The Blue Marlin

For several months now, we have had consistently good fishing results, with our guests catching plenty of game fish in the form of yellowtail, skipjack and snoek around the Cape Point area! Further out in the tuna grounds, we have also had an unusually good run of yellowfin and longfin tuna! Most encouraging is the reappearance of endangered Bluefin tuna - this year has seen more of these large tuna being caught off Cape Point than ever!

According to our weather experts, we are in a "Le Nina" weather cycle - this weather phenomenon, which occurs every 4 or 5 years, has the effect of keeping the warmer water closer to the coast, and in turn, good fishing! Lets hope the current excellent catches continue!

Further out in the tuna grounds, the commercial tuna fishing boats are reporting sightings of Great White Sharks in the area - it is unclear why the White sharks left Fase Bay, but the general opinion is that the Orca Whales chased them out of the bay. It is unusual to see them out in the tuna grounds......

Inside False Bay, there has been a huge amount of bait fish, in the form or anchovies, and manta shrimp - this could be one of the reasons for the exceptional run of game fish recently, as these would be what they feed on! It has also had the effect of bringing in large pods of Common dolphins, as well as a large pod of Bottle - nosed dolphins seen on our last trip! Bottle - nosed dolphins are unusual off Cape Point and are usually seen off the East Coast.

The series of cold front that have hammered the Western Cape over the last week, have prevented any fishing trips taking place, but we are planning to go out in a few days, once the last of the fronts pass by. We are expecting good catches!!!

The honeymoon couples

So, on our last fishing adventure, we had two young newly weds on board, who were really keen on fishing! – We set off early and enjoyed a beautiful sun rise and made our way down to Cape Point to look for the large shoals of yellowtail and katonkel that have been there for the last two weeks! On our arrival, gave our guests beautiful views of Cape Point from the sea as well as a large group of Cape Fur Seals that have recently made the tip of Cape Point their new place of residence!

It was not long before the first rods started bending and we landed some nice class yellowtail! For the next few hours, our guests took turns in catching some more fish until a hungry Cape Fur Seal decided to steal three of our fishing while our guests fought them! Fortunately, we still returned with 14 fish which were shared amongst the guests who indicated that they would be on the braai that night!

Towards lunchtime, the wind picked up (as predicted) and sea conditions became fairly bumpy, so we decided to head back to Simonstown, A fun day was had by all!

Best fishing year ever!

This year has been one of the best fishing years ever, with loads of longfin and yellowfin being caught in the 40kg to 90kg class, as well as a few Bluefin and Bigeye tuna being caught up to 115 kgs!! It is really encouraging to see that the Bluefin tuna (on the endangered list), are appearing more and more off our Atlantic coast. Around the Cape Point area, we have been Catching plenty of nice class yellowtail as well as snoek and katonkel – these game fish, caught on lighter tackle, have kept some of our younger guests frantically busy and left with lovely memories!!

We have recently taken delivery of a brand new 28ft GCat – the new “Destiny”, has a comfortable seating arrangement, a toilet, a flybridge for better viewing and state of the art electronics! Destiny has a “walk around” configuration, which means that our guests can fish in the front and the back of the boat at the same time, making for much more fishing space. Our decision to buy a brand new, modern boat was prompted by our commitment to keep our guests safe and to make sure that they have a comfortable trip!

As we approach our Winter months here in the Southern hemisphere, our guests can look forward to regular sightings of the Humpback and Southern Right whales which come into False Bay to calve each year. A pod of Orca whales was also spotted recently in False bay, and some say that this is why our numbers of Great White sharks in False Bay have dropped considerably......Also seen in False Bay recently, are large pods of Common and Dusky dolphins!

With the winter school holidays approaching, families should book a family fishing adventure on

board our boat and make memories!! Don’t forget to look at our 5 star ratings on TripAdvisor and www.facebook.com/capeboatcharters

THE WINTER LONGFIN TUNA HAVE ARRIVED!!!

The Long-Fin Tuna are here!

