18.06.2022 – A last and a first trip

Ocean lovers easily get used to the trips out on the ocean and the encounters with the animals, and every single moment leaves them ready for more. Today the two weeks with our three free diving professionals came to an end. Today they enjoyed lovely underwater sightings with Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), a grand finale to 14 days of lovely moments on the water.

The afternoon trip, on the other hand, was the first trip for our new summer guide, Paulina, who has ample experience as a guide in the Azores and is now ready to discover what Madeira has in store for her. It was also our new captain, Pedro, first tour on our traditional boat after quite a while so both were excited to see what the Atlantic had in store for us.

The tour started with a marvellously rare encounter; a Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) was foraging close to the aquaculture near Calheta. The species is believed to be the world’s rarest pinniped species with as little as 700 individuals scattered across a handful of colonies worldwide, one of which is here in Madeira. The guests were thrilled at the encounter but needed to be a little patient before they met any cetaceans. As we were heading back to Calheta, our spotter Carlos suddenly localised a group of Atlantic spotted dolphins around 4 miles out from the marina. Our crew immediately steered towards the sightings area and were able to enjoy a beautiful encounter with these curious little dolphins.

It was a bittersweet day of goodbyes and welcomes, and the common thread throughout the day was the incredible admiration we all have for the Atlantic Ocean and all marine life.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

14:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Mediterranean monk seal

Stenella

09:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins