10.09.2021 – Expectation vs. reality

It’s funny how expectations vary among both crew and guests before boarding a whale-watching tour. Nature’s response to our expectations is simple; it is what it is. Things never really go the way we expect them to and that is the exciting part of what we do.

The same goes for cetaceans and their behaviour at sea, particularly when it comes to dolphins. Most people expect larger Baleen whales (Balaenopteridae) or beaked whales like the Blainville’s (Mesoplodon densirostris) to be slightly timid or even evasive during a sighting. Dolphins, however, have a reputation. Their depiction as a happy-clappy animal, which was mainly fueled by keeping many in captivity and movies such as “Flipper”, has delivered a distorted picture of dolphins to the public that also affects their expectations during a sighting. What most tend to forget (and our team makes sure to make them aware of this) is that there are so many different types of dolphins on the planet, all with their own characteristic behaviour.

The species that delivers sightings closest to the classic “expectation” of a dolphin encounter are the Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), an intelligent small dolphin with a big, curious character that was also met on all our tours on board our zodiac today. Despite being the most popular and well-known of all dolphins, the wild Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) of Madeira are full of surprises and display a dynamic behaviour during encounters. Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) tend to keep their distance and small groups, like the one today, usually completely avoid our boat.

I have to say that, although I am aware that our guests obviously have incredible expectations of our time at sea, I also know that they are absolutely thrilled about everything the Atlantic surprises them with.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins

15:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Blainville’s beaked whales

Stenella

09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Striped dolphins

14:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Blainville’s beaked whales

17:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Blainville’s beaked whales, Striped dolphins