18.07.2018 – Jumping Dolphins

It was quite windy when we left the marina today. We took a zig-zag route to avoid direct wave exposure of our traditional fishing vessel. Our course was directed to the West because our spotter had seen some fins off Jardim do Mar. And he was right, we could see the first splashes and silhouettes of dolphins above the waves way in front.

But we didn´t really know where to focus because there was a lot of activity on the surface all around. Some animals came right into the bow wave of Ribeira Brava or cruised by to both sides but all the time we could also see good numbers of dolphins a bit further away. We had encountered a very big pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) with smaller subgroups partially separated and spread over a big area.

The most remarkable behavior the animals showed today have been impressive jumps. Not only that single individuals came out of the waves here and there, but also whole subgroups of up to 10 animals and especially two dolphins jumping synchronized off to the bow delighted us all.

But why do dolphins, or also in general all cetaceans, jump? Well, there are several reasons for this behavior: the smart animals take advantage of the lower air resistance compared to water while travelling. In this case they move close to the surface and show a high frequency of little jumps. Dolphins have a good vision also out of the water and therefore being high up in the air might enable them to get an overview over their environment. Parasites and loose skin can be detached by falling back into the water. This impact on the surface and the resulting sounds are also important. They comprise a form of communication and are used to drive fish and other prey species close together.

But the dolphins seem to also jump because it´s fun and that was most likely their motivation today. It was great to observe them coming out of the waves and smoothly gliding back in. Hopefully we will encounter dolphins in such a good mood again!

by Jan-Christopher Fischer

Sightings of the day

Stenella

09:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins

13:30 Sperm whales, Bottlenose dolphins

Ribeira Brava

13:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins

17:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins