04.01.2020 – Sea screening

We were met with sunny conditions and a relatively calm ocean as we set out to find dolphins aboard our traditional boat this morning. It didn’t take long for our spotter to locate a group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) that were dispersed over a large area as they swiftly travelled westward. The animals weren’t easy to approach but two juveniles soon got curious and rode the wake at our bow, much to the delight of our little spotters on board. Many of our guests often experience a success story during our trips and spot a turtle, dolphin or even a whale sighting for our crew. Such contributions are definitely appreciated since its always better to have more eyes screening the ocean and finding the animals isn’t always easy and can be more challenging under certain conditions.

Dolphins also may have difficulties locating their prey in our currently overfished oceans. Luckily, Madeira is visited by schools of several small Atlantic fish and its deep waters are also home to deep-sea squid, allowing the cetaceans residing in these waters to enjoy a varied diet. To find their prey dolphins don’t use their eyes but instead rely on the sonar generated by an organ in their heads known as the melon. The animals use this to communicate and coordinate among each other and locate their prey as they hunt. They even use the organ to intimidate the fish after they’ve herded them into a small compact ball and driven them to the surface. 

The slight disinterest and high dispersion of the majority of this mornings dolphins was probably due to them foraging for prey. In the afternoon we encountered the same group of dolphins again but, this time, the animals swam towards us curiously in a compact formation. After the Bottlenose dolphins our traditional boat ventured slightly further out to sea to meet a small group of Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), an elegant and interactive dolphin species which prefers Madeira’s waters in the winter season and of whom we are sure to see much more of in the next few weeks. 

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins

14:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins