Tracking SA’s Marine Big 5 Posted on 17 October 2018 Tourists the world over flock to our shores to catch a glimpse of the Big 5 on safari. The latest trend, which originated in South Africa, is tracking the Marine Big 5. With a prolific population of life beneath the surface of the sea, along our pictureque coastline, tracking these ocean creatures is almost as much fun as finally finding them. Here are the Marine Big 5 and where to look for them… 1. The African penguin Dressed in a tuxedo and slowly escaping the threat of extinction, this penquin is a firm favourite among South Africans. There are a number of colonies along the Western Cape’s coastline, including Boulders Beach, Bird Island, Dyer Island, Dassen Island, Robben Island and St Croix Island – home to the largest colony of African Penguins in the world. Boulders Beach is a favourite site to visit these aquatic birds and visitors are guaranteed a sighting at any time of the year. Win: 2 nights each in Table Mountain and West Coast National Parks as well as tickets to visit Boulders Penguin Colony View this post on Instagram A post shared by The African Penguin🇿🇦 (@theafricanpenguin) on Sep 3, 2016 at 8:05am PDT 2. The Cape fur seal Named for its soft fur coat, the Cape fur seal can be found soaking up the sun from Namibia down the west coast to Cape Town and as far along the east coast as Port Elizabeth. With flippers and big brown eyes, their demeanour is somewhat friendly and playful (although they do have sharp teeth). You’ll find them lounging int he sun or rolling lazily in the waters around the V&A Waterfront, Kalk Bay and Hout Bay harbours. View them on land or if you are adventurous, you can dip into their playground in the Atlantic Ocean. Divers and snorkelers may come across them the Karbonkelberg marine protected area, part of Table Mountain National Park. View this post on Instagram Reminiscing of the day we braved the freezing waters to snorkel with these guys! 📍Hout Bay, SA. . . . . . . #capefurseal #furseal #duikerisland #houtbay #animalocean #capetown #southafrica #wildlife #wildlifelovers #travelphotography #ocean #saltywater #snorkelling #natgeo #natgeoafrica #wanderlust #travelpic #earthpix #gopro A post shared by Sara Jane Holder (@sarajaneholder) on Sep 23, 2018 at 1:17pm PDT 3. Dolphins South Africa is home to several dolphin species – the three most common are the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, long-beaked common dolphin and the bottlenose dolphin. The sardine run, which takes place between May and July along the Eastern Cape’s coastline up towards to the warmer waters of KwaZulu-Natal offers an annual spectacle of dolphin sightings. View this post on Instagram We welcome you my account XD #welcome #account #myaccount #dolpins #bottlenosedolphin #seacreatures #underthesea #sea #thesea #sealife #animals #seaanimals #cute #friendly A post shared by the_derpunicorn (@the_derpunicorn) on Oct 14, 2018 at 2:49pm PDT 4. Southern right whales These oceanic giants move along the Western Cape’s coastline and can be spotted from June to December when they migrate from the Antarctic to calve. The official Whale Route stretches from the Garden Route to Cape Town, with False Bay and Hermanus being ideal locations to view these placid giants. Video: Whale watching in Hermanus View this post on Instagram Adult mother Southern right whale trying to get her 60 tons out of the water #breach #whale #whalewatching #southernrightwhale #southafrica #dyerislandcruises #southernrightwhales #africa #ocean #blueplanet #naturephotography #wildlifephotography A post shared by Judith Scott (@judith_scott_photography) on Oct 9, 2018 at 11:13pm PDT 5. Great white sharks This apex predator is a permanent resident of the South African seas. Adult sharks can grow between four to six metres in length and can weigh over a thousand kilograms. Great Whites can swim up to speeds of 25km per hour. This shark is commonly found in Gaansbaai, Western Cape, where one can cage dive with these magnificent beasts, however there has been a decline in sightings recently with marine biologists and conservationist not sure where they have moved to or why. View this post on Instagram Great Whites really do breach like this but only in one place in the world and that’s located in South Africa! From Reddit. #reddit #greatwhiteshark #greatwhite #shark #sharks #breach #southafrica #video #cool #sea #ocean A post shared by Michael J. Plumeyer (@plumeyer) on Oct 16, 2018 at 9:15pm PDT Picture: David Clode/Unsplash Related Posts The 5 best climbing spots in South Africa 10 April 2023 Mozambique – a coastal, self-drive holiday 23 October 2022 Catherine Hofmeyr shares what's new (and what's still hot) on a coastal self-drive holiday from... read more Get ready for high voltage action at Killarney’s Power Series 6 21 July 2022 As we accelerate into the second half of the season, Power Series racing presented by... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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