?
The common dolphin is about 1.7 to 2.5m long, weighing in at approximately 150-200 kg.
Calves are born at a size of 80-93cm in length and weigh between 7-10 kg.
Fun Fact: Common dolphins can be found in pods off up to 10 000 animals, our peak season for sightings is between March and August.
HUMPBACK WHALE - Our whale spotter tells us about the world famous Humpback whale Where can they been seen?
Humpback whales have a worldwide distribution and migrate between high latitude summer feeding grounds in cold waters near the poles to their winter breeding grounds in tropical waters.
How big are they?
Calves are born at a length of 4-4.6m and already can weigh up to 1t. Adults are 11-16m, whereas females are usually larger than males.
WHERE DOES THEIR NAME COME FROM?
The common name comes from the tendency to arch its back when diving and because the dorsal fin sits on ‘hump’ on its back. The scientific name Megaptera comes from the Greek meaning ‘big’ or ‘great’ and ptera for ‘wings’ which refer to the long flippers of the whale and novaeangliae is from Latin derivation for ‘a New Englander’ because it was named after a specimen found in New England in 1781 (i.e. ‘big-winged New Englander’).
FUN FACT:
Humpback whales have bumps so called ' tubercles' on their flipper and head. The tubercles on humpback whales' leading edge of the flipper bio-inspired the design the design of watercraft, aircraft, ventilation fans, and windmills that has commercial viability
BRYDES WHALE - How big do these whales get?
Brydes Whales may reach a size of up to 15m and weigh up to 25 tonnes.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN TRYING TO SPOT THE BRYDES WHALE?
We look out for the whales’ spout, which is also used to identify them from a distance as their spout forms a single columnar blow that reaches a height of 3-4 meters. Additionally, we look for the whales’ footprints – a round glossy patch caused by the tail and diving birds which might indicate fish and therefore some other marine life such as a Bryde’s whale.
BRONZE WHALER SHARK - How big are the Copper Sharks compared to the Great White Shark?
Great White Sharks will get to a length of around 6m, where as the Copper Sharks will get to a length of just over 3m. The Great White also has a much wider girth than that of a Copper Shark.
Fun Fact: Bronze Whalers reach a size of just over 3m and can be seen here during our summer months. We see mostly female Bronze Whalers around our boats and they are part of the Requiem family.
GREAT WHITE SHARKS - General – About south africa’s great white shark.
All sharks and rays are fish known as “elasmobranchs,” which means they have a skeleton made of cartilage (what makes your ears and your nose) not bone.
There are over 600 species of known shark, and this number is constantly increasing as we discover more about the ocean!
While we have 5 senses, sharks and rays have 7! Touch, smell, taste, sight, hearing, water pressure, and they can detect slight electrical fields produced by muscles (including your heart beat!)
ATTACKS – WHY DO SHARKS HAVE SUCH A BAD REPUTATION? THE MYTHS AND THE FACTS.
Shark encounters can sometimes be fatal, and while these situations are tragic, they are incredibly rare.
There is an average of 4 fatal shark attacks per year. This is all oceans, all species of sharks. There is an average of 26 fatal dog attacks per year only in the United States, 38 people die annually from lightning strike, and 1.2 million people are killed per year in car accidents.
CAPE FUR SEAL - General information – The Cape Fur Seal
Cape fur seals are “endemic” to Namibia and South Africa. They are mammals, like us, which means they give live birth and feed their young with milk. They eat mostly boney fish but do also eat squid, octopus, or crayfish if they find it. Female seals and their young are present year-round and an adult female seal can weigh around 85kgs. Fully grown male seals, or “bulls” can weigh upwards of 300kgs, so you can definitely see the difference in their size! Bull seals are only present during the difference in their size! Bull seals are only present during the breeding season from October to December of every year. This is when male seals set up “harems” or territories of females to mate with. A female will raise one pup per year, and it is estimated that Geyser Rock can produce 10-12,000 seals pups per year (but not all survive their first year). Cape fur seals are famously the main prey for great white sharks.
DIET – WHY WOULD A SEAL EAT A PENGUIN?
More research needs to be done in order to understand the complex ecosystem surrounding Dyer Island. It is thought that small groups of “rogue” seals, typically young males, specialize in predating on seabirds. They do not consume the whole bird, but rather target the stomach cavity of returning birds. Returning birds are typically full of fish from foraging, so the seals are really after the fish meal inside destroying the bird in the process.
There is an especially
delicate system at Dyer Island where penguin and seal colonies neighbor each other. Therefore, understanding the complexities of this system are imperative to the survival of the penguins.
FUN FACT:
Females can weigh up to 85kg and males up to 300kg! This is because male seals must fight off competing males during mating season.
AFRICAN PENGUIN - Biology and reproduction – What are key characteristics of the African Penguin?
There are only 18 penguin species worldwide, and the African penguin is the only one that breeds on the African continent. They are considered “endemic” to, or only found in, Namibia and South Africa. African penguins are only 70cm tall and reach sexual maturity at around 4 years old.
African penguins can swim up to 20km/hr, travel 20-40km in a day, and have been recorded at 180m depth! They breed mainly at offshore islands in “colonies.” Dyer Island is one of these offshore areas and is located 8 km south from Kleinbaai harbor. Breeding season begins in January when males return to their previous nesting areas. They defend their nest while they wait for their female mates to arrive. African penguins mate with the same partner year after year.
African penguins typically lay one to two eggs which, if successful, will hatch in March. They can then lay a second clutch in May/June. If the egg is lost, they may lay another clutch in March and if that clutch is also lost, they may lay again in May/June or even August/September. It is this determination to breed successfully that was exploited by egg harvesters in the 18th and 19th centuries.
CONSERVATION – WHY ARE THE AFRICAN PENGUINS IN TROUBLE?
The total African penguin population took a nose-dive in the 20th century by 90%, the two main culprits to this demise were egg harvesting and guano scraping. Marine pollution further exacerbates this decline.
Guano scraping was the removal of nutrient rich bird droppings from bird colony areas which was then sold as fertilizer internationally. African penguins naturally burrow into the guano layer to form nests. These burrowed nests keep them insulated from heat & cold and protected from predators.
On Dyer Island, the guano layer was 4-6m thick! Because guano scraping was such a profitable business, many of the guano islands are now barren rocks with a layer only centimeters deep. Penguins must now nest on the surface in shallow pits which exposes them to harsh weather conditions, flooding, and predators.
Egg harvesting occurred up until the 1960’s. Penguin eggs were considered a delicacy in Europe, and the demand for them was very high. Because penguins will lay new clutches if the first egg is unsuccessful, many pairs were pushed to their limits constantly laying new eggs as the harvesters took them away. Imagine, in one year, over 590,000 penguins eggs were harvested from only one island! This impact is immeasurable.
CROWNED CORMORANT - How many species of Cormorant can we see on your tours?
We have 4 different species of Cormorant in the area. The Crowned Cormorant, the Cape Cormorant, the White Breasted Cormorant and the Bank Cormorant. The Crowned is the smallest of the four and has red eyes, with an orange face.
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