We left Simonstown, False Bay just before sunrise and we were off to an early start! On our way to Cape Point, we were blessed with a breath-taking sunrise from the east as we cruised comfortably doing 24 knots in anticipation of what the day had to offer! Our guests from New Zealand had got in contact with us and made it clear that they wanted to catch Tuna, so we we’re decided to head towards an area known as “THE CANYON”, approximately 20 nautical miles off Cape Point, where currents meet and nutrient rich waters are found.

Shortly after putting lines in the water we were on! With bending rods and screaming reels, we we’re off to an exciting start! The first fish we landed was a Long-Fin Tuna, weighing in at around 18/20 kg’s and before we knew it we had 10 Long-Fin Tuna on-board Destiny. Shortly after the chaos, the fish went off the bite, so we decided to head back home to avoid running in the dark. We we’re slowly approaching the tip of Cape Point, when our Skipper spotted some “working” birds, deciding to make a quick stop to see if anything was chasing the bait fish from which the birds were feed upon. We started trolling two Rapala’s and a Snake Spinner at 5 knots and boom, just like that we we’re once again on with fish, except this time it was a mixed shoal of Yellowtail and Katonkel.

Our guests we’re over the moon with excitement, having landed so many fish and different species to go along with it! It was a day to remember and we are super excited that the Tuna are here! Check out some of the photos from the trip below - We hope you enjoy!

BACK TO BACK SUCCESSFUL TUNA CHARTERS...

Yellowfin Tuna Madness!

On Monday we had two Swedish guests join us on a Offshore Tuna Charter - Skipper, Alan, decided to head into the West of Cape Point after doing research on where the warmer water was situated. It was a decision which our guests would never forget. As we arrived in West, we were boat alone, but Alan said that the water was the right temperature (19-20 degrees), the color was right and the bird life seemed promising. Man was he right! Shortly after putting our back-lines in the water, which consisted of larger size Rapala's (deep-divers) and various size squids, we had our first hook-up of a 45 kg Yellowfin Tuna! Our guest Fredrik was first to take charge of the rod and impressively landed his fish in under 20 minutes. With utter stoke on his face, he handed the harness gear to his friend Katrina and she waiting anxiously for her turn to take on the mighty Yellow-fin Tuna! 

About an hour later, the ratchet went off and it was Katrina's turn! She grabbed the rod and we clipped her in. She surprised us all, by not giving up she fought the fish one on one and managed to land her very first, personal best Yellow-Fin Tuna of about 40-50 kg's. She was beside herself and we were super proud of her achievement. Our guests went on to catching ac couple of Long-fin Tuna shortly after and then it was as if someone turned the lights off and the fish stopped biting. We returned home to Simonstown with big smiles and some great memories.  Well Done Fredrik and Katrina on an amazing catch!

Yesterday's trip was an action packed day to remember. Our return guests from America, joined us, but this time for a Tuna Charter. They have been with us before, where we caught heaps of Long-Fin Tuna, but now they had returned to catch the elusive Yellow-fin Tuna! The three boys ended up taking turn's fighting larger sized Yellow-Fin Tuna, one of which exceeded 100 kg's. All our guests landed their largest, personal best record Yellow-Fin Tuna and to make the day even better, we landed a couple of large (15-20 kg) Long-Fin Tuna. 

Well done to all our guests from the last two charters - We hope to see you again soon! :D

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TAIL WALKING MARLIN!

When a Black Marlin strikes...

It was a quite Sunday morning out in the Tuna grounds +-25 miles off Cape Point. We launched at first light from Simonstown, where our boat "DESTINY" is moored. We made our way to the tip of Cape Point looking for any signs of game fish on the way, but all seemed to be a bit quite and still. Although we did have warm 19 degree water, the color wasn't too good, it was a brown/green color and we wanted blue. We then proceeded to make our way to the Tuna Grounds in search for those elusive Yellowfin Tuna.

Once we got to the Tuna Grounds, near a place know to the local fisherman as "The Canyon", we had blue blue 21 degree water. The conditions were just perfect out there and our guests were waiting with sheer anticipation! After an two hours of searching for marks and bird life we hooked into our first SkipJack and not long after we had 3 fish on the boat, but we were looking for the bigger stuff!

The day went by and we were on our way back to Cape Point, with 3 SkipJack, but no Tuna. Unfortunately, that's how things go, BUT the day wasn't over yet! Once we got slightly closer to, roughly about 17 miles from Cape Point, one of our rods when off, it was another SkipJack! We quickly passed our guest, Sean the rod and he began to reel the fish in. Not even 10 seconds into the fight suddenly the whole boat erupts with excitement as a massive explosion takes place about 10 meters behind the boat! It was a 150kg+ Black Marlin, which had just taken our guests SkipJack! The unmistakable sound of the line tearing off the reel as the Marlin gave chase will stick with us for a life time! With our adrenaline pumping we all watch as this massive Black Marlin jumps clean from the water, doing what most fisherman call "tail-walking", using its tail to keep itself above the water while going for the SkipJack.

Before we knew it the line had snapped and the excitement was over - The smaller rods, which we had out the sides, can land Longfin Tuna up to 30kgs, but not that size Marlin. If it had to take the other lures our guest would have had a chance! I'm sure our guests wont be forgetting this trip in a long long time. What a day to remember!

Our guests holding their catch of the day, four SkipJack!

A Whale of a time!

The Sperm Whale...

Today's charter was one to remember... Skipper, Alan told the guest that he hadn't seen a Sperm Whale in about 5 years. "We were on our way out to a well known fishing/bird watching area roughly 23/24 miles to the south west of Cape Point called "The Canyon" when an adult Sperm Whale decided to show itself right next to our boat" - He quickly put the vessel into neutral and watched as this magnificent animal put on a show for the guests.

Our guide, Cliffie Dorse, and the guests managed to get some really amazing pictures of this Sperm Whale hyperventilating before embarking on a 45 minute dive into the depth of these pelagic sea grounds. 

Sperm Whale Facts:

• Sperm Whale's significant name is: Physeter macrocephalus.
• Long grey/black skin, block shaped head that can take up to 1/3 of the whales body.
• Can reach up to 16-20 meters in length. 
• Can weigh up to 41,000kgs.
• Largest heads, largest brains and loudest recorded sound of any animal on earth.
• Their diet consists of mainly squid, fish, octopus, rays and megamouth sharks.

A photo, our guide (Cliff Dores) took of a Sperm Whale on our Pelagic Charter!

Pelagic Bird Watchers to the rescue!

A recreational fishing vessel in distress...

After a successful Pelagic Bird Watching day trip off Cape Point, South Africa we were on our way back to Simonstown, passing through a well known fishing area called "Buffels Bay" when one of our guests from Cape Town Pelagics noticed a flare that had been set off about a mile to the left of us, followed by a second flare which was clearly directed towards us. Our skipper quickly turned our boat around and headed in the direction of the signal flare - As we got closer it was clear that the boat with two male occupants waving us down were in distress and in need of assistance! The skipper of the distress vessel made it clear that their single engine would not start and that they had not been carrying a radio to call for help - We had just traveled through 8 miles (14 km's) in thick fog and the wind was rapidly increasing. They were drifting quickly and needed to be towed to Buffels Bay slip way. 

Fortunately, we were in the right place at the right time and were happy to assist! We decided to make this post not to ridicule anyone , but rather as a reminder of the importance of safety at sea, especially in our Cape waters! The maritime safety law is there for a reason and we cant emphasis enough how important it is to abide by these rules and regulations!    

We wish everyone a happy festive season and keep safe out there! :)

Assisting a recreational fishing vessel in False Bay, South Africa!

A typical day out...

