24.01.2023 – A final surprise

What a lovely day we had out on the ocean today! In the morning our traditional boat took a group of excited guests to encounter a pod of Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). These gorgeous dolphins often disperse into small hunting parties once they reach the waters of the island to hunt their favourite prey for the season, small schools of Halfbeaks (Belone belone). While we weren’t able to see the dolphins in action, we did meet them at their calmest just after their hunts and they curiously approached our boat. It was fantastic!

The afternoon tour, however, was the one with the big surprise. We had a charter with two lovely ladies who wanted to spend their final day in Madeira out on the ocean. After setting off from the marina, one of the guests said it was her dream to see a whale. Minutes later our captain Pedro spotted a spout and our spotters eyes honed in to follow the animals. Two Bryde’s whales (Balaenoptera edeni), mother and calf, were travelling towards Funchal. The curious little calf even approached our traditional boat and barrel-rolled, showing us his belly. What a grand finale to their holiday in Madeira!

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:30 Short-beaked common dolphins

14:00 Bryde’s whales