20.06.2026 – Glass water

What a great day to be out on the Atlantic ! Today’s conditions were great and we were lucky to see several Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), big groups of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) from close.

Whales and dolphins are marine mammals. This means that they need to come to the surface to breath the air and the females produce high quantities of milk for the young ones.

When whales expel the air, the spout can be seen from great distances. The air comes out through the blowhole at a very high speed (up to 720km/h recorded for a young Gray whale). Baleen whales have two blowholes and toothed whales have one. Each species have their own spout characteristics : different sizes and different shapes.

By Juliette Colançon

Sightings of the day 

Ribeira Brava 

09:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Loggerhead turtle

13:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bryde’s whale, Loggerhead turtle

Steno

09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Loggerhead turtle

13:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bryde’s whales