28.11.2019 – Familiar Lineup

Both our boats enjoyed calm conditions and great visibility out at sea today, setting the perfect stage for wonderful sightings with Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). Watching the two species gently swimming alongside one another is one of the most peaceful and humbling experiences one can enjoy during our tours. The fact that their social lives and dynamics are almost entirely different does not stop these two intelligent species to associate, perhaps they even enjoy each other’s company.

Our guests were delighted at the scene although the sighting on the Stenella was additionally preceded by an encounter with some leaping Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis). As warm-water lovers, these small dolphins are now seen more rarely as the Atlantic waters begin to cool down. During winter, the dolphins migrate to the warmer waters of the tropics or the sheltered waters further south but are probably still sticking around due to an abundance of prey as we’ve also seen them hunting in the last days.

These three species definitely are a familiar lineup this year; particularly during the summer months we had several encounters with groups of all three species. Yet, no matter how often we see them, these encounters never get boring for our team. Like I said on board today; the animals still surprise us every single day.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

Stenella 

15:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales