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Marine Big 5 Safari: Self-Drive around Dyer Island to encounter diverse marine wildlife
4.7
65 Ratings
Van Dyks Bay
Embark on a thrilling self-drive safari around Dyer Island to witness the incredible Marine Big 5. Encounter whales, sharks, seals, penguins, and dolphins in their natural habitat.
Embark on a thrilling self-drive safari around Dyer Island to witness the incredible Marine Big 5. Encounter whales, sharks, seals, penguins, and dolphins in their natural habitat.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
-
Dyer Island Cruises - You will arrive at The Great White House where we a restaurant, bathroom facilities and curio shop are situated.
Upon arrival tea, coffee and muffins will be served.
In the conservation and education room, you will receive an in-depth briefing regarding the area that you’ll be operating in, as well as conservation work and…
-
Dyer Island Cruises - You will arrive at The Great White House where we a restaurant, bathroom facilities and curio shop are situated.
Upon arrival tea, coffee and muffins will be served.
In the conservation and education room, you will receive an in-depth briefing regarding the area that you’ll be operating in, as well as conservation work and safety.
You will be equipped with inflatable life jackets and wet weather gear in case of cooler weather conditions.
It is a short walk down to the harbour to enjoy an exhilarating trip on custom designed Dream Catcher. The Southern Right Whale Season is normally from June - December, but for the rest of the year the area is so fortunate to occasionally see some Humpback and Bryde’s whales. Other stops include a visit to the shark cage diving vessels to view great white sharks and then head to Dyer Island and Geyser Rock for the penguins and seals. You may also spot one of three dolphin species that visit: the Common dolphin, the Humpback or the Indo-pacific Bottlenose dolphin. You have an on board biologist and experienced crew promise an educational and memorable experience for the whole family.
After the trip at sea, you come back to The Great White House for warm soup and bread while warming up in front of a cosy fire or in summer to enjoy the warm sun. A debriefing will follow and the trip footage can be bought.
The trip also includes a visit to our African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) either before or after the trip.
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Bottled water
- Warm soup and bread/ lasagne after the trip
- Coffee/tea and muffins on arrival
- Inflatable life-jackets and wet weather gear
- Free visit to our African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS)
- Professional guide
- Bottled water
- Warm soup and bread/ lasagne after the trip
- Coffee/tea and muffins on arrival
- Inflatable life-jackets and wet weather gear
- Free visit to our African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS)
What's Not Included
- Trip footage available for purchase after the trip
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Trip footage available for purchase after the trip
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
We operate from Gansbaai around the world-famous Dyer Island where you might be so fortunate to see the Marine Big 5
– the Southern Right Whale/Humpback/Bryde’s Whales, various shark species, the Cape fur seal (around 60,000 on Geyser Rock), the endangered African Penguin and various visiting dolphin species. The area is also home to a wide variety of…
We operate from Gansbaai around the world-famous Dyer Island where you might be so fortunate to see the Marine Big 5
– the Southern Right Whale/Humpback/Bryde’s Whales, various shark species, the Cape fur seal (around 60,000 on Geyser Rock), the endangered African Penguin and various visiting dolphin species. The area is also home to a wide variety of seabirds.
- Wheelchair accessible, we can accommodate 2 wheelchairs per trip. Please advise at time of booking if wheelchair assistance is required.
- Excellent crew - one crew member to look after 6-7 guests.
- Please note that the Conservation Fee is compulsory.
- This tour is 2 to 2.5 hours, excluding your travel and briefing time.
Location
Great White House Restaurant - Gansbaai
Geelbek Street
Travellers to meet us at the Great White House, Gansbaai, Geelbek Street, Van Dyks Bay, South Afica
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(65 Ratings)
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Mayansl
Oct 30, 2024
Lovely afternoon! - I had done this tour when in S Africa a few years ago. We were back in the area and I wanted to take my son. After careful research, I learnt this is still the best one to do.
We were super lucky as it was a beautiful afternoon, the water was calm so translucent around Dyer island so managed to see the whales right alongside the boat. Our excellent knowledgable female guide spoke with such gentle dulcet tones she did not disturb the whales.
The whole experience is a bit long and drawn out but I realised its because it is weather driven so have to wait for the previous boat to return, which may have gone out late etc.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Antoniaw73
Oct 25, 2024
Incredible Whale Watching Tour – As a Travel Agent, I Highly Recommend It! - As someone who works in a travel agency and has traveled extensively, I've had the privilege of joining several whale-watching tours in different parts of the world. However, the experience I had on the Whale Watching Big 5 tour in South Africa truly stands out as one of the best!
From the moment we boarded the boat, my partner and I were warmly welcomed by the friendly and professional crew. They were attentive and made sure everyone felt comfortable before setting out on the adventure. What particularly impressed us was the team's extensive knowledge and genuine passion for marine life. The way they expertly guided us in spotting whales, dolphins, and other marine creatures—some of which can be elusive—was absolutely amazing. My partner and I were blown away by their skill and dedication.
A real highlight was the introduction to the penguin conservation efforts, which was both enlightening and sobering. Learning about the challenges penguins face and the potential for their extinction if we don't take action was deeply moving. It made me realize how important it is to protect our wildlife and what we can do to help. The crew shared these facts with such care, making us feel more connected to the wildlife we were seeing.
The entire tour was an unforgettable experience, filled with excitement and a sense of responsibility toward the environment. I can't recommend it enough for anyone visiting South Africa—whether you're a seasoned traveler like me or embarking on your first wildlife tour, this experience is truly exceptional!
Warmest thanks to the entire team for such a fantastic and memorable day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Theroaminggiraffed
Oct 17, 2024
Thrilling and informative in spite of poor weather conditions - Informative briefing, efficient safety and waterproof gear provided. With the help of our eagle-eyed guides and boat pilot, we saw quite a few whales with calves, penguins and a shark at the shark diving boat anchored out at sea. Lots of interesting facts and conservation information. We had quite a few young children on our trip who were fully engaged and interested. After docking, we enjoyed fantastic homemade soup and fresh rolls baked on-site. A genuinely memorable nature and conservation experience. Highly recommended. On the way home, I stopped for coffee and a visit to the African Seabird and Penguin Sanctuary a kilometre up the road. Charming, informative, sobering- as these penguins risk extinction soon. A must-visit for nature lovers and very suitable for children of all ages. Great coffee there and a lovely penguin-themed gift shop.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scrabbler2015
Sep 9, 2024
Great trip - We were unsure whether the trip would go ahead due to strong winds but fortunately it did. Rest assured that safety is a priority from this professional team who looked after us every step of the way. The tour had been booked by our travel agent and we were surprised to be offered coffee and muffins on arrival. There was a short talk about penguin conservation and a video safety briefing. Everyone was provided with a life jacket. Additionally there was a waterproof coat which proved to be very useful. The sea was very choppy at times but staff checked that we were OK. Unfortunately, We could not get very close to the island where the penguins and birds were but did have great sighting of the seals. What you see is down to nature on the day. We did not see any dolphins but the highlight was the whales of which we had great views. We were impressed that the team made sure that everyone on board had the opportunity to view the wildlife. Seeing sharks was also great but a little "manufactured" as people were on other boats to experience being in cages in water with the sharks. After the trip we had vegetable soup and a bread roll which was very welcome after a cold and blustery trip.
The organisation was first rate and we would highly recommend this tour.
