Daily Blog: 18 November 2024
Today, we were treated to warm, calm weather out at sea, making for a fantastic day!
This was most likely a juvenille smooth Hammerhead Sphyrna zygaena, It is not so unusual in the Western Cape they are found worldwide in warm temperate and tropical seas, both inshore and offshore.
They are however listed as vulnerable on IUCN due to the fact that they are caught in many fisheries and their fins are valuable. As adolescents they often spend their time on the surface of the water with their dorsal breaking the surface, especially in warm sheltered/estuarine environments. It would be uncommon for this species to appear at a cage diving boat here as white sharks would be a natural predator to it as a juvenile (in Kleinbaai anyway). The species can reach lengths of up to 4.2m TL.
Interestingly walking on Pearly Beach the other day we found loads of tiny squid bones most likely from chokka (Loligo vulgaris) a known prey species for this type of Hammerhead shark. As they grow larger these Hammerheads can then consume stingrays and smaller sharks.
Cool sighting, I haven't personally seen them in Kleinbaai since January 2007 although I've heard many reports from local fishermen and others in Mossel Bay and False Bay. Usually when they are seen here its when water temperatures are warmer at the surface, in summer.
Marine Dynamics Shark Tours is an award-winning ecotourism and marine company in Gansbaai, South Africa. Dedicated to delivering outstanding marine experiences while preserving the environment, Marine Dynamics Shark Tours specialises in thrilling shark cage diving and Marine Big 5 tours in the area ...
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Read MoreToday, we were treated to warm, calm weather out at sea, making for a fantastic day!
A beautiful day on the water for divers and guests on board Slashfin today!
Dr. Anton Wolfaardt has dedicated 30 years to seabird and marine conservation, starting as a seabird field researcher on Marion Island in 1994.
With the sun shining throughout the day and temperatures rising, guests got to experience the refreshing Atlantic temperatures...
An early start welcomed the first adventurous divers of the day! Just minutes after launching, we spotted our first wildlife.
What an incredible day from start to finish, filled with thrilling encounters with Bronze Whaler sharks!