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Marine Big 5 Safari: Self-Drive around Dyer Island to encounter diverse marine wildlife
4.7
76 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…
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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
- Coffee/tea and muffins on arrival
- Bottled water
- Inflatable life-jackets and wet weather gear
- Warm soup and bread after trip
- Free visit to our African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS)
- Professional guide
- Coffee/tea and muffins on arrival
- Bottled water
- Inflatable life-jackets and wet weather gear
- Warm soup and bread after trip
- 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
(76 Ratings)
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691louh
Aug 18, 2025
A beautiful tour with great staff! - I loved the tour so much, we were able to see so many beautiful animals. I found it incredible to see how the company interacts with the animals. While we found a whale we didn’t get any closer to 15 meters, losing the animals to come to us, if they wanted to but left room for them to leave in case of a stressful situation. Even if the tour was a bit more expensive than the others it was great to see how much they actually cared about the health of the animals instead of just using them to make money with tourist, thank you so much for that!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cherylharvey
Aug 16, 2025
Whale watching, sharks, seals and penguins! - A great trip out to see the Marine Big 5 - we saw 4/5 but were not disappointed! The hospitality of the team was also excellent. A must-do activity if you are in the area - we were staying in Hermanus and it was an easy 40min drive
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michael_m_72207
Jul 29, 2025
Fun Tour! - I really enjoyed my family’s marine big 5 tour with Marine Dynamics. The staff was friendly and helpful, and we had a very nice time getting out on the water. During my trip, we saw a humpback whale, penguins, and seals. Thanks for a fun trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Coastal793127
Jun 20, 2025
An unforgetable experience - Marine Dynamics, Gansbaai - Unforgettable Experience – Absolutely World Class! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
We had the most incredible experience with Marine Dynamics – Whale Watching and Marine Big 5 Tours this past Saturday. From start to finish, everything was truly world-class.
The boat trip was breathtaking — we were lucky to encounter large pods of dolphins, penguins, Cape fur seals, and even sharks, with a close-up view next to the shark cage diving boat. The marine life was simply spectacular, and we captured beautiful photos and videos that we'll treasure forever.
The crew deserves special mention — they were exceptionally knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about the ocean and its wildlife. Their commentary throughout the tour made the experience even more enriching.
As a bonus, we also visited the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary in Gansbaai, which was both inspiring and deeply moving. The work they do there is amazing, and it was a privilege to see it up close.
If you’re in the area, this is an absolute MUST-DO. One of the best wildlife experiences I’ve ever had — truly unforgettable! Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vacation616966
Jun 15, 2025
Truly next level! - We had an unforgettable whale cruise with Marine Dynamics to Dyer Island! The team’s professionalism, friendliness, and passion for marine conservation are truly next level. A special thank you to Sanchia Chivell for the warm welcome and insightful tour — especially of their incredible African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary. We were blown away by the experience and highly recommend all their activities. This is conservation in action!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nokuthulak694
May 24, 2025
Review: Marine Big 5 Experience – Dream Catcher Tour - Even though it wasn’t peak whale season, our time out at sea with the Dream Catcher crew was absolutely extraordinary — an unforgettable experience that I will wholeheartedly recommend to my clients!
From the moment we arrived were welcomed from the ground handling staff to aboard, the staff made us feel comfortable and well taken care of. Their passion for the ocean and its wildlife shone through, and their professionalism ensured that we got the most out of the excursion.
We left Kleinbaai Harbour and followed the coastal route, stopping by the shark cage diving boats where we were treated to up-close views of Bronze Whaler sharks. What made it even more special was the surprise visit from two endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins — an incredibly rare and moving sight.
The trip continued with a visit to the island system, where we saw critically endangered African Penguins at their favorite hangout on Dyer Island and an impressive display of Cape Fur Seals on Geyser Rock.
As if that wasn’t enough, we were lucky enough to spot two elusive Humpback whales during the first trip, granting us breathtaking views and memories that will last a lifetime.
This was truly an out-of-this-world experience, made even better by the warm, knowledgeable, and dedicated team. Thank you to everyone involved for making it so special — you truly went above and beyond. I’ll definitely be recommending this to my clients!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rohoyachui
Feb 20, 2025
They are amazing professionals and we saw all of the Marine Big 5! - From start to finish, from the muffins and coffee at arrival in the morning to the delicious soup upon return from the ocean, this was a very good experience. Although February is not whale season, we saw one of the whale species that stays in the region year round. And we saw the penguin, seal, shark and dolphins. As it is nature, there is always the chance not to see them all, but the crew is great in finding also the illusive ones.
The care for the guests was very good, especially for the ones who found out that they can get seasick. The boat and equipment are well maintained and safety of the guests is always the priority.
Thank you guys for the great tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P3049agvalentinav
Aug 20, 2025
Positive experience, but improveable! - I have scheduled a tour at 11.30am. The day before I am advised that for time and tides the exit will be at 1.15pm, while trip advisor continued to send communications departing at 11.30am. We actually went out to sea after 2pm and returned at 5pm. First stop to see the sharks .. a few minutes near the boats where others dive in the cages .. maybe the shadow of a small shark and we immediately leave in search of whales. We also see penguins at sea from afar. After about forty minutes jumping on the waves we see two whales from afar, we try to follow them, but they leave. We fall back on the island of seals and penguins and on the return we come across another whale always rather shy. We ended up seeing 4 out of 5 big fives. The experience was still pleasant, but better organized we would not have taken a whole day!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicy768
Dec 22, 2024
It’s OK. Wasn’t the best - Really nice and amazing crew. It’s just that the tour itself didn’t live up to expectations. We had very limited time in Cape Town and in spite of that limited time we dedicated one full day to drive to Gansbaai which is 2.5-3 hours away to do this tour. The key thing we wanted to see was the whales but none were in sight. Also the number of dolphins etc were few. The only thing worth seeing were the seals on Dyer Island but for that alone I am not sure I would have paid S$160 to and dedicated a full day. All said the crew is not to fault but I am not sure the company should sell this as the Marine Big 5 when the chances of seeing whales in Dec is quite low. In short I have difficulty recommending this tour to anyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wlengauer
Mar 20, 2025
Bad experience - erzittern conformations and sent tickets invalid - The trip did not start at the booked time - as my booking confirmation showes, as all emails showes, as my tickets showes….all send from TripAdvisor, saved and printed!
I got also a sms to confirm without a notice without indication of a change of plan.
The trip started earlier and we were not able to be there at this time:
They didn’t offer to switch to another day and they also don’t pay money back.
Dear People: book another organizer as Marine Dynamics!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
