07.09.2019 – Swimming with the stream

The heroes of our current history are the Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) that we encountered today. Our first sea turtle we saw was accompanied by some Pilot fish (Naucrates ductor), who looked pretty in the black and blue striped robe.

They are mini tiny small, the hatchlings of Loggerhead turtle but they boldly pull out to the ocean. They use the Gulf Stream and can be drifted across the Atlantic Ocean in huge algae rafts from Sargassum (yellow-brown algae from the Sargasso Sea). A wonderful shelter and a small ecological niche that promises protection and food. A hotel for marine animals, a nursery for the Loggerhead turtle! And here’s a great movie tip that will make you fall in love with the Caretta caretta´s: “Torguga- The incredible journey of a sea turtle”.

In fact, on our afternoon tour, we saw more sea turtles (6) than encountered Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) (3). We would have liked to show the guests more but unfortunately it was not like that today. I hope that the sweet Caretta caretta´s will remain in the memory of our guests.

From the sea, we also fished a plastic bottle (“decomposition time” 450 years!) and a fishing rod … the rod was a natural material, so no burden for the sea but the fishing line (“decomposition time” 600 years !!!) is a real killer! That’s why the thing had to disappear from our blue office, of course.

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic Spotted dolphins

15:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Loggerhead turtle

Stenella

15:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Loggerhead turtles