14.04.2026 – The commons

Nomenclature in science is a funny thing and the names of some species we encounter at sea take our guests by surprise. One of these is that of the Short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), a beautiful dolphin that comes to Madeira during the winter months. The reason why this name puzzles our guests is because one would expect the Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) to carry that name, considering that it is the dolphin that normally pops into people’s heads when they hear the word dolphin. This is because we know so much about this species but the first described species was actually the common dolphin.

We also encountered several Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) today, a species that is also otherwise known as the common whale. Like the common dolphin, the fin whale is a beautiful species with a white flash decorating the right side of its head. The origin of their name is unfortunately darker than that of the common dolphin; fin whales were the most commonly caught whales by whalers. Fin whales still belong to the species caught in the Atlantic today, making any sighting of them a spectacle to appreciate and cherish.

Today we had much to cherish; all three species were sighted today. This was also true for the fin whales, who turned up in a large group of five at the end of the day. Incredible!

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:00 Fin whales, Short-beaked common dolphins

13:00 Fin whales, Short-beaked common dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Fin whales, Short-beaked common dolphins

13:30 Fin whales, Short-beaked common dolphins

16:00 Fin whales, Short-beaked common dolphins