12.08.2016 – Sky peeker

We had a great start in the day, observing a school of resting Bottlenose dolphins, moving slowly eastwards. On both of the midday tours we found besides them, also our “spotted friends”, a school of Atlanctic spotted Dolphins. They were agile and most of them had a calf at their sides. Our guest of the Stenella evening trip than were especially lucky, finding besides the other two dolphin species also Blainvilles Beaked Whales. These small whales get up to 4,70 meter and prefer deep waters. We meet them quite frequently in the waters around Madeira. Unmistakeable is their typical surfacing and breathing behaviour: their tick and long beak breaks first through the water surface and points towards the sky. Also their flat forehead and a dorsal fin which is placed in the back of the their bodies are characteristic. Interesting to know is, that the structure of their jawbones is very dense and even heavier than the elephants ivory.

by Astrid Haas

Todays sightings:

Ribeira Brava

09.00: Bottlenose Dolphins

13.30: Bottlenose Dolphins und Atlantic Spotted Dolphins

Stenella

09.00: Bottlenose Dolphins

15.30: Bottlenose Dolphins and Atlantic Spotted Dolphins

18.00: Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins and Blainvilles Beaked Whales

12.08.2016