15.05.2025 – Surprise starter
May 22, 2025
17.05.2025 – Do whales and dolphins like bad weather?
May 24, 2025
This morning was filled with dolphin encounters. We were lucky enough to see three different species: Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). The afternoon started slow but we ended up finding some Bottlenose dolphins. During our last tour the dolphin-frenzy picked up again, adding Atlantic spotted back into the mix and flying fish (Cheilopogon melanurus) as a bonus!
The Portuguese Man o’War (Physalia physalis) was frequent companion today too. The question came up where these animals get their names. The gas-filled pneumatophore of the Portuguese Man O’War floating at the water’s surface resembles the full sails of 18th-century Portuguese warships. Some languages like Portuguese, Spanish and French take inspiration for the name of the animals from an even older vessel, the caravel. What a truly vivid name for these fascinating animals!
By Hannah Carstens
Sightings of the Day
Ribeira Brava
09:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Striped dolphins, Portuguese Man O’War
13:00 Bottlenose dolphins
Stenella
09:30 Striped dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin, Bottlenose dolphin, Portuguese Man O’War
13:30 Bottlenose dolphins
16:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, Flying fish
