09.06.2023 – Turn of the tide
June 15, 2023
10.06.2023 – The magic in being patient
June 16, 2023
Madeira’s storm of the year, Oscar, brought a lot of rain to the archipelago and, after the storm ceased, the water gushed into the ocean through streams and rivers. These water masses also transported debris and sediment into the ocean which then act as sources of nutrients for plankton communities at the surface, allowing them to flourish.
These large amounts of sediment, however, also make usually crystal clear waters around Madeira murkier than usual. Our snorkelling activity usually take place further offshore at a distance of 3-4 nautical miles, where visibility is excellent and Oscar’s effects were more diluted. Although we couldn’t enjoy our usual 20-30m visibility during the activity we are lucky to conduct these tours with Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), curious dolphins that like to approach our participants in the water.
The afternoon tours were characterised by long searches today, with our zodiac covering enormous areas before encountering a group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and yet another pod of spotted dolphins during our midday trip. During our trip later in the afternoon, our guests could enjoy a succession of smaller marine life at the surface and, although we didn’t manage to find any cetaceans, they were all very thankful for our efforts!
By Paula Thake
Sightings of the day
Stenella
09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins
13:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins
16:00 No sightings