Yellowfin Tuna fishing - Offshore

On a typical full-day offshore fishing charter we ask our guests to meet us at the Simonstown public jetty, where our boat "Destiny" will be tied up and waiting for a 6:30 to 7:00 am departure. Because of the distance which we travel to the tuna grounds, approximately 20-40 miles off Cape Point (37 to 75 km) it is best to get the earliest start possible, maximizing our chances of catching! On these offshore fishing charters we mainly target the tuna species, Yellowfin Tuna, Long-fin Tuna, Big Eye Tuna and Skip Jack Tuna. Quite frequently we will have Blue Sharks and Mako Sharks lurking in our chum line (bait/pilchard - which we cut into pieces and throw into the water at a steady pace to lure the tuna to our boat), but we do not fish for sharks - If anything, these sharks will eat up all our bait/chum and will cause us to move to a different position. 

The odd Yellowtail and Dorado (mahi-mahi) are not uncommon out in the tuna grounds, so we come prepared for anything! Because these tuna are much larger than other fish, we use bigger hooks, bigger rods and reels and provide our guests with a two-piece harness which assists in landing these monsters and they can put up an extremely strong fight. One can expect to fight a tuna anything from 15 minutes to 2 hours, this all depends on the size of the fish and your skill level.  

One can also expect to see hundreds of pelagic sea birds, dolphins, whales, sharks and much more, so it is advised that our guests bring their cameras to catch these breathtaking moments!

If you have any questions regarding any trips please feel free to leave a comment or contact us directly through our contact page - We look forward to hearing from you!

Full-day Offshore Fishing Charter - Tuna Fishing

Lets talk about...

Yellowtail fishing off Cape Point!

During our Inshore Fishing Trips to Cape Point we mainly target game fish, this includes the Yellowtail fish. Simonstown is a mere 30 minute boat ride from the famous fishing grounds of Cape Point - Our most popular method for catching Yellowtail is what we call "trolling" where we drag our lures behind the boat, while searching for shoals of bait fish on the surface. Sometimes they Yellowtail prefer it when we stop and cast spinners at them - This all depends on the day as each day stems different results from different methods! 

Yellowtail fish:

The Cape Yellowtail (Giant Yellowtail) or Latin name "Seriola Lalandi" migrate towards the east coast of Southern Africa, following the annual Sardine Run. These fish are found in large shoals, in depths of up to 100 meters and feed off smaller fish like Sardines, Squid and Anchovy. Just like the Cape Snoek, Yellowtail is an important commercial line-fish species down here in the Western Cape. Females can reach up to 1.2 meters where males can reach up to 900 centimeters, but as it stands now there is no real legal size limit. 

Finding the fish:

Yellowtail prefer the warmer areas of the cold Atlantic waters of the Cape - An ideal temperature would be between 16 to 19 degrees Celsius, although we have caught Yellowtail in waters as cold as 13/14 degrees Celsius! As Yellowtail is a highly migratory fish, they usually follow the warmer waters, which are usually a result of particular winds blowing. In our case the Southwesterly winds bring the warmer waters to our coast line and with that usually the fish follow! 

We like to depart from Simonstown, False Bay as early as possible - Usually we ask our guests to be at the public jetty by first light, because In our experience, game fish generally like to feed best at first light (morning) or last light (evening)! The first thing we do when we arrive at our desired fishing spot is we start looking for certain birds, in this case "Common Terns" otherwise known to the local fisherman as "Sterretjies", which usually feed on the bait fish that are getting chased to the surface of the water by the schools of Yellowtail! Most of the fishing action takes place near these birds, so its vital that we keep an eye out for any bird activity during the course of our trips!

Be sure to drop us an email, share or leave a comment and we will gladly get back to you! :)

Yellowtail Fishing - Cape Point

Lets talk about...

Snoek fishing charters off Cape Point!

Cape Boat Charters offers action packed Inshore fishing charters off Cape Point - One of the fish species which we target is the "Cape Snoek"!

False Bay, Cape Point is home to a variety of game-fish including the "Cape Snoek" or its latin name "Thyrsites Atun". Also referred to as snake mackerel, these long, thin, silver fish can reach lengths of up to 2 meters and weigh in close to 5-6 kg's. Up until 6 or 7 years ago, Cape Snoek was known to the local fisherman of Cape Town as a winter fish, because they would only catch Snoek in all the month without an "r" in it - This being May, June, July and August!

Snoek feed mainly on sardine, mantis shrimps and anchovy, which gives this fish a unique flavor which the locals praise! The traditional South African way to prepare Snoek is on what we call a "braai" otherwise known and a barbeque around the rest of the world - An apricot jam dressing is known to go down well with Snoek!

Snoek is found in waters from Port Elizabeth to the north of Angola, but mostly between Cape Agulhas (the most southern tip of Africa) and the Cunene River. They are an important traditional catch for the line fishers of South Africa, but are also caught in the masses by the trawl fisheries using trawl nets, as they do with hake. It is favored by the local communities as it forms a big part of their diet.

Feel free to comment, share or email us with regards to any questions or inquiries!

We would love to hear from you! :)

Inshore Fishing Charter - Cape Snoek fishing

Cape Point Fishing Charter!

Yellowtail fishing off Cape Point

Today, our group of guests from the U.K joined us for a day of deep sea fishing off Cape Point, South Africa! We ran a Half-Day Inshore Fishing Charter to the famous fishing waters off Cape Point (for our group of 6) in search of some game-fish! There were plenty commercial fishing boats off Buffels Bay trying for Cape Snoek, but we were determined to try for some Yellowtail fish first - It was a wise decision indeed! When we arrived at the tip of Cape Point there weren't any other fishing boats around, but the water temperature was 16 degrees Celsius and there was plenty of bird life so we quickly got our lines in the water! 

Not even 15 minutes had past and we already had our first strike on the back-lines! One of our guests, who we had already prepped on how to operate the rod and reel, quickly jumped up first to grab the screaming reel! He landed the first 5 kg Yellowtail and shortly after our next guest was battling a fish of his own! Before you knew it, we had 6 Yellowtail fish and the guests were happy to start heading back to Simonstown with their catch for supper - Well done to our team today on their catch, it was great having you guys! :)

Feel free to leave comments, tag friends, share or email us with any questions or inquiries - We would love to hear from you! :)  

Yellowtail fishing off Cape Point!

Lets talk about...

Yellowfin tuna fishing!

The mighty Yellowfin tuna are found in the warmer pelagic waters of tropical and subtropical oceans around the world! Its metallic dark blue back and yellow/silver looking belly make for an incredible looking tuna fish. These tuna fish can reach up to 130 kg's in size and are extremely fast and can reach speeds of up to 40 mph. During the warmer water months of October to June Cape Boat Charters starts to run Offshore Fishing Charters to target the bigger fish species off Cape Town, South Africa. These species include the famous Yellowfin tuna, Longfin tuna (Albacore), Skip jack tuna, Big eye tuna and Dorado (Mahi-mahi). For 9 months of the year these full day fishing charters will take you into the deeper oceanic waters off Cape Point in search of these monsters! 

Nutrient rich water is found at a place known to the local fisherman as the "Canyon" as a result of the mixing of two large ocean currents namely the Benguela current and the Agulhas current. This are is close to the continental shelf and is home to the larger tuna fish species!

Feel free to comment, share or message us if you have any questions or information and we will happily get back to you straight away! :)

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Yellowfin tuna fish (Thunnus Albacares)

Game Fishing Off Cape Point!

Yellowtail Fishing!

We headed off for a Half-Day Fishing Charter towards Cape Point from Simonstown at 6:00 am this morning in search of Yellowtail, Katonkel and possibly Cape Snoek! There were a couple of commercial boats on anchor sitting off Buffels Bay trying for some Snoek, but we didn't see anything coming up so decided to push on towards the point. When we arrived our guests took some photos of Cape Point and the South Western Tip of Africa, Cape of Good Hope as we were setting our lines for a days fishing. 

We had 15 degree water temperature and plenty of birds working in our area. We started off catching 1 or 2 Katonkel, but shortly after the birds seemed to disperse so we upped our lines and made our way to a well known reef called "Rocky Bank" about 3 or 4 miles south/south west of Cape Point. When we arrived there, there weren't a lot of birds working like earlier but the boats were all huddled up close to each other so we knew that something must have happened. We stuck it out and slowly the fish started to bite! 

First the one rod would go off (rapala) and then another rod (feather) and before we knew it we were having triple hook-ups! Each of our guests took turns pulling fish until we had a nice amount for then to take home. We had almost no wind the entire morning and zero swell. It was a pleasant Inshore Fishing Trip for all involved! :) 

The Humpback Whale!

On our way back from a well known fishing area called "The Canyon" we were greeted by 2 Humpback Whales not far off Cape Point - By law we have to keep a certain distance from these amazing animals, but by their sheer size of 40-60 ft long and weighing around 40 tons allows for suburb sightings even from a distance! Fortunately, because we were on our way back from a Pelagic Bird Watching Charter our guests had their cameras with them and were able to get some amazing pictures of the Humpback Whales breaching!

Humpback Whale Facts

• The Humpback Whale is a species of Baleen Whale and feed off small prey such as: Krill, Salmon, Smaller Fish, Mackerel and Herring.

• Full grown adults weigh roughly about 36 000 kg's and range in length from 12 to 16 m.

• They Humpback Whale has a fairly low dorsal fin with a wide base and long pectoral fins.

• They are known for their "breaching" behavior where they will launch themselves completely out the water.

• Their blow is usually seen as a tall, single plume measuring around 4 meters high.

• Males are known to produce a complex "whale song" which can last 10 - 20 minutes, which is rumored to be some sort of communication.

Feel free to comment, tag or share our posts as we look forward to hearing from you! :)

Humpback Whale Breaching on a Pelagic Bird Watching Charter!

Monster Yellowtail for the birthday boy!

Charl, the birthday boy and a couple of his friends joined us today on a Half-Day Inshore Fishing Charter off Cape Point, South Africa! We departed from Simonstown around 6:30 am and we were off to an early start. Mostly all Game fish are known to bite better during first light (early morning) or last light (late afternoon), well that's what we have experienced with over 20 years of sea-experience in the False Bay area and surrounds!

We arrived at Cape Point around 7:00 am, but to our surprise the water had gone cold over night due to the strong wind that had been blowing - We had 13 degree water, which is generally too cold for Yellowtail and other game fish which we target. There was also no sign of bird life (usually Common Terns and Cape Gannets) which are a massive aid when it comes to hunting these game fish, but we were determined to give our guests, especially the birthday boy the best experience possible, so we went in search of warmer water!

Using his knowledge and experience, our skipper, Alan decided to head South East of Cape Point to a well known fishing area called "Rocky Bank" - Four miles from Cape Point we started seeing signs of bird life and the water temperature was 2 degrees warmer. We hooked our fish, a Katonkel around 7:00 am and Charl was the first one to grab the screaming rod! Not long after, his friend was onto a fish of his own, this time a Yellowtail!

Before we knew it, the boys had each landed themselves 4 or 5 fish and could not smiling from ear to ear! The biggest Yellowtail was close to 7kgs and both boys were super proud of their new personal bests! Our boats policy allows our guests to keep their catch, which they did - Well done to them on their catch and enjoy tonight's supper! :)

On the left the birthday boy, Charl and his friend both smiling from ear to ear holding their Yellowtail Fish!

Pelagic Bird Watching on-board "Destiny"

Yesterday, we headed off Cape Point, heading for the well known "Canyon" area in search of Pelagic Sea Birds! Unfortunately we weren't able to find any trawlers or long-liners (which usually have thousands of Pelagic Sea Birds following) so we decided to use an alternative method known as "chumming" to attract these birds. Chumming is the practice of luring various animals, usually fish, but also birds, by throwing "chum" into the water. Chum is bait which consists of fish parts, bone and blood, which attract fish or birds, owing to their acute sense of smell. We managed to lure a fair number of birds which included; Pintado Petrels, White Chinned Petrels, Sooty Shearwaters, Southern Giant Petrel, Northern Giant Petrel, Wilsons Storm Petrel, Subantarctic Skua and the Black-Browed Albatross, which is featured in the picture below.