Afterwards we drove to the penguin and seabird sanctuary which was free. We found this to be disappointing as all one could see was a few penguins behind glass.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
2014petert
Sep 6, 2024
12 out of 10, fully deserved - Extremely professional crew, who created a fantastic experience. It starts with coffee and muffins for briefing, and ends with a hot soup for the debriefing. And with this attitude of care, the boat trip unfolds. Plenty of crew members are onboard, constantly checking if everyone is ok, asking people for their questions, obviously explaining the sightings. Definitely to repeat and recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Charlottecc4650sz
Jun 17, 2024
Very nice experience - Very nice experience. We saw 2 or 3 whales 🐳., sharks, sea lions, penguins.
We didn't see the dolphins...
Very nice experience.
On the other hand, disappointed with Gansbaii in terms of catering... we ate in the great house.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Guide45800997533
May 16, 2024
Amazing experience. - What a fantastic adventure, we really had a great day with Dyer Island Cruises, we did the Marine Big 5, spotted Marine birds, the bridel whale, dolphins, seals, we even saw a corper shark, after the trip we stopped by the penguin sanctuary.
I would highly recommend this 5 star experience to anyone from South Africa as well as International Tourists. Really professional company, professional and super friendly staff, you can tell that they all love what they doing.
Shout out to Janine, she was very helpful and took her time to show us around, she is one amazing Lady.
We had an amazing experience and highly recommend this to anyone, whether you do the Marine Big 5 or Shark Cage diving.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Guide30925668316
May 14, 2024
Marine Big 5 Tour - a great experience! - We (two adults and our seven-year-old daughter) took part in the Marine Big 5 Tour with Dyer Island Cruises at the end of March. We were lucky enough to see whales, sharks, seals and penguins. A truly wonderful experience for nature and animal lovers like us. The crew kept sharing interesting information about the different animals and places via on-board announcements. After the boat trip, a delicious meal was waiting for us, which rounded off the day perfectly.
The organization was perfect and we felt in good hands from start to finish. We can highly recommend the Marine Big 5 Tour from Dyer Island Cruises. A big thank you to the entire team for an unforgettable experience - we will definitely be back (in August 2025 😊)!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Inspire726953
May 5, 2024
The great humpback whale and penguins were the best - This was by far the best experience I had with the ocean. The marine biologist onboard was so friendly and well educated about the area and sea animals. I would highly recommend this 5 star experience to anyone from South Africa as well as International Tourists. Keep up your great efforts and high standards.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lar1087
Oct 22, 2024
Well Organized Marine Tour - This is a well organized operation and we’d recommend it to others, with a few important caveats.
1. The time they tell you to arrive is a full 30 minutes before the briefing starts. We assumed that would be the case and brought a packed breakfast to eat during this window. Otherwise, kind of a waste of time at the start. This also means that the tour lasts longer than you think it would — the website says 90 minutes to two hours. We arrived at 7:30 and left at 11am so plan accordingly!
2. You sign up for a specific time on their website — eg, 7am, 9am, 11am, or 2pm. All of these times are just approximate. We signed up for a 9am tour but the meeting time was 7:30am. This was annoying at the time but ended up working better for our schedule given that the tour was 3.5 hours instead of two hours. You’ll get a text message the day before with the meeting time — don’t assume or plan around the specific time you book the tour.
3. The boat had about 32 on it, but only 16 could ride up top, which had better views. It’s worth it to race to the boat to get the better seating. Everyone else has to move around the boat to try to be where the best viewing happens, and they want you to move around carefully, holding the handrail, which is difficult to do when others are standing. There were definitely cool things that I missed that I would have caught on camera if I were up top.
With those tips in mind, overall, our tour was fantastic. We saw all the big five. For sharks, they take you out to where their shark diving boat is — there were sharks in the water but not great in terms of getting pictures. We had distant penguins and lots of seals at Dyer Island. And then some fantastic dolphin and whale sightings. The boat did a good job of getting close to the wildlife and positioning so most of the tourists had decent views.
In addition, there were coffee and muffins at the start and hot soup at the end. A nice touch.
In terms of logistics, the self-drive worked well. There was a big grass parking lot out back.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
