27.08.2022 – A Bull out at sea

The past few days have been very exciting. Some of you may have seen the many lights out at sea at night that almost look like a highway on the sea. Those are fisherman going out to catch squid, that is attracted to light.
Not only are fisherman excited about the Squid migration, so are we as is this means the arrival of many squid eating and deep diving animals. We were lucky to encounter various species of Beaked Whales, Sperm Whales, Risso’s dolphins and many more predators that like to feed in the deep. This of course also means that those animals like to spend a good while submerged, which can mean the typical Whale watching waiting game for us. Today we waited a good hour for a Sperm Whale Bull (Physeter macrocephalus). His appearance made it all worth it, and it always so fascinating watching those giants rest at the surface. Sperm Whales have the biggest head in the whole animal kingdom and this due to their organ Spermaceti in the front of their head. Whalers back it the days mistaken it for Sperm and so their name war born. The fluid inside of their head has little to do with it though, it is an Oil that helps the Whale with buoyance when diving so deep by regulating its density.
Unlike this deep diver, the Bryde’s Whales (Balaenoptera edeni) mother and calf that we encountered in the morning have a very different diet and only feed close to the surface on very small animals like crustaceans, plankton and small fish. The so gentle and friendly Rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) were also on today’s plan aswell as our summer friends, the Atlantic Spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and a Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta).
We are very excited what what else this late summer has to offer!

by Paulina Kalita

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphin, Bryde’s Whale

15:00 Spermwhale, Atlantic Spotted dolphins

Stenella

10:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphin, Bryde’s Whale

14:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins, Rough-toothed dolphins, Loggerhead turtle

17:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins