Chosen by the ocean
July 31, 2025
The weather is crazy again. In the morning strong wind was blowing and wind means waves. We felt those waves on our trips out there. Later the day it even started to drizzle. These are not our normal summer conditions.
Although the weather was not the best, we went out again and with success. In the morning after a bumpy and wavy trip we spotted some active Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis). This was not the only species, because on our way back we had the luck to see one of the baleen whales, which pass through the waters of the island. This time it was a Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis), the fastest of the large whales. In short sprints they can reach speeds over 30km/h. This is fast for an animal with a length of 20m.
The second trip had different animals. This time Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) and Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus) were seen, apart from the Spotted dolphins. The pilot whales are one of the largest dolphins in the world with almost 7m.
The last trip added another species to the list. It was our Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). This common dolphin species can be seen regularly around the island, sometimes even close to shore.
By Horst Schulte
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
09:00 Atlantic spotted dolphin, Sei whale
13:00 Short-finned pilot whale, Risso’s dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin
16:30 Bottlenose dolphins
Stenella
09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphin, Sei whale
13:30 Short-finned pilot whale, Risso’s dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin
16:30 Short-finned pilot whale, Risso’s dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin, Bottlenose dolphins
