29.12.2023 – Colour on a cloudy day

Today’s overcast sky and impending rain showers didn’t make the Atlantic Ocean look any less inviting for our guests and team. Thankfully the wind from the last few days had subsided a little, making the finding of cetaceans a little easier for our crew. The grey waters soon gave way to colourful pallet of our seasonal dolphins. First, we met a pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) that consisted of animals of different age groups, allowing our guests to recognise the difference in spotting grading according to age. Next up was a larger pod of Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), beautiful seasonal visitors that have begun to arrive in our waters at this time of the year to feed on the abundant planktivorous fish.

The day continued with clearer skies but more wind, this time from the west. This made our trip to the colourful common dolphins in the afternoon easier than our return trip to Calheta, where we tried to track down a pod of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) that were foraging close to the aquaculture. In contrast to the curious common dolphins, the Bottlenose showed only as brief interest in our boat and gifted us with a short approach before disappearing in the windy waters.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins