Whale and Marine Big Five Excursion around Dyer Island, Gansbaai

Get a front-row seat in the splash zone on this whale-watching excursion to Dyer Island!

The only place in the world where you can see both Southern Right whales and great white sharks on the same trip, experience survival of the fittest firsthand on this marine safari to Dyer Island. Home to whales, seals, penguins and great sharks, discover and protect on this eco-tour from Gansbaai.

Gansbaai is a two-hour drive from Cape Town on the Cape Whale Coastline. An 8km boat trip to Dyer Island and Geyser Rock, it is home to a Cape fur seal colony and is a rare bird sanctuary. The activity base is at the Great White House in Kleinbaai, within walking distance of the slipway where the shark cage diving boats are launched.

Travelling through the channel named ‘Shark Alley’ there is a chance to see the predation habits of the region's sharks and migrating whale populations (season depending) that have been known to investigate the boat – and get very close!

Meet your conservation team at The Great White House in Gansbaai for this whale-watching excursion to Dyer Island. Organized according to tides and weather conditions, all tours start with a brief introductory talk about the route, safety, and what to look out for. Each 2-hour trip is led by experienced marine biologists and guides who will share their knowledge with you, keeping the emphasis on the welfare and conservation. A short 20-minute boat ride from the marina, Dyer Island is an Important Bird Area (IBA) and renowned for the conservation of resident bird species that include the Africa Penguin. Neighbouring Dyer Island is Geyser Rock - a 60,000 strong Cape Fur Seal colony that are present all year round. Travelling through the channel named ‘Shark Alley’ there is a chance to see the predation habits of Great White Sharks and migrating whale populations (season depending) that have been known to investigate the boat – and get very close!

Conditions
Operating throughout the year, marine safaris cannot guarantee sightings, but from June to November guests are likely to see southern right whales, sharks, seals and penguins, whilst from January to June there are sightings of Bryde’s whales, Humpback whales and dolphins.