19.08.2025 – Dolphins, whales and mermaids

Dolphins have fascinated humans for time immemorial, with ancient civilisations even worshipping them as mystical creatures of the ocean. The fascination is absolutely justified; as emotional, intelligent and social mammals we can relate to them so much more than to other marine creatures and yet there is still so much we do not know about them!

Todays tours were filled with sightings of the most well-known and well-studied cetacean, the Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) during both the morning and afternoon tour. The species accentuated a fascination that was largely mythical with scientific research with other curious species, such as the Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) filling in other knowledge gaps.

The beautiful Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) was seen in the afternoon by our traditional boat. The species is well researched but their migration routes remain largely unknown. In the late afternoon both our boats did not manage a sighting, tours that we refer to as mermaid tours. Mermaids were long associated with dolphins, often depicted together in stories and art pieces so  any tour that ends as a no sighting tour serves as an ode to that ancient relationship.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins

13:00 Fin whale

16:30 No sighting

Stenella

09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins

13:00 Bottlenose dolphins

16:30 No sighting