24.10.2024 – Team spirit

With marvellous, calm ocean conditions and sunshine, we ventured out on many successful tours. Most of our passengers managed to see Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). These two species are very different from each other – well, there is the obvious size difference: an adult female Sperm whale may measure 3-4 times the length of a Bottlenose dolphin, even though these dolphins are also large, powerful creatures. Not to speak about male Sperm whales, they easily exceed about two more dolphin lengths. But the animals also differ a lot regarding their society. Bottlenose dolphins may look very coordinated, but they do live in rather flexible “fission and fusion”-societies, forming relationships which can split up and join in terms of moments. Imagine them having plenty of friends that gather and separate at all times. Our Sperm whales instead may live in the same families for their whole lives – at least the females stay together taking care of one another. They will coordinate their movements and travel together into the same directions, take care of the calves and protect each other. The only natural predators that would dare to try to attack Sperm whales are Orcas (Orcinus orca), and they are only capable of succeeding in predating on such large animals because they have a similar cohesive social system as Sperm whales do. Once attacked by Orcas, Sperm whales will huddle up, facing each other in a so-called “Marguerite formation”. Their strong tails will be directed towards the invader and weak family members and calves are taken into their middle. I believe, the family of Sperm whales which we observed today, would have such a story to tell. Scroll back into our today’s photo galleries – You might be able to spot some scars from Orca bites (“rake marks”) which are left on the flukes and bodies of many of their family members. 

by Sarah Kather

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Sperm whales

Stenella 

09:30  Bottlenose dolphins, Sperm whales

13:30  Bottlenose dolphins, Sperm whales

16:30  Bottlenose dolphins, Sperm whales