Our first sighting today was as calm as the sea. A Blainville beaked whale mother (Mesoplodon densirostris) roamed the sea with her offspring. Mother and calf swam close together. Incidentally, the marine mammal newbies often stay by the mother’s side, a little behind the dorsal fin. There, through the movement of the mother, a suction is created which the little one uses to be able to keep up with the adult animals of the group without much effort. The sea is a challenging element of life and not every newborn or calf survives. So it is understandable that the mother today was extremely reserved towards us and very protective towards her calf. After a few attempts to contact them, we left them alone.
Our second species of the day was also reserved. Both the first subgroup of Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and the second, somewhat larger group kept their distance.
Of course, we would like to always create a close, intensive encounter with the marine mammals for our guests. But the animals set the tone. We are only occasionally guests in their element and behave with due respect.
By Fatima Kutzschbach
Sightings of the day
Stenella
10:00 Blainville’s beaked whales, Striped dolphins