26.08.2022 – Search picture

Published by Fatima Kutzschbach on September 5, 2022

Everyone knows these pictures in which something is hidden that you should find. It takes concentration to discover it. That’s how our tours were today.

On the midday tour, we searched for a Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) for a long time. In the end we were lucky, he breached twice and disappeared again. Fortunately, the Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) were easier to find. They were playful and interactive. This small species of dolphin seems to enjoy human watching very much.

In the evening tour we went in search of two Tropical whales (Balaenoptera edeni). Again, it was necessary to keep one’s eyes open 360 degrees around the boat. We got a good look at them a couple of times. The search for dolphins continued. But the Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) were very reserved. An approach was not possible, and to discover them between the waves again reminded me of a hidden object.

Cuvier’s beaked whales are among the marine mammals that hold the record for both animal and long-depth diving. They can dive to depths of up to 3000 meters. Their longest dive time was recorded off the coast of North Carolina at 3 hours 42 minutes. However, their average depth is around 1400 meters and their dive times average an hour.