We had a wonderfully eventful summers day out on the ocean….and a lot of the excitement was thanks to the pods of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis). Our summer dolphins never fail to plant a smile on the faces of our guests and team. Their interactive and curious nature is second to none of the cetaceans visiting the archipelago’s waters. The most incredible thing about these playful dolphins is the ease at which they go about their socialising after approaching a boat. It’s almost as if they approach for a fun bow-ride before getting bored and simply going about their business as usual, as if undisturbed by their joyous admirers. It’s always a wonderful feeling! This joy of observing spotted dolphins is shared by the scientific community, particularly by behavioural biologists since its so easy to gain insight into their social lives during a n encounter.
Apart from these wonderful dolphins both our boats managed a lovely sighting with Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the morning and our zodiac even had a brief encounter with a Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris). What a lovely day out on the Atlantic!
By Paula Thake
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins
15:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins
Stenella
10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Cuvier’s beaked whale
14:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins
17:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins
