05.09.2022 – Out of range

Whale-watching trips on both our boats are magnificent! Our beautiful traditional boat is an absolute emblem of our company while our speedboat has facilitated magically close encounters with a variety of cetaceans.

Stenella exhibited her incredible efficiency as a speedboat today by catching up with a variety of species that were a challenge to find for both our team and spotter. Difficult situations aren’t a rarity at sea so our team is best prepared for trips involving some searching and, surely enough, managed sightings of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) and Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba).

As equally prepared our team aboard the Ribeira Brava always is for such long searches, some sightings are simply out of range for our traditional boat. While a group of spotted dolphins also delighted our guests aboard the boat also enjoyed sightings with spotted dolphins, both these curious dolphins and all other species were already in the waters of Funchal or very far out in the afternoon, making them far out of reach.

However, what our Ribeira Brava lacks in speed and range, she makes up for in charm. Her history is reminiscent of the traditional days of fishing, making her a symbol for the oceans before they were exploited at such an alarming rate. Observing dolphins from the vast wooden deck is exhilarating and the clear waters around the island allow perfect appreciation of the animals. For tours with no sightings, our team usually resorts to a little cruise along the coastline which always is a beautiful end to our time at sea, especially aboard the Ribeira Brava!

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins

15:00 No sightings

Stenella

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Cuvier’s beaked whales, Striped dolphins

14:00 Cuvier’s beaked whales, Striped dolphins

17:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Striped dolphins