29.10.2018- Mini Ecosystem
November 16, 2018
31.10.2018 – Turbulence
November 18, 2018
The wind from the West has been quite strong this morning. Therefore, we headed to the East where the sea was a bit calmer. Some Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) passed a few miles out of Funchal. The animals have been also on the move out of the area of the agitated sea conditions.
We found six specimens going along the sides but also passing close to the bow of Stenella. It was nice to see their rounded heads breaking through the surface as the large dolphins surfed on some of the waves. Characteristic for the Pilot whales are their relatively big and rounded dorsal fins. Those can be used for the exact identification of single individuals within the overall population around Madeira. Therefore, photos of the lateral back area of the animals are valuable for scientific purposes in order to establish an identification catalogue. We contribute our images and share them with respective researchers and institutions like the Oceanic Observatory of Madeira (OOM). It is great to observe several particular animals every now and then. There is a lot we don’t know yet about those fascinating marine mammals but we are happy to gather more information day by day.
In the vicinity of the Pilot whales we also encountered of large group of Corey´s Shearwaters (Calonectris borealis). The numbers of those impressive sea birds are already way lower than in summer. Soon they will be all gone on their way to the wintering habitats in the Southern hemisphere.
by Jan-Christopher Fischer
Sightings of the day
Stenella
10:00 Short-finned pilot whales
