16.05.2023 – Abundance

There was a lot of action out on the Atlantic today and our guests got a taste of the variety of life Madeira has to offer! Our day began with sightings of resting Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), travelling Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and a curious pod of beautiful Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) on a calm and placid ocean. Our Stenella also managed a sighting of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), much to the joy of our birthday girl Fatima Kutzschbach since these are her absolute favourites! All four species were also encountered during our slightly windy afternoon tour on the Stenella along with a rather evasive pod of Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba). 

Five species! Our spotter Carlos sure put his capabilities on show today but such an abundance of species is a feature shared by most oceanic islands on our beautiful planet. Islands funnel oceanic currents, their steep submarine seascapes driving nutrients from the deep to the surface and their coastal waters providing a safe haven from the more perilous waters of the open ocean. Meanwhile, the isolated ecosystems on land give rise to unique evolutionary processes and endemic species not found anywhere else in the world. Madeira is no exception and this knowledge, along with its marvellous landscape set the perfect stage for all these wonderful marine encounters! 

By Paula Thake 

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:30 Bottlenose Dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

13:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

Stenella

09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

13:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales, Striped dolphins