09.10.2023 – “Poeira” pilots

Since days the dry Southeast wind has brought hot weather to the island along with a sandy mist made of suspended sand particles carried west from the Sahara Desert, known locally as poeira meaning “dust”. 

Sand from deserts actually work wonders for our oceans! They bring nutrients that fertilise phytoplankton at the surface, photosynthetic organisms that are the foundation of marine food webs. Phytoplankton also produce over 60% of the oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere as well as fix carbon dioxide, making them vital players in controlling climate change. The sand also helps cool down the ocean which, considering this year’s heatwaves, must be a relief for most marine life.

While the dust seems to carry several advantages for the ocean and marine life, its an absolute nightmare for our spotter who couldn’t see further that one mile off the coastline today. This means the crew at sea is practically on its own… but team work makes the dream work! We were incredibly lucky to encounter a pod of Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) in the company of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), a magnificent sighting despite the difficult conditions!

The wind continued to pick up during the afternoon tours but the pilot whales continued to appear amongst the white horses of the windy Atlantic. When moving upwind these large dolphins lift their massive heads high above the water to breathe efficiently, much to the joy of all our guests and to us guides! This allows us to make lovely photos of these important predators which will serve as pieces of proof that, despite the dust and the heat and the wind, our team prevailed!

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales 

13:30 Short-finned pilot whales

Stenella

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales 

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales

16:30 Short-finned pilot whales