Our guests managed to get some really amazing pictures of these magnificent sea birds and we soon after started making our way back to Simonstown, but our day wasn't quite over yet - About 8 miles from Cape Point we came across a pod of Orca Whales, which were busy feeding and putting on a show! This is a huge playing factor on why the Great White Shark season in False Bay, Seal Island has been so slow lately. The Orca Whales, also known as "Killer Whales" have been targeting Great White Sharks along our coastlines and killing them for their livers, which is known to be the most nutritional part of the animal!

It was a great trip for everyone involved! :)  

Photo: Jeffery Slater

Our Tuna Season is around the corner!

We are eagerly anticipating this years Tuna Season in the deeper oceanic waters off Cape Point, South Africa! During the months of October to June we run Deep Sea Fishing Charters specifically targeting the larger fish species such as Yellowfin Tuna, Big-Eye Tuna, Longfin Tuna and Skipjack - As a result of the mixing of two large ocean currents (Benguela and Agulhas currents), as well as the prevailing winds, nutrient rich water is found at a place know to locals as the “Canyon” – this area is found close to the continental shelf and it is here that we target the large Yellowfin tuna. These sought after fish reach sizes in excess of 100kgs and make for an unforgettable experience for any fisherman, beginners and experienced alike! One can expect to take anything from 1 to 4 hours to land these incredibly strong fish. Cape Boat Charters have just the right equipment needed to land these fish - “Black magic” harnesses are used to fight the bigger fish, which can take several hours to land. These tuna can be caught trolling with lures, or by using bait in the warmer blue oceanic water found in the area. Longfin tuna are also caught in the same area and range in size from 10 to 30kgs. they too, also put up a fantastic fight. 

The Pilot Whale!

Today's Pelagic Bird Watching Charter was nothing but spectacular - Our skipper, guide and 5 bird enthusiasts headed in a South West direction off Cape Point in search of the magnificent Pelagic Birds! At the tip of Cape Point itself the bird life was phenomenal - there were several large groups of birds including Common Terns, Cape Gannets, White-Chin Petrels and Sooty Shearwaters all feeding off massive bait balls of anchovy, which were being chased to the surface by Yellowtail and Katonkel fish.  We were off to a great start! 

Much to everyone's amazement, we started seeing thousands of Pintado Petrels about 25 nautical miles off Cape Point - This was highly unusual for this time of the year as they usually migrate north by mid August. Soon after we had four species of Albatross greet us including the Southern Royal Albatross, Black-browed Albatross, Shy Albatross and the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross. Everyone managed to get some amazing pictures throughout the morning and it was time to start making our way back, but just to add the cherry on-top we were greeted by a group of Pilot Whales which started to follow us home!  

Pilot Whales are interestingly the second largest dolphin in the ocean after the famous "Orca Whale" otherwise known as a "Killer-Whale" and belong to the family of "delphinidae". 

These intelligent mammals received the name "Pilot Whale" from the belief that the pod will always follow a single leader, which is why there is speculation of these mass stranding's that occur from time to time. The pilot whale diet consists of fish, octopus, squid and shrimp and are known to dive up to 500 meters while searching for food. They also known as "Long-finned Pilot Whales", (you can see why in the picture below) and calve between April and September and are found practically everywhere around the world!

Bird Guide: Vince Ward

FULL HANDS AND FULL ON SMILES!

Our guests today, Mark and Sharon, joined us on a Half-Day Inshore Charter to Cape Point - We departed from Simonstown at first light and made our way past Boulders Beach, home to thousands of African Penguins, formerly known as "Jackass Penguins". As we arrived at Cape Point we put our lines in the water and before the line was even properly set we had our first strike with a Yellowtail on a Rapala. After Mark landed the first fish, it was on! We continued to pull fish one after another (Katonkel and Yellowtail) until it was time to head back. On our return home we came across a group of Humpack Whales doing there thing in the distance. We managed to get a few pictures to end off the great day! Well done to Mark and Sharon on their catch! :)