Loading search...
Tour leader and native South African Leon Marais continues his Top Ten South Africa wildlife experiences. Here are his 7th & 8th choices.
Shy Albatross
Number 7: Apex predators – the Great White Sharks of Dyer Island
A one-ton-plus meat missile with serious teeth – that’s the essence of the awesome marine predator known as the Great White Shark. Once maligned as a ruthless killer and hunted indiscriminately, some positive PR and a bit more understanding of the true nature of the beast have done wonders for our perceptions of this animal. South Africa has some of the best shark watching spots in the world, especially around the Cape Fur Seal colonies on Dyer Island, a small hunk of rock about eight kilometres offshore from the coastal town of Gaansbaai.
Vulnerable seal pups venturing into the channel between the island and Geyser Rock, a stretch of water known as Shark Alley, are the attraction for the Great Whites, around which a thriving shark watching industry has grown. And while on land, where we have tamed the wild predators and banished them to parks and reserves, in the water we enter their world, as if stepping back into a time long gone by (just make sure that you’re in a cage though!). For those who are not comfortable with getting into the water, even in a cage, viewing from the boat is still an incredible experience.
Number 8: offshore encounters – A pelagic trip from Simon’s Town
Departing from Simon’s Town early in the morning, a pelagic birding trip takes you far out to sea in search of open-ocean birds such as Black-browed and Shy Albatross, Pintado Petrel, Sooty, Great and Cory’s Shearwaters and the dainty Wilson’s and European Storm-petrels, among others.
Thousands of these birds congregate behind the trawlers that ply the continental shelf, feeding on the discarded fish offal. Once you find a trawler you’ll notice a black cloud-like entity trailing behind the boat, which you soon realise is not smoke but rather a huge flock of birds following in the wake. As you draw closer you’ll be awed by the albatrosses with their 2m wingspans gliding past a few metres away, Storm-petrels fluttering daintily between the swells and badly behaved Giant Petrels harassing the other birds, with the guide calling out each new species as they appear (get to know your port and starboard!). Now and then you may pass a raft of Cape Fur Seals resting on the surface between dives, or schools of Common Dolphins searching for shoals of fish. Larger Cetaceans such as Southern Right and Bryde’s Whales also inhabit the open ocean, and if you’re lucky you may get to see a pod of Orcas. Of course if you’re unlucky with the weather and sea conditions you may just see the bottom of the boat through a sickly green haze, but sea-sickness aside, it’s a fabulous trip.
To find out more about our 'South Africa - Best of the Cape' tour, click here.