11.05.2019- The element of surprise

Under the guidance of our incredible spotter, Carlos, both guests and crew were able to enjoy magnificent sightings out on the Atlantic today. The day began with a group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) that were playfully socialising and hunting around 5 nautical miles off the coastline near Jardim do Mar today. During the encounter we suddenly spotted a large Ocean sunfish (Mola mola) foraging amongst the dolphins at the surface. The animal was easily recognisable through its large, mobile falcate dorsal fin gently flapping at the surface as it searched hungrily for some Portuguese Man O’Wars (Physalia physalis) to gorge on. We had seen many Man O’Wars in the area so we’re sure the sunfish had an adequate feast.

After this surprise encounter we had yet another sighting with three Blainville’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) during our afternoon tour. I hadn’t seen these timid creatures in quite some time and was overjoyed for everyone on board when the animals surfaced and slowly approached our boat, allowing us to admire them in more detail. We soon realised that the central animal within the trio was the large bull, with the unmistakeable tusks on his beak and deep scars on his back, prompting us to wonder from where these scars may originate. As with most beaked whales, little is known about the social life of this species since it takes place far below the surface but as with most toothed whales, body contact is quite frequent causing scratches on the animals skin. The scars on the bulls, however, are very deep and may occur through aggressions between males in the depths that fight for their harem of females. These scars also serve as identification features for scientists studying the population ecology of these mysterious whales.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Ocean sunfish

15:00 Blainville’s beaked whales