01.09.2021 – Shy but authentic

There’s nothing like snorkelling with Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) in their natural habitat. The fact that you can peacefully watch the animals interact and hear them communicate is just an incredible feeling. However, observing wild animals in their natural habitat does come with a few challenges especially if you have the animals best interest at heart. Evasive behaviour or situations where the animals are consistently swimming fast or hunting often prevent us from getting into the water and leave us enjoying the moments we have with the dolphins from the boat. Sometimes the weather may also not play along, making things harder for our participants in the water and on board.

Today our brave snorkelling participants braved the wind and waves to encounter these magnificent creatures but the dolphins soon displayed an evasive behaviour and kept diving to avoid us. This prompted the team to halt the activity and enjoy the time we had with them on board our zodiac but everyone on board was nonetheless beaming with joy after the brief but wonderful moments with the dolphins.

The closely related Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) are a little bit more tricky. These pelagic dolphins arrive in Madeira’s waters in smaller subgroups that often contain little, vulnerable calves. For this reason Striped dolphins often display an evasive reaction to approaching boats, which is exactly what they did this afternoon. After the group changed direction to avoid us, we knew it was time to let the animals be and continue our search.

The fact that dolphins do not always react in the way we expect them to is the reality of what whale-watching is and only makes any curiosity on the part of the animals a more genuine and special experience.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins

15:00 Striped dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins (Snorkelling)

17:00 Striped dolphins