19.07.2019 – Rapid, stormy surprise visitors

Such a day full of gifts! Nature is wonderful! Nature is always surprising!

Today there were wonderful encounters with different animals on all of our tours! We had great Pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) with cute offspring. We had active Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). We had a delightful kindergarten group of Atlantic Spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis). The mothers gave, to the delight of our guests, the mini tiny offspring surf training in our bow wave. Also Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) and Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) could be seen today.

AND THEN …

… there was another rapid, stormy SURPRISE VISITER !!! False Orcas (Pseudorca crassidens) with three Bottlenose dolphins in their luggage, were the big surprise today! So rare are they to see here and therefore with their stormy nature every time an absolute attraction! They have such a typical, unmistakable surface behavior. With their torpedo-like bodies, they shoot through the waves with high speed energy. What a goose bump experience!!

Although False Orcas is a high sea species, we found it today right near the coast. At a fast pace, this group moved along Madeira’s southwest. Already at the end of our tour with these extraordinary animals they arrived in Tabua. Incidentally, it is not uncommon to find False Orcas in combination with Bottlenose dolphins. The active, dynamic group approached our boat again and again. We became part of this spectacular happening.

Incidentally, these up to six-meter-long, slender marine mammals are the third largest dolphins. As their name implies, there are similarities with Orcas, but they are not related to them.

They are known to hunt squid, common dolphin fish (also known as “mahi-mahi”), tuna, sharks and marine mammals, including seabirds, seals and walruses. It has already been observed that they also attack other types of dolphins.

All in all, a wonderful day full of gifts and a lot reasons for gratitude.

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins, Common dolphins

Stenella

09:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins (snorkeling)

12:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins, Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins

15:30 False Orcas with Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic Spotted dolphins

18:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins, Striped dolphins