11.08.2026 – Bond
August 18, 2026
This day out at sea was very diverse as four different species of toothed whales were spotted ! The conditions were perfect to observe these stunning animals, swimming next to us. Some spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) were seen socializing and we even witnessed some mating behavior. The copulation is usually brief (30 seconds) but repeated in rapid session of belly to belly. The pregnancy will last around 12 months and the female will give birth tail-first to a live young. The little one will be fully dependent on their mother and will be nursing for 2 to 3 years from the rich milk. They will slowly sample fish when they learn how to hunt.
We had all age classes in the pod : Small calves, to juvenile, to fully mature adults. Some pairs of mom-calf were seen swimming together, the baby safely protected and surrounded by adults.
Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus) were spotted at the end of the day, but these larger dolphins are shy animals and tend to stay away from the boats.
What great souvenirs to bring home !
By Juliette Colançon
Ribeira Brava
09:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins
13:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins
16:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins
Steno
09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Blainville’s beaked whales
13:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins
16:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Risso’s dolphins
