14.01.2022 – Oceanic washing machine

Today it was moving on the sea, a real oceanic washing machine. The forerunners of the coming weather could already be felt. Fortunately, we were still able to go out to our friends with fins. Even before the regular start of the tour, we received the information from our spotter that we should hurry because he had already had a sighting. In swell with white foam caps, it is not always easy for the spotter to keep an eye on the marine mammals for a long time. A good reason to hurry up.

Everything was going very well, and we reached a large school of Short finned Pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) that stayed in a bigger area. The group of Bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus) also zigzagged in this observation area. Whereby we got to see them either briefly or from a distance. They showed no interest in a photo shooting. With the Pilot whales, on the other hand, we had a few close contacts. For example, the animals dived under our boat. The different small groups that socialized strongly with one another were clearly visible. Pilot whales live in an intensive group structure with a strong support and protection behavior.

So we had a great sighting of two marine mammal species in the middle of the oceanic washing machine. And our guests really enjoyed the ups and downs in the waves.

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Stenella

10:00 Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins