28.09.2018 – Heads up

Our zodiac was once again forced to head far to the east of the island due to the unfortunate absence of cetaceans in the southwest waters of the island. Our spotter directed us 3 miles of the coastline near Camara do Lobos where we were able to enjoy a sighting with a small herd of Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). Among the large animals of the herd we were able to spot some young caves, who clumsily swam alongside their larger peers lifting their little heads above the surface. Calves partially do this adorable stuff because they cannot swim as swiftly as the older animals but also do so to assess their environment at the surface.

During whale-watching tours, cetaceans often lift their heads above the water line to look around. The most obvious of such surface inspections is known as „spy-hopping“. When spy-hopping, the animal is positioned vertically in the water column and actively „hops“ at the surface while repeatedly lifting its head above the surface. The behavior is most broady documented with Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and Orcas (Orcinus orca) but has also been observed in a wide variety of cetacean species, including Short-finned pilot whales.

Although curiosity in the animals already motivates their approach and the scanning of our vessels using their bioacoustics, cetacean echolocation only works below the water surface. So if the animals are interested in anything above the surface they would need to gain some visual input. Despite their ability to see relatively well underwater, the eyeball of cetaceans has also retained excellent vision above the surface from their terrestrial ancestors. For the most part, this is possible through their highly mobile lens that has the ability to dramatically change its position accordingly.

These are moments when us guides inform our guests that we are not the only ones carrying out observations during our tours. We are also being watched, I suppose we can take that as a compliment.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:00 No sighting

13:30 No sighting

Stenella

15:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales