21.06.2017 – Big day on the Ocean
July 7, 2017
23.06.2017 – Freeway
July 9, 2017
Today we went from one sighting to the next and had ideal sighting conditions for our guests. Right after leaving the Marina we saw for some moments a loggerhead sea-turtle. But the marine reptile was scared and dove down quickly. A short time afterwards, spotter Carlos led us to an active school of Common dolphins with many Cory`s Shearwater flying up and down. Marine mammals and marine birds united in preying on food – what a wonderful and dynamic sight. The sea was bubbling when the dolphins rushed from one place to another. Diving down, jumping high, always seaching for the next fish-meal. Later we found the same situation in two different schools of Atlantic spotted dolphins, which we observed from a distance. Eveywhere dolphins chasing and preying on food. Some of the animals slapped several times their tails on the watersurface, others jumped high and landed with a big splash. All this actions and movements are most probably part of a hunting strategy in order to herd the schooling fish for a more effective meal.
by Astrid Haas
Sightings of the day:
Ribeira Brava
13.30: Common dolphins and Atlantic spotted dolphins
