16.03.2026 – Dashers and gliders

Our team has been seeing a lot of Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) and this is to be expected, considering that they are by far the most abundant species during the winter months here in Madeira. I’m not complaining though- beyond being gorgeous dolphins and lovely subjects for photography at sea, they never fail to deliver an action-packed sighting. These agile dolphins come to the region’s waters to hunt and usually spend the entire mornings gorging on Halfbeaks or dashing after mackerel. A pod of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were also making its way to Funchal but we kept this sighting short, as more encounters await these important predators in the east.

Our island also welcomes the first part of our Cory Shearwater (Calonectris borealis) colony at this time of the year, incredible birds that are a huge help in finding cetaceans out at sea. The colony is returning to the region for the breeding season, which beings in May and ends after the summer. After being spoilt endlessly by their parents, as of October the chicks are left to fend for themselves. If these chicks survive the winter and their first voyages on the ocean, they too will return to Madeira as part of the shearwater nesting colony.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:00 Short-beaked common dolphins

13:00 Short-beaked common dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins

13:30 Short-beaked common dolphins