Marine Big 5 Safari: Self-Drive around Dyer Island to encounter diverse marine wildlife
4.7
56 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.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
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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
- Inflatable life-jackets and wet weather gear
- Coffee/tea and muffins on arrival
- Warm soup and bread after the trip
- Free visit to our African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS)
- Bottled water
What's Not Included
- 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 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.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(56 Ratings)
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Adigro84
Apr 4, 2024
Unique ocean experience - A great tour from Kleinbaai with a good chance of seeing the Marine Big 5 (shark, dolphin, whale, sea lion and penguin). After an informative briefing with coffee, we head out onto the ocean for around 3 hours, accompanied by marine biologists who are always happy to provide competent information. After the stay at sea, we finished with a delicious meal. A great experience that I recommend to anyone who is interested in marine life in South Africa.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jayno666
Nov 28, 2023
A very worthwhile experience - good value for money and highly recommended. - A fantastic boat trip. We were fortunate to see four of the big five, and thought the service and attentiveness of all the crew members was outstanding. We appreciated the commentary from the marine biologist who was a mine of interesting information.
A particular highlight was the 20 minutes we spent with a mother and calf Southern Right whale, who put on a great performance, getting up close to the boat on a number of occasions. The seal colony off Dyer Island didn't disappoint either!
We felt very safe as it's clear that the company takes safety very seriously, and ensured we were fully briefed before the trip, as well as provided with life jackets and optional water proof jackets. There was also storage on the boat for our personal belongings, to ensure they didn't get wet or slip overboard.
The coffee and muffin before the trip, as well as the soup and freshly backed breadroll at the end of the trip, were both very nice touches, which helped stave off the hunger after an early start. All in all a very worthwhile experience which we'd highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C5037cglaurab
Nov 2, 2023
close encounters - I loved being able to see the seals, whales and sharks so closely. They will also point out birds for those who are interested. The team was very supportive of my husband who was sea sick (which happens on most boats). You can get free pictures from the tour so you don't have to worry about that. There is also an opportunity to buy a video. Really appreciate the role this company plays in conservation. After the tour going to the Penguin and Seabird sanctuary is a must.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C7841jwandreg
Oct 9, 2023
A must go. - It was an incredible experience for the entire family.
Our group ranged in age from 2 to 70 years old, and we're certain that we've created unforgettable memories.
We had the chance to observe whales, sharks, penguins, and seals.
A big thanks to the whole team!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ava
Oct 4, 2023
Amazing - So much wildlife! Tons of whales, sharks, seals, even a stingray! The guides were very knowledgeable and you can tell they love what they do.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shirley_md_memories
Aug 31, 2023
Perfect trip, whales, Sealions, sharks and more - There was a slight delay due to tides but had a fab time. I will admit to not being a fan of boats but the sun was out and the swell below the seasonal norm. Started the morning with tea and muffins and then a pre chat with Kelly (marine biologist ) on what to expect and safety in the boat.
They provided life vests and a waterproof coat but fortunately it was warm so for us it was not needed.
Short walk to harbour where we were met by the harbour master and her dog Yogi.
Boat can take 50 passengers which sounded busy but it wasn't once you were on board. There were plenty of crew and what I liked alot on this trip was the constant checking we were ok and that we all got to see whatever was sighted.
Southern Right whales were spotted quite quickly but we left these in the hope others would be further on. All in all we saw over 10 Southern Right whales and we were also fortunate that a young whale decided to breach not once but a few times.
We headed towards some shark caging vessels and there were able to see 2/3 bronze whaler sharks.
Finally off to Dyer Island which was quite a speedy ride, a little bumpy and a kind touch by a member of the crew to provide a blanket for my youngest.
Dyer Island was impressive.. so many Cape Sealions young and old and so many in the sea. Not smelly but maybe we were lucky and quite noisey.
On the main island African penguins could be seen thanks to the loan of binoculars and a number of sea birds
On heading back to harbour we also got to see 3 Giant Petrels eating a dead sealion floating in the sea..
2 hours flew by and Kelly and the crew were amazing and very informative about what we were seeing and keeping us safe.
Soup and homemade bread upon our return made for a lovely trip and would definitely recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Deborah_c
Dec 17, 2023
Support conservation! - A great way to experience marine life in South Africa while supporting conservation and research efforts. The area is beautiful from the boat. Come during whale season if you can. If not you may still see the Bryde’s Whale. Be sure to visit the South African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary. These birds are threatened with becoming extinct in the wild soon and need support.
Review provided by Viator
David
Nov 6, 2023
Good interesting tour - It was a cool tour. We saw whales very close to the boat, as well as penguins and seals. Unfortunately, we didn't see any dolphins or sharks. The service was good and the staff very friendly and motivated. You just have to do it, tip top.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D3897itandrewk
Oct 16, 2023
Good couple of hours seeing whales and seals up close - A very enjoyable couple of hours out on the water to see seals and Southern Right whales close up. Unfortunately we didn't see sharks or dolphins, but never mind. Guides were very informative, the boat was comfortable with plenty of opportunities to see the animals. My only negative is that it took an hour for the team to process around 25 people before we could board
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gustavoredisvezia
Sep 26, 2023
Disappointing organization, but good chances to see whales - + Good chances to see whales; seals and penguins are almost guaranteed.
+/- Nice boat with good facilities, but overcrowded
- After arriving on time at the meeting point (a restaurant) nobody welcomed me nor checked my ticket or registered my name.
After a briefing I grabbed a life jacket, than i boarded the boat: anyone could have done it, even without a ticket. In case of an accident they should know who got on the boat.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
