16.11.2021 – Wave-watching

Conditions were marvellous as we stout onto the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. Only a slight breeze brushed the surface of the ocean while the visible swell added a little punch to the ride. The only thing missing happened to be the most important one; animals. Our spotter called shortly after we left the marina to tell us he hadn’t found anything yet, something which often may quickly change so our crew remained hopeful and we decided to try our luck further west.

The wind picked up and we steered towards some Cory’s shearwaters (Calonectris borealis)that were circling suspiciously around an area. We saw some splashes but no spouts, indicating that the birds were probably following some predatory fish. As we slowly cruised back to Calheta we passed the picturesque towns of Paul do Mar and Jardim do Mar, where swell made. Its presence as massive waves thrashed against the wave breakers along the coastline. There’s no better place to go wave-watching during a storm than these two places since the underwater plateau further west adds volume and energy to the incoming waves.

After admiring the waves we soon arrived in the marina. Of course everyone was a little disappointed about the fact that we didn’t manage a sighting but our guests enjoyed the tour nonetheless. At the end of the day our tours are about making the most of what the Atlantic Ocean decides to give us on that very day.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 No sightings