30.04.2024 – Eventful

Today was an eventful day at sea. Our spotter Drumond had one sighting after another for us on the various tours. Throughout the day, Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) and Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) were spotted. One species was observed by our guests on all tours and that was the Pilot whales.

Pilot whales really are very special marine mammals. Their strong group cohesion strengthens them, but can also pose a danger to the individual animals and the entire group in the event of a stranding.

Strandings of Pilot whales are tragic events. Pilot whales are social and intelligent marine mammals that normally live in large groups. They are characterised by complex communication systems. When Pilot whales strand, it is often a sign of serious problems. There are various reasons why these marine mammals can become stranded. One important factor is human activity, such as noise pollution from shipping traffic and military exercises, which can disrupt the whales’ natural behaviour. Sometimes changes in the oceans play a role by affecting the whales’ food sources or forcing them into unfamiliar areas. Whale navigation plays a role here. Pilot whales, as a species of toothed whale, rely on their echolocation to orientate themselves in their habitat. If this ability is impaired by disturbances or other factors, they can drift off course and become stranded.

The stranding of Pilot whales is not only a danger for the animals concerned, which often ends fatally, but also a challenge for rescue teams and conservationists. These teams often work tirelessly to recover stranded whales and return them to the open sea. Unfortunately, many stranded whales do not survive the incident, whether due to injury, dehydration, overheating or other consequences of the stranding. To prevent Pilot whale strandings, which usually involve hundreds of animals, it is crucial to understand the causes and take action to protect their habitats and regulate human activities.

Five days ago, 160 pilot whales stranded in Australia. Fortunately, 130 of them were rescued.

Knowing that these wonderful marine mammals do not produce many offspring in their lifespan and that not every calf survives and that they are frequently affected by strandings, one must come to the realisation that they need to be protected. Under the following link you can sign the petitions for the protection of Pilot whales: https://www.lobosonda.com/marine-protection/

by Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, Pilot whales

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, Pilot whales

Stenella

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, Pilot whales, Common dolphins

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, Pilot whales

16:00 Pilot whales, Common dolphins, Striped dolphins