08.07.2025 – Birthday ode

The weather changed a little this morning but that didn’t dull our sightings at all. Both our boats managed sightings with Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) this morning. We saw the same species during our afternoon tours and our speedboat even managed an additional sighting with our birthday girl Marlene’s favourites, Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus).

Pilot whales belong to the cetacean species that demonstrate a very high level of emotional sophistication. The females move in family pods where all members look after as well as nurse the young. The solidarity among all pod members is very strong, with animals sticking together even in the face of certain death which is why pilot whales stranding are usually considered as mass stranding. These strong relationships are tangible during a sighting; pilot whales always peacefully glide alongside our boats and nearly always demonstrate affection towards pod members.

Considering their characteristics it comes as no surprise that these are Marlene’s favourites, given how supportive and caring she is towards all members of our team. So meeting them today almost felt like a little ode from the Atlantic to our birthday girl, and we all fully enjoyed it!

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins

13:00 No sightings

16:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

13:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins

16:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins