05.10.2019 – Autopilot

There are days when our boats have to venture relatively far to actually find marine mammals. Today was not one of those days. As our zodiac and traditional boat left the marina of Calheta this morning, we soon saw the first powerful spouts of Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhnychus) moving east in a convoy-like manner. We then moved west to meet yet another group of pilot whales but this time they weren’t alone. This herd was in the company of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) all moving gently through the glassy water. The steady, controlled maneuverers of our captains allowed both boats to enjoy close encounters with the animals and the almost complete absence of wind enabled everyone to take several snapshots of these memorable moments.

I can not stress the hard work of our captains enough and how their experience and skills facilitate such sightings. The work during a sighting often goes unnoticed; people tend to think that the work is done after we’ve found and approached the animals and are naturally more occupied with the dolphins than the maneuverers by our captains. During a sighting, however, manoeuvring the boat correctly is everything and is not only decisive for the quality of the sighting but also for the well-being of the animals. Remaining passive during an encounter doesn’t mean we are not moving. 

One of our guests on board the Ribeira Brava got the full hands-on experience of this work and was allowed to assist Filipe in steering the boat as we were leaving the animals. Our captain jokingly referred to him as his autopilot because, with cetaceans, even the autopilot needs to be alert and attentive! 

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava 

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

15:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins

Stenella

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales