30.06.2023 – Followers

Despite what you may think, dolphins and whales also have followers. Not the kind you find on social media (although many attractive sites dedicated to them do have a significant amount). Here we mean followers in the literal sense of the word and the reason behind it is one of the number 1 priorities in the ocean: food. 

Dolphins are incredibly coordinated predators and often are the ones kickstarting a feeding situation. They take care of all the dirty work and pursue the fish, launching strategic attacks until their prey is cowering at the surface in a tight ball. Then the rest of the predator armada arrives; birds, sharks, whales and predatory fish all are species that often associate with dolphins in hunting situations. 

For our team marine birds like the Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris borealis) are especially important since they specifically follow dolphins, whales and tuna to gain hunting advantages. We had Cory’s shearwaters, Bulwer’s petrels (Bulweria bulwerii), Yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) and even a Great shearwater (Ardenna gravis) following the cetaceans today to feed. 

Our team saw the birds around the observation areas with Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) and Sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) but no species boasts as many bird followers as the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) whose hunting gatherings were at the centre of all the action today. Spotted dolphins are a convenient species to follow since they often hunt at the surface and do so in large groups, making them fairly easy to spot for the birds. The birds then mark the sighting for us whale-watchers and we have the pleasure of watching these fantastic cetaceans in action in their natural habitat.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins

Stenella 

09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Striped dolphins

13:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins

16:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Sei whales