09.11.2022 – Peep Show

Our morning tour on both boats was more suited to adult audiences. Short-fined pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are often found together, but sexual interaction between these two species is rather uncommon. Today, however, our guests witnessed passionate sexual contacts. If you check our photos today and pay attention to details, you will recognize the pink penis of a Pilot whale. Female Pilot whales are sexually mature at about 6-10 years, males need a little longer to reach the reproductive age. The males mate with several females, whereby the dominant males have the privilege to mate.

A very nice situation was the double spyhop (when marine mammals lift their heads out of the water) of two young Pilot whales. Marine mammals have an eye lens that can adapt well to the different visual conditions above and below water.

We continued to see our largest toothed whales. And who is this? The Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)! There was a group of three, a mother and her calf, and a few more Sperm Whales spread out over a large area. Today on our afternoon tour I was asked how their name “Sperm whale” came about. They got their name because of the waxy substance in their heads that early whalers thought was semen. This oily substance helps the whale focus its sound.

We had a wonderful day today.

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Loggerhead turtle

14:30 Pilot whales

Stenella

10:00 Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Sperm whales, Loggerhead turtles

15:00 Pilot whales, Sperm whales