11.02.2022 – Opportunists

Every species is unique, that’s indisputable, as is the fact that most marine organisms display opportunistic behaviour. However, no species does opportunistic like the Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), to the extent that our team considers the term as the best description for the species. Opportunistic behaviour is usually linked to finding food and, in todays overfished ocean, finding prey has become quite a difficult task for predators.

Bottlenose dolphins are known to use tools, associate with other species and even interact with fishing boats and their gear to score a meal. Today our team was able to find animals that were involved in the latter, a sighting that has unfortunately become far too common in the last years.

A group of 20-30 Bottlenose dolphins were foraging in the vicinity of fishing boats, one of which appeared to be hauling in long-lines used in catching the infamous Black scabbard fish (Aphanopus carbo). This proximity to fishing vessels is often an indication of the animals interacting with the fishing gear and complaints from fishermen losing their catch to these cetaceans have backed these fears. Dolphins are more than capable of snatching catch from the lines but the danger of them getting entangled in the gear is very high, especially if calves are present.

Luckily the dolphins we encountered today were already leaving the area as we entered the sightings area and they all seemed unharmed, some even engaged in a brief bow-ride as they moved westward. Our team cant help but feel distressed at such encounters nonetheless. We must remember that encounters out on the ocean don’t only serve as amazing experiences, they also demonstrate sobering realities which need to be addressed.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins