29.04.2026 – Pursuit of happiness

Our sightings today were simply magnificent, to say the least…and it just kept getting better. The fantastic conditions allowed our spotter to strategically place our boats with several different species today and the encounters were simply breathtaking.

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) lifted their curious heads to take a peek at us this morning and late afternoon and several hunting parties of beautiful Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis)

Large fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) broke the surface of the smooth Atlantic throughout the day and did so on the last trip with a pod of Short-beaked common dolphins leaping alongside them. The action on our last trip also lifted the mystery a little of why there were so many Fin whales around these last days…food! Of course we had assumed that, but the associative hunting helped confirm the assumption. The common dolphins were even in the company of Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) this afternoon, a shy species that only ever gets more gutsy in the presence of other interactive species. We also saw some Blainville’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) and two females of the group together with their calves surface repeatedly close to our boats in the afternoon.

The 29th of April is actually always a sad day for me. It marks the day when, five years ago, a good friend passed away at a tragically young age. He was like family, like a sweet, younger brother. It’s a little hard to be cheer me upon days like these…but the ocean always succeeds where people do not and I ended the day with a big smile on my face. Thank you Atlantic, for being my big blue teacher and source of happiness. May you earn that place in everyone’s hearts.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:00 Short-beaked common dolphins

13:00 Blainville’s beaked whales, Short-beaked common dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Fin whale, Short-beaked common dolphins

13:30 Blainville’s beaked whales, Fin whales, Short-beaked common dolphins, Striped dolphins

16:00 Blainville’s beaked whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Fin whales, Short-beaked common dolphins