19.04.2019 – An exception to the rule

“Madeira is like a gas station on the freeway”- I think I mention this on almost every single tour because it gives our guests a good idea of the diversity of marine mammals visiting the waters of the beautiful island of Madeira. The truth is we never know what to expect when we head out onto the Atlantic.

Our zodiac set out onto the windy waters of the far west of the island to see a group of hunting Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) this morning. The difficult conditions in the area made it hard for us to continuously relocate the group, so our spotter turned his binoculars towards the calmer waters further east where he spotted something spectacular.

Off the coast of Ponta do Sol four large Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) were swiftly travelling west in group formation that were impossible to miss for our spotter, due to their high spout. In contrast to the species belonging to the toothed whale family, which includes Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), dolphins and beaked whales, baleen whales tend to travel alone. This means that we usually meet solitary baleen whales or mothers in the company of their calves. Fin Whales, however, are an exception to the rule.

Like most rorquals, fin whales are cosmopolitan and engage in seasonal migrations. The nature and course of these migration routes, however, is as yet quite unclear. Currently, it is assumed that these large mammals enjoy feeding in higher latitudes during the summer months before migrating to warmer waters in lower latitudes for the mating season. Group sightings of this species have occurred in the waters of Madeira and have been linked to mating behaviour. During todays sighting, in fact, our crew at sea suspects the animals may have been displaying mating behaviour where males compete and pursue the female. As they swiftly swam alongside one another, the animals spun underwater turning the water light blue as they exposed the white flash on their right jaw and their bellies. It was a fantastic sighting that was enjoyed by crew and guests on board both our boats this morning.

The speed of these incredible rorquals means they were long gone before our afternoon tours, where our guests enjoyed sightings with Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Short-beaked common dolphins.

The windy conditions didn’t make things easy for our crew today but one cant help but feel excited when heading out onto the Atlantic.. we simply never know what surprises await us.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Fin whales

14:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins, Loggerhead turtle

Stenella

10:00 Fin whales, Short-beaked common dolphins

15:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins