05.01.2026 – A wild start

Happy new year to all our clients and blog readers! Pedro and I had the honour of kickstarting this new year with a wild trip on a windy ocean with some lovely guests. Our spotter, Silviano, searched far and wide for cetacean activity in our waters before discovering a pod of dolphins dashing through the waves out at sea. The strong winds and frequent change of direction of the pod made them difficult to pursue, forcing our team to resort to a sighting of Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) in Funchal. The density of boats around the animals prompted us to lay low and keep our distance, in the hope that the pod would approach us. After a brief bow ride the dolphins disappeared, actively evading the boats.

Striped dolphins belong to the species that occasionally visit our islands waters all year round. They are beautiful dolphins that travel in enormous pods that fragment into subgroups of 20-40 animals once they reach the safety of the waters surrounding oceanic islands. The species tends to exhibit an evasive behaviour but our short encounter allowed a quick glimpse of their beautiful flank pattern.

Our guests in the afternoon were a little luckier. In the short windows with less wind, our spotter was able to make out a sighting with Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). These two species also visit Madeira all year round but, unlike Striped dolphins, are not occasional. Both species have confirmed resident populations in Madeira, another fact that highlights the importance of our region as an oceanic habitat.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Stenella

09:30 Striped dolphins

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales