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.
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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.
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.
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
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.
Picture: David Clode/Unsplash
