19.10.2024 – Blainville’s offspring

Most of our guest’s today were lucky to encounter groups of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) today. One particular tour though was extraordinarily lucky, seeing furthermore Short-finned Pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and Blainville’s Beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris). You have never heard of Beaked whales before? This is not surprising at all. Even though Beaked whales (Ziphidaee) are a very diverse family of cetaceans, counting about 24 species until today, there are very few people in the world who ever have seen some in the wild. And in these calculations I do count many of my experienced marine biologist friends and colleagues. Owing to their preference for squid, they inhabit oceanic, deep oceans and are rarely found closeby the coast. Further, they have a rather timid nature, often rapidly diving when a boat approaches. This is why this whale family belongs to the least understood. How marvellous is it that we can regularly encounter them around Madeira? Regularly enough to recognize individual beaked whales by scars on their skin, and regularly enough to notice that one female Blainville’s beaked whale seems to have a newborn on her side for a few days. Welcome to our Madeiran waters little one!

by Sarah Kather

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Blainville’s beaked whales, Short-finned pilot whales