28.03.2025 – Piloting the west

Our guests were real troopers this morning, as our speedboat braved the swell from the West to reach a large group of Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) that were travelling four miles off the coastline of Jardim do Mar. The pilot whales were a beautiful contrast to the choppy weather, cruising casually past our boat and leaving our guests in absolute awe.

All cetaceans display emotional sophistication but pilot whales are extra special in this category. The family sticks together in the face of all odds, even in the face of certain death – that comes in the form of whalers or sudden stranding events for these magnificent dolphins – they never abandon one another. This solidarity is tangible during an encounter with these deep divers, even as they merely meandered alongside us you could see that this was a unit with unbreakable bonds.

Despite all the difficulties that came with todays weather conditions, our team and guests all agreed that it was worth the effort. At midday, the wind unfortunately picked up making the afternoon trip impossible.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Stenella

09:30 Short-finned pilot whales