22.07.2019 – What hides below the surface

We set out today, with our eyes on the horizon, trying our best to get a glimpse of what hides below the surface. It can be quite amazing to see a few distant splashes or quick dorsal fin here or there suddenly turn into a large group of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis). With most groups of cetaceans, we never really get the complete picture.  As groups split up to cover a larger area looking for fish, or simply dive a bit deeper out of view, it becomes very hard to keep track of the number of animals that might be around us under the water. The only ones who know for sure are the dolphins themselves, who stay in constant communication with their clicks and whistles.

Even though they are still mammals like us, they may be able to dive a bit longer, yet they will always have to come back to the surface to breathe. Even a sleeping dolphin has to keep half his brain awake to be able to surface and breathe regularly. And when they come up, we will be ready, with our cameras trying to get a good look of these majestic creatures.

In the afternoon we had some other species dropping by for a visit. A few fun and playful short beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) easily identified from the yellow pattern on their sides. And then a bit later, some Striped dolphins, (Stenella coeruleoalba) they are part of the genus Stenella just like the spotted dolphins and therefore closely related, but quite a different experience as they tend to leap and flee from boats.

Then our larger resident whales showed up, sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are colossal giants of the deep, they come to the surface to fill-up their body’s with oxygen. Their myoglobin proteins allow them to store large amounts of oxygen in their vast muscular body for their long hunts in the deep. The moment they dive is preceded by their iconic tail raise, high above the water, a spectacular moment.

There were also some short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorynchus) about this afternoon. Big and bulky black whales with a round melon shaped head that also indicated an adaptation to deep water hunting. Although they don’t go nearly as deep as the 2km of a sperm whale.

With such a variety of species on the water today we conclude another successful day of whale-watching trips, and we look forward to the next one.

By Scott Dorssers

Sightings of the day

Ribeira brava

9:00 Atlantic spotted dolphin

17:00 Atlantic spotted dolphin

Stenella

12:00 Short beaked common dolphin, Striped dolphin

15:30 Sperm whale, Short finned pilot whale