08.01.2019 – Happy hunting

We had a fantastic tour on our zodiac this afternoon and were welcomed by a large dispersed herd of Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) travelling alongside a larger group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Whilst these two species of toothed whales are extremely remarkable and a pleasure to observe, our crew was even more thrilled with the final sighting of the day; Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis)!

These interactive dolphins are as inquisitive as they are beautiful. There’s always alot going on during a sighting involving these creatures and things weren’t any different today. While some of the animals immediately approached our bow, many of which were young calves, one animal repeatedly leapt out of the water in what seemed like a playful activity. While this may have also partially been the case, a closer look at our photos unravels other intentions on the part of this energetic individual. If you look closely, you will see a fish struggling in mid-air near the dolphin which inevitably shows that the animal was infact hunting.

Hunting isn’t always serious business for dolphins and doesn’t necessarily happen when the animals are hungry. Particularly juveniles often engage in hunting to practice their skills and work on their coordination as they accelarate their swimming to catch their prey as a unit. Regarding speed, the commons also happen to be incredible sprinters, reaching velocities of up to 60km/h. Such profound hunting abilities combined with their intelligence makes these dolphins formidable predators.

We’re more than happy to welcome our winter dolphins back to the waters around the island and hope they stick around for a while.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Stenella

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