28.10.2023 – A Spectacular Day in the Marine Realm: Bottlenose Dolphins, Loggerhead Turtle, Sperm Whales, and Blainville’s Beaked Whales
November 4, 2023
31.10.2023 – Spooky 6 meter jumps
November 7, 2023
At the moment we are enjoying every encounter with the Cory’s shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea). Some have already set off on their winter journey, but there are still a few stragglers. These cute birds are a great support for our spotters. If they are very active pacing in the air then this may be an indication that dolphins are hunting. They drive the fish upwards to have one less direction to control. Cory’s shearwaters let the dolphins do the work and then help themselves to the fish buffet. They belong to the so-called tube noses. On its beak sits a desalination system, two tubes that filter out the salt from the seawater. An extremely practical facility when traveling on long-haul flights across the ocean. So it is time to say our Good Bye’s to them, until next spring.
Afterwards we went towards Capo Girao, into the washing machine waves, to observe Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Short-finned Pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus).
On the midday tour, the waves of washing machines had worked their way to Calheta. Luckily we found Bottlenose dolphins and a monk seal right in front of the harbor. Afterwards there was time along the coast to observe the power of the waves from a safe distance.
In the evening we saw Bottlenose dolphins in front of the harbor and Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) far out between the swell and the high waves.
By Fatima Kutzschbach
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
09:30 Bottlenose dolphins
13:30 Bottlenose dolphins
Stenella
09:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Pilot whales
13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Monk seal
16:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins
