14.11.2019 – A conscious choice
November 21, 2019
16.11.2019 – Supper at the shore
November 23, 2019
Who prefers a nocturnal meal? Who is waiting for the vertical migration of food in the dim light? Yes, these are, for example, Pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), which we encountered today off Madeira’s coast with our speedboat Stenella. In our oceans there is a nocturnal operation that also benefits marine mammals. The marine plankton makes an overnight trip to the higher regions of our seas. This of course means that other sea creatures joins this vertical up and down – movements in the hope of the delicious bite. One of these vertical travelers is the squid, the Pilot whales favorite food. Nocturnal feeding is very beneficial for these cetaceans, because now they do not have to dive down to 600-700 m like during the day to fill up their stomachs. They can save themselves this long way and energy; the delicious bites come to meet them. This is extremely practical, right? If prey is localized during the day, the Pilot whale won’t hesitate to get it. But the small pilot whale calves we saw today benefit only from the fatty breastmilk from mom’s tasty bites.
By Fatima Kutzschbach
Sighting of the day
Stenella
10:00 Pilot whales
