Commonly Seen

Commonly Seen

Known in the world of science as the Megaptera Novaengliae, Humpback whales got their name from the small humps found on their backs. These incredible mammals, which grow up to 15 meters in length, weigh anything from 35 to 45 tons. We see them from June to November during their migration from breeding grounds off the Mozambique coast, down to their feeding grounds in the Antarctic. Some late migraters can even been seen in out of season periods. Majestic in their flukes and flippers, they are often seen jumping out in demonstrations that could be communication, ridding themselves of parasites or just plain fooling around.

Commonly Seen

Reaching up to 10m in length and weighting in at a delicate 3 tons this is the smallest of the Baleen whales. Known as the Balaenoptera acutorostra, they are distinct with relatively long flippers with pale white stripes across them. Inquisitive, they often approach vessels, turning on their sides as they swim past or playfully breach clear of the water causing a spectacular splash.

Commonly Seen

Reaching up to 14m in length and weighing in at a delicate 13 tons of fast moving flesh. Known as the Balaenoptera edeni, these whales are sometimes resident off the coast all year round. Seen in small groups of 5 or 6, darting here and there, chasing small fish and feeding off plankton.

Commonly Seen

The Balena australis who reaches up to 16 meters, is the most common visitor to our sheltered Bay. The females spend July through to November calving here, ensuring up to a 200 litre milk feed per day for calves. Once they have used this milk to build up blabber reserves they set of for the long journey back to the Antarctic.

These whales are also known as the ‘right’ whale, a name from the days of legal whaling, being the right whales to hunt, because they are slow moving and surface floating on death. They have found their numbers on the increase since the curtailing of commercial whaling. Each year more and more spend time frolicking and socializing here.

Commonly Seen

The males weighing up to 8 tons, with their females coming in at less than half that. They are actually the largest dolphin, known to be people friendly as they feed on fish, squid, seals birds and dolphins. These whales, some reaching 8 meters, are often spotted jumping or floating belly up. Even some Orcinus orca have been spotted taking care of injured companions.

Commonly Seen

Slightly smaller and darker than Orca, these blunt nosed whales reach up to 5.5 meters if they are male, weighing in at around 2 tons, the females just over half this mass. They eat mainly fish and squid.

All year round there are the dolphin

Commonly Seen

Who live in pods numbering from 20 to many hundreds, as they traverse the Bay playfully following boats for many kilometers. Reaching 2.5 meters in length the Delphinus delphis feed in deeper water on squid, fish and cuttlefish.

Commonly Seen

Shy and less playful than other dolphins in that they seldom jump, surf or follow boats. A wonderful sighting the Sousa plumbea are, reaching 2.8 meters in length with their recognizable hump below the back fin.

Commonly Seen

Seen surfing the waves! The Turpiops truncates live in organized social groups of 10 – 60 members, hunting together by herding fish into a small area in to catch them more easily. Out of all the dolphin that can be seen in the Bay they can grow up to the largest length of 3.3 meters.

If you interested in finding out more about marine life and marine mammals check out our Centre for Dolphin Studies website: www.dolphinstudies.co.za

A few questions & answers

Its like asking are people friendly. Dolphin species vary in their degree of curiosity and interaction with humans. Some species are very shy whereas other species approach with great curiosity. They are strong creatures with territorial interests.

A few questions & answers

Man has the dubious distinction of claiming number one spot. It is claimed that over 100.000 Dolphins die each year directly because of man. The second biggest predators are Sharks. The third greatest predator of Dolphins is a Dolphin - The Orca or "Killer Whale".

A few questions & answers

All Dolphins and whales belong to the taxonomic order - Cetacean. All are marine mammals that have adapted to water and lost the faculty to come back to land again.

A few questions & answers

All Dolphins and whales are able to produce a complex array of sound. Dolphin can hear sounds upwards of 150KHz but generally produce sounds ranging from 1.5 to 1 1.0KHz.

A few questions & answers

Known as echolocation. Dolphins are able to determine size, direction, speed, distance and some of the internal structure of any objects under the water. It is claimed that a female dolphin can detect that a swimming human female is pregnant (and will often in reaction tend to protect her).

A few questions & answers

Dolphins sleep with one half of their brain at a time. As they are conscious breathers they cannot sleep as we do or they would drown. They can be seen resting with one eye open. After a time they will close that eye and open the other.

A few questions & answers

Out of water Dolphins and whales have two problems: heat and their own body weight. Because of their insulation it would be the same as you or I being in a hot desert with a winter jacket on. You would overheat in no time at all. Also, a whale's body cannot support its own weight - it relies on water for support.

A few questions & answers

None at all. They do, however, have a fantastic sense of taste.