08.09.2019 – Chasing summer

The Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) never fail to make a grand entrance and plant a smile on the faces of our guests. The large school of at least 100 animals was found by our spotter just off the coast of Tabua, just before Ribeira Brava. The animals were dispersed around the area, with some dolphins engaged in frisky social behaviour which involved some breaching and spy-hopping, while others were busy hunting, darting through the air in the company of some Cory’s shearwaters (Calonectris borealis). 

These interactive dolphins tend to literally surround our boats during a sighting, which of course is an absolute delight for our guests who then have the opportunity to admire each individuals unique spot pattern as they glide alongside us and make eye contact as the animals playfully leap near our boats. Apart from being one off the most curious and approachable species in the Atlantic, the spotted are also notorious warm-water lovers. 

They literally chase the summer, leaving the waters of Madeira when the winter breaks and returning after the suns rays have warmed the archipelagos waters to a pleasant 20ºC. They tend to favor shallower waters on the continental shelf, like those in the Bahamas, where even resident groups have been described. Unfortunately the species is not well-documented here on the island, with scientists not being entirely sure if the same dolphins return to Madeira’s waters every summer. Wouldn’t it be lovely, if a handful of these summer-chasers return every year for the high season? Whether it’s the same animals or not, we are always happy to welcome the species back into the deep blue waters of the southwest and are always sad to see them leave. Perhaps, this year, they’ll stick around just a little while longer….

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins

Stenella 

09:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins