31.03.2022 – Sharing is caring

Whale-watching is all about sharing and this is best done in the kindest way possible, for everyone involved. Our quaint little marina of Calheta only accommodates 3 whale-watching companies and we try to help each other and coordinate where we can, especially when it comes to finding animals and reducing our pressure on them during an observation.

The day was characterised by a clear absence of animals but our spotter soon localised a small, compact group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) discreetly swimming outside Jardim do Mar. The animals were already being accompanied by two whale-watching boats when we arrived, the maximum allowed for observations here in Madeira so we had to wait for our turn. As we approached we noticed two animals were repeatedly resting at the surface and these seemed to be protected by the rest of the group. We attempted two approaches and the group briefly closed in on our bow before changing direction, an evasive behaviour which prompted us to soon leave the area. Our guests enjoyed the brief sighting and fully understood our caution, in fact they were happy that we didn’t overburden the group!

Our afternoon sighting was far out of range for our traditional boat but was definitely nothing our zodiac couldn’t handle. Our spotter had scanned the western waters thoroughly and was only able to find animals in Funchal. Here a large group of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) were being observed by three boats. The density of whale-watching boats in the marina of Madeira-s capital means coordination among operators is essential to avoid accidents from happening with the animals. One boat darted towards the group too fast but the small dolphins gently moved away and still showed interest in us despite the overload of boats.

The potential stress of whale-watching on the animals is constantly on our minds and we take courage in knowing that everyone on our team is simply trying their best to behave as responsibly as possible with the animals.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins

Stenella

15:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins