20.12.2022 – Heads up! 

Cetaceans have a way of making us feel a natural curiosity for them and, in many cases, the feeling is definitely mutual! Todays encounter with a pod of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) involved the approach of many individuals to the bow of our boats. Many of the animals also lifted their heads high above the water as they moved with the swell. While lifting their head eases breathing at the surface, particularly for calves, it also allows them a sneak peek at what’s going on at the surface. 

While the Bottlenose dolphins foraged and cruised through coastal waters, that today were murkier than usual due to last nights heavy rain, a group of Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) resorted to travels in clearer offshore waters. We found a large dispersed pod dashing east some 7 nautical miles off the coast of Calheta, with the slower clumsier calves lagging behind with their guardian females. Like the Bottlenose dolphins, the tiny calves also lifted their heads to breathe amidst the high waves but unlike their beaked cousins, the pilot whales maintained a distance to the boat and focused on proceeding with their eastward travels. 

We sure were happy to finally be back out on the ocean again this week to at least manage a few sightings before Christmas! Our team is excited for more days like these in the coming weeks.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

Stenella

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales