21.05.2019 – Golden brown
June 5, 2019
24.05.2019 – The hunter & the hunted
June 7, 2019
Many Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) were there today to the delight of our guests. The group was spread over a wide area and in the subgroups the animals socialized with each other. Socializing is an important part of the dolphin routine. It strengthens the connection with each other, a key factor in protecting one’s team and succeeding in the common hunt. Even the little offspring was admired. Some of the beautiful dolphins jumped and we could see exactly that this animal kept an eye on us as well.
Twice a Flying fish (Exocoetidae) sailed past us. What extraordinary animals that are: they can glide up to 300m above the sea surface and reach a height of about 1.5m and they are able to accelerate up to 70kmh. This elegant sailing style through the air is a sophisticated technique to escape the predator. For the predator comes the following situation: Suddenly and out of the blue the prey is gone … he will not notice where the flying fish dives back into the water. In our case, these unusual sea creatures are more likely to have been frightened by the large, dark shadow of the Ribeira Brava.
By Fatima Kutzschbach
Sightings of the day
Riebeira Brava
14:30 Common dolphins
Stenella
15:00 Common dolphins, Blainvilles Beaked whales
