Dolphins Off Camps Bay
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Photo by the talented @mijlof
The Cape Peninsula is considered one of the world’s best locations for dolphin sightings and the waters surrounding Cape Town support perhaps the widest variety of dolphin species. It is of no wonder that pods of dolphin can often be seen swimming in the Camp’s Bay area.
Dolphins are very social and highly intelligent aquatic animals which live in groups known as pods. They hunt together and love to play with members of their pods. They are known for their friendly and playful behaviour, even being friendly to humans. Dolphins are also caring creatures and are often seen tending to the sick, the old and the injured in their pod. Large pods of dolphins can have 1,000 members or more.
Because dolphins are mammals, they need to come to the surface of the water to breathe. Underwater, they rely on their ability to hold their breaths for extended periods of time. Dolphins also have their own unique language, through which they use different tones of vocalizations to communicate with one another.
There are about 37 species of dolphins that pass through Cape Town’s waters. But the most common sightings are Bottlenose and Dusky dolphins. Being mammals, most dolphin species prefer the warmer waters, so summer spottings are frequent. But they do visit the Cape Townian waters all year round.