26.05.2025 – Cuddles

There is nothing like watching animals go about their business in their natural habitat and watching cetaceans interact with each other is especially riveting. All cetaceans are social animals and all toothed whales (Odontoceti) can be expected to turn up in groups, making situations where the animals can be observed socialising a frequent pleasure on our trips at sea.

This morning’s trips included a few evasive animals including a group of beautiful but shy Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus), rare visitors here in Madeira. Both species are incredibly social but their evasive behaviour during encounters here in Madeira makes it hard to observe such situations.

The Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), however, are a different story. These deep-divers are frequent visitors here in Madeira with many groups even considered as residents and use their time at the surface to rest but also to engage in social interactions. Lately, the pilot whales have been particularly social at the surface, with individuals barrel rolling and spy-hopping like the little juveniles we observed today.

Pilot whales aren’t the only toothed whales who enjoy displaying their social behaviour at the surface. Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) are easy subjects for such observations due to their notorious curious behaviour. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) also make a fine display of social behaviour if they are in the mood, often even with other species.

Frequent body contact and “cuddling” is a very important part of cetacean behaviour. Like with humans, showing affection is vital in nurturing relationships within a group so observing such behaviour highlights a lovely characteristic these magnificent animals share with us.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

14:00 Short-finned pilot whales

Stenella

09:30 Risso’s dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales, Striped dolphins

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

16:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales, Striped dolphins