Both trips successful today with very calm see, especially in the morning wen we arrived at the sighting area. In the afternoon after the first sightings of Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhyncus) and Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), we headed towards a fishing boat that was pulling their deep sea long-line up. The fishermen proudly showed us some specimens caught, mostly Black Scabbard fish (Aphanopus carbo) and a Leafscale gulper shark (Centrophorus squamosus) arrived at surface from the Blue Abyss. Since most of deep sea sharks are very vulnerable from over fishing, only a small quota is allowed to be caught. Recent regulations have re-opened the quota of this shark species, adapting European guidelines to specific realities like this traditional fishing method original from Madeira. The trip ended with a sighting of Short-beaked common dolphins leaping out of the water while hunting…..
By Daniel Jardim
Sightings of the day
Stenella
10.00 Pilot whale, Bottlenose dolphins
15:00 Pilot whale, Bottlenose dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphin
