22.09.2021 – The Madeira line-up

Madeira is a fantastic place for whale-watching! Its deep waters host a diversity of species who all nurture their own unique relationship to the islands marine environment. To better understand these relationships local scientists conduct long-term research using their own data as well as that of whale-watching companies. By far two of the best documented and researched cetacean species in Madeira are the Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and the Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Biopsies, satellite tags and photo-identification data have revealed an extremely important relationship to Madeira’s waters and have demonstrated that several animals even return to the islands waters several times a year. Scientists refer to these animals as “residents” and, in the case of pilot whales, these residents arrive in stable family groups.

Pilot whales love to cruise through the deeper waters at least 3 nautical miles off the islands coastline and are often greeted by pods of bottlenose dolphins, who often welcome their larger cetaceans cousins as nursery groups. We had a couple of these situations today; we met a couple of bottlenose dolphin nursery groups far offshore in pilot whale territory and, before long, we also found the pilot whales. It isn’t rare to have both species in the same sightings area but, considering the significant differences in their social lives, these interactions are absolutely magnificent! The pressing questions now are; why do these animals interact and do the same groups engage in these interactions? Whatever the answer, it never gets boring with this lovely Madeira line-up of cetaceans!

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

15:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

Stenella

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

14:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales