Humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis)

• Sighted all year round
• Seen on 85% of cruises
• The humpback dolphin is believed to be endangered. We are privileged to have a resident group in the Knysna area. It is an inshore species of dolphin, usually seen just behind the surf zone.
• Average group size +/- 8 individuals

 

Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus)

• Sighted all year round
• Seen on 80% of cruises
• The bottlenose dolphin is probably the most well recognised species of dolphin. In Knysna we see the inshore species, a very playful dolphin, often seen jumping out the back of waves.
• Average group size +/- 60 individuals

 

Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)

• Sighted all year round, but peak sightings between October – January
• Named the common dolphin because of the size of the average group between 500 – 3000 individuals, and not because they’re sighted the most regularly
• Largest group size in Knysna +/- 10 000 individuals!

 

Killer whale (Orcinus orca)

• Sightings are sporadic
• Not a whale, but the largest species of dolphin. The whalers named them killer whales, because they saw them killing other species of whale and dolphin. Killer whales live in the deep water and are sighted intermittently throughout the year when they come inshore.

 

Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis)

• Peak whale season July – November
• During whale season, they’re seen on 95% of cruises
• A large majestic species of whale that travels from the Antarctic to South Africa to mate and give birth to their young.

 

Humpback whale (Megaptera noaengliae)

• Sighted during April – June & October – December
• During the season they are sighted on 80% of cruises
• Humpback whales come inshore in the Knysna area to travel along the coastline, up to Mozambique where they mate and give birth to their young. Very social whales, humpbacks are famous for singing songs to one another.

 

Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni)

• Sighted all year round
• Seen on 70% of cruises
• Bryde’s whales are resident in our waters. They’re a slender species of whale that’s always on the move, swimming in irregular patterns. They are often sighted feeding with groups of common dolphins.

 

OTHER MARINE MAMMALS

• Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus)
• Cape clawless otter

 

BIRDLIFE

The following is a list of birds that have been seen on many occasions during whale and dolphin watching cruises in Knysna

• Cape Gannet
• Gulls
• African penguin
• Cape cormorant
• White breasted cormorant
• Terns
• White chin petrel
• Wandering albatross
• Yellow-nosed albatross
• Sub-Antarctic skua
• Cory shearwater

FISH

• Sunfish
  

Turtles

• Leatherback turtle
• Green turtle

Sharks

• Great White shark
• Hammerhead shark
• Bronze whaler shark
• Basking shark
• Ragged-tooth shark