05.05.2022 – Cold catch

I’m not the biggest fan of cold water but I do love the variety of sightings that come with a cooler water column in spring. While the water temperature brings expected guests, like the gorgeous Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) which enjoys incredible abundance during winter and spring, it may also attract pods of other cetaceans making this season one of the most interesting ones of the year! While common dolphins have been extremely abundant these past weeks, the dolphins decorated the Southwestern waters today along with other toothed whales that can be observed all year round; the Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba).

This year the common dolphins are sticking around a little longer than usual since the water temperature around Madeira is still under 20ºC, providing ideal conditions for the cold-water loving species. Groups with calves may remain here in the summer months to provide security for their young but the majority of the animals will move further north and be succeeded here in Madeira by their summer counterparts, the Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis).

The groups of common dolphins moving further North may move directly into fishing territory dominated by the enormous super-trawlers, gargantuan fishing boats that are emptying fish stocks and scooping up dolphins as by-catch in the North Atlantic. Despite their intelligence, agility and speed, common dolphins often end up in the massive nets along with Striped dolphins, a species they often associate with.

The sad realisation that the dolphins we are observing this season may end up in the super trawler nets is coupled with our teams determination to ease their stay in Madeira as much as possible. Our determination to find dolphins is only excelled by our objective to do so without harming the animals in the process. Today a big-game fishing boat from Funchal crossed directly over the animals with its lines out, despite our efforts to warn them as they entered the area where the dolphins were feeding. Fishing boats often pass over dolphin pods suspecting that they may be hunting together with a prized catch, such as tuna, which can lead to dolphins ending up on their lines.

Dolphins aren’t a means to an end; they can’t be for us and they can’t be for fishermen. They deserve our respect and if we lose our integrity because of greed, we will lose a lot more than the incredible variety of marine life our ocean has to offer.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Short-beaked common dolphins

14:30 Short-beaked common dolphins

Stenella

10:00 Short-beaked common dolphins, Striped dolphins

15:00 Short-beaked common dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales