04.09.2018 – Search and find

Out on the ocean every day is different. It is good to know which species have been around the last few days but even this knowledge will not enable any certain outlook as things can change very fast. So, before going out we don’t know exactly what is waiting for us but we have a pretty good idea about what might be going on. This is due to the work of our spotter and his eagle eyes scanning over the surface from an elevated position up on land. Thanks to him we get essential directions and instructions helping to find the animals.

It has not been easy to find cetaceans in the heat of the afternoon today. Sometimes there are animals travelling out of our range but nevertheless, resulting from the cooperation and communication between spotter and captain, all of the sudden there have been some fins cutting through the surface not that far off our bow.

We could distinguish two types of fins: some were broad and rounded ones and others have been smaller and more pointed – there has been a mixed group of Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) around. We got a nice view on the impressive animals as they were surfing in the swell.

It´s always a bit like playing hide and seek but if we wouldn’t love this daily challenge we wouldn’t be ourselves. It´s the most rewarding moment to see the smiles in the guest faces after an intense search from land and sea.

by Jan-Christopher Fischer

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

13:30 Short-finned pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins

Stenella

08:30 (Snorkeling) Atlantic spotted dolphins, Striped dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins

18:00 Short-finned pilot whales, Striped dolphins