23.12.2021 – Cetacean connections

All cetaceans are incredibly interesting creatures and have a magical way of making you want to know more about their world. What especially fascinates me as a guide are the relationships that are nurtured between the animals Whether its a mother and calf, a matriarchal family group or simply a small gang of friends, observing this dynamic behaviour amongst these animals is proof of how smart they truly are. Moreover, just like us, some cetaceans connect to some individuals more than others which makes it all the more complex.

Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are two of the most frequently encountered cetacean species around Madeira and are often even seen interacting with one another. Today a large, dispersed pod of pilot whales was swiftly moving east and sandwiched within the group was a small nursery group of Bottlenose dolphins. While the success in raising offspring for Bottlenose dolphin mothers is closely associated to the friends they associate with, pilot whales raise their young as a single unit. Pilot whale females often remain with their birth pod, making these pods very stable in structure much in contrast to the loosely knit units of the bottlenose.

Such interactions are incredible if we consider these significant differences in the social lives of these species and that, despite this, they manage to coexist and interact. Just grows to show that there is still a thing or two we can learn from these wonderful creatures.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

14:30 Short-finned pilot whales

Stenella

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales