10.12.2019 – Sundowner
December 18, 2019
12.12.2019 – Queens
December 20, 2019
Our zodiac had an absolutely spectacular trip out on the Atlantic Ocean today and…I’m not sure whether it was so incredible because my camera eventually ran out of battery (thank you universe…) or whether it was because of the two guests who will soon be celebrating their golden wedding anniversary here in Madeira. I dare say it might be a mixture of pure luck and the latter….
Just half a mile out from our marina, the placid ocean revealed an enormous group of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) that, together with the heavenly conditions, made us feel like we were cruising out on a midsummer morning. The group was dispersed over a relatively large area so that, at first, our crew assumed that the larger Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) crossing the sighting area were also part of the large school of spotted dolphins. In contrast to the intense encounter with the spotted, that with the Bottlenose remained relatively brief and was interrupted by our crew removing a large net containing a juvenile Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus). Removing plastic debris from the ocean is a good deed that is always worth such interruptions.
The highlight definitely came at the end of the tour and occurred around 4 and a half nautical miles off Calheta. Here our sensational spotter located a fast moving group of False orcas (Pseudorca crassidens) that fearlessly approached our zodiac as they darted eastward. These gregarious deep divers remain one of the most mysterious species amongst the toothed whales and pass through the archipelagos waters during the autumn months.
The water wasn’t just filled with dolphins of all shapes and sizes; we also saw no less than 13 Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) basking at the surface. Like the spotted, this species is a reflection of the incredible conditions we were lucky to enjoy out on the Atlantic today!
Despite the fact that weren’t able to catch any footage of the False orcas, our guests were left with beautiful memories after this fantastic morning.
By Paula Thake
Sightings of the day
Stenella
10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, False orcas, Loggerhead turtles
