20.10.2021 – Silk sea

What an extraordinary morning. A soft swell billowed on the gentle sea that spread like silk. The sea clearly responds to the attraction of the moon. Since we had a full moon yesterday, we sloshed relaxed over the sea today. Somehow the ocean feels a bit deserted. A yellow haze wafted over the silk seas. Silence over the sea, silence on the boat. An almost meditative moment that is also important in the hectic pace of our life. But you have to reckon with everything at sea, everything can change at any time. This was the case this morning, when we suddenly discovered restrained splashes here and there. The Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) did not arrive dynamically today, as they often do. They, too, moved quietly and calmly through the sea. More and more group members joined the first dolphins, arriving at the bow of Ribeira Brava. What a wonderful, intense encounter we had. The whistling tones of the Spotted dolphins could be heard in the bow wave; calves were accompanied by their mothers to ride bow waves; some turned to the side to look up at us; a hitchhiking sucker fish or as well called remora stuck to a dolphin body and even with an energetic jump, this dolphin could not get rid of the fish … we had many, many special magical moments in the silk seas today.

In the afternoon, the sea wasn’t quite as silky anymore, but it was still calm. This time we went to the largest toothed whale, the Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). On the way to the giants, a flying fish sailed over the sea. These fish can accelerate up to 70 km / h. With our boat Stenella he kept up easily. When we reached the resting Sperm whales, we found that there were fourteen. Three animals passed close to the bow. A completely different and equally fascinating encounter.

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins

14:30 Blainville’s beaked whales

Stenella

09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins

15:00 Sperm whales