31.10.2018 – Turbulence
November 18, 2018
02.11.2018 – November trio
November 20, 2018
Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) have been the species we encountered on all three trips today. From socializing and interacting with the boat, over resting on the surface up to jumping out of the water and showing the fluke before diving – we could observe lots of different activities.
One activity that is not so easy to see is the animals taking care for their toilette issues. But they do and usually they do that close to the surface. Gases from digestion can be problematic while diving down and therefore it´s better to get rid of them and other waste before going to the depth.
What seems to be as normal as us using the loo is of fundamental importance for the marine ecosystem because cetacean excrement provides the base of the food web in the ocean. Especially deep diving species like Pilot whales and Sperm whales fertilize the sea: they hunt and feed in the depth but release nutrients like nitrogen in the euphotic, the light influenced zone. That way microscopic algae find perfect conditions resulting from the combined availability of nutrients and light. They grow and feed zooplankton, which is consumed by lots of ocean dwellers.
It´s great to observe the animals out on the sea and good to know that they are actively sustaining a healthy and vivid marine ecosystem.
by Jan-Christopher Fischer
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales, Sperm whales
Stenella
10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales, Sperm whales
15:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales, Sperm whales
