Dolphin Spotting
Join the dolphin dhow for a day of focused dolphin spotting. The Dhow trip will take you around Kisite and Pengutti spotting for dolphin, and you have a very good chance of spotting them and swimming with them.
Given the high level of wildlife marine protection of the general Kisite marine park area and Wasini island, its not so surprising that there is such a healthy dolphin protection.
Dolphins need food, and they find an abundant source near Shimoni and around the islands. The shallow depths along the shorelines and around the islands are also ideal for certain species that feed ideally in these locations.
Some species of Dolphins are seem more often or in more numbers than others and some are located more in certain areas than others. Most days they are seen either encircling the islands of Penguti or in the inner marine park around the edge of Kisite island. Early mornings and afternoons they are also spotted in the Wasini channel, and it’s quite common to spot them whilst sitting on the verandah at the Shimoni Reef Lodge.
Whale Shark Spotting
The whale shark migration through Kenya is seasonal and we think its peak is between January and march. However they have been seen at all times of the year in different places. Swimming alongside them is completely safe and is a absolute highlight for marine enthusiasts.
The whale shark is a the biggest shark and the biggest fish. It is NOT a whale. It has a huge mouth which can be up to 4 feet (1.4 m) wide. Its mouth is at the very front of its head (not on the underside of the head like in most sharks). It has a wide, flat head, a rounded snout, small eyes, 5 very large gill slits, 2 dorsal fins (on its back) and 2 pectoral fins (on its sides). The spiracle (a vestigial first gill slit used for breathing when the shark is resting on the sea floor) is located just behind the shark’s eye. Its tail has a top fin much larger than the lower fin.
The whale shark has distinctive light-yellow markings (random stripes and dots) on its very thick dark gray skin. Its skin is up to 4 inches (10 cm) thick. There are three prominent ridges running along each side of the shark’s body.
This enormous shark is a filter feeder and sieves enormous amounts of plankton to eat through its gills as it swims.
