19.07.2022 – Chatty

Todays tours were filled with encounter of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), a species that never fails to ensure a little bit of fun during a trip. These curious dolphins often approach our boats curiously and remain with us for some time, before peacefully going about their business alongside us. This makes it very easy to gain insight into their social lives which is, however, saturated in complexity. Like us, dolphins are selective with their companions and are thought to choose them according to common interests, life phase and gender. We were able to witness an array of social behaviours from these dolphins on board both our boats and, thanks to Sasha’s hydrophone, even able to hear them communicate.

Atlantic spotted dolphins are definitely interesting subjects when it comes to understanding more about how dolphins communicate and what the functions of the various types of vocalisations are. This is currently being intensively studied with a group of resident spotted dolphins in the Bahamas by Dr. Denise Herzing, who has spent at least 30 years looking into the language of these individuals. Another species of chatty dolphins were met by our zodiac in the morning; Rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) aren’t only super curious, they also release an incredible variety of vocalisations that are a lot of fun for anyone interested in bioacoustics.

The dolphins sure were chatty today….glad I’m not the only talkative one out on the ocean. 🙂

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins

15:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins

Stenella

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Rough-toothed dolphins

14:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins

17:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins