The Dolphins of False Bay
We have had incredible common dolphin sightings since I arrived back in False Bay for my second season with Apex Shark Expeditions and I can’t stop smiling at the moments both crew and guests alike have shared during these times. I can honestly say I have never seen anything quite so spectacular and magical as the pods of dolphins that have joined us over the past two months at sea. In my previous trips to Seal Island I have been fortunate enough to meet these beautiful creatures on a number of occasions but it is fair to say that this year they have utterly won my heart, which says a lot for a self-confessed sharkaholic.
During our trips we have seen pods of dolphins ranging in size from 200 to over 3000 individuals and each pod is unique in its formation, its movement and the individuals it contains. We have seen dolphins with missing dorsal fins, with partial dorsal fins and dolphins ranging from fully grown adults right down to the smallest juveniles one can imagine. I particularly enjoy watching the young dolphins by their mothers’ side as they swim past our boat. These youngsters lack the sand coloured markings of the adults and are, quite frankly, very cute with their grey bodies and perfectly formed features in miniature. The pods themselves can be tightly packed like sardines in a tin or spread across the bay as far as our eyes can see from top deck. One particular pod of 2000 dolphin that we saw recently was formed as a beautiful crescent shape across the bay and travelled south in search of bait fish. The sunlight upon this arc of dolphins was stunning and the white water that followed them glowed golden in the early morning.
It is sights such as those that have left our guests and I speechless and dewy eyed at times. Dolphins are such mythical creatures and are well known for their intelligence and healing abilities. It is very humbling to stand in silence on a boat whilst surrounded by thousands of dolphins calling gently to one another and it is a shared experience that I treasure every single day. My pulse races whenever I hear our skipper let us know there are dolphins on the horizon and we are going to visit them.
It is not only the presence of the dolphins that have left this impression upon us but also the other wildlife we see alongside them. On many occasions we see Cape Gannets with the dolphins and admire them wheeling overhead in search of a fish supper below. The adult gannets are smartly dressed in their white and golden plumage and follow the dolphins as they search for bait fish. If the dolphins corral the fish into a bait ball, the gannets dive from great heights to obtain a meal. It is breathtaking watching them dive with such precision and with their pointed wings folded elegantly behind them at the last second. I am somewhat of a fan of the juvenile gannets if truth be told. The young gannets are grey and spotty in their plumage and they often fly close to the boat at eye level. I can’t help but smile at their friendly nature and their piercing blue eyes as they investigate what is going on around them.
As for the bait balls we have seen, words fail me at this point. The noise of thousands of gannets diving, thousands of dolphins churning the water and millions of sardines swirling below the surface is a sensory overload. The sardines leap from the water in a silver flurry when the dolphins herd them tightly into a ball and leave a sparkling wake of fish scales behind them. When I witnessed my first bait ball this year I could do no more than just stand back in amazement at the magnificence of nature and listen. I turned towards the guest on top deck beside me and he just shook his head with tears in his eyes and admitted it was one of the most emotional experiences of his life. It really was a dream come true and a moment he will never forget.
To find out more about False Bay, visit www.apexpredators.com.
