06.08.2024 – The best job in the world

What do you think about a job where you spend up to 8 hours a day in the sun, exposed to constant heat, motion of the sea, while trying to keep a maximum of 16 people happy (while keeping them and yourself from getting seasick)? Doesn’t sound marvellous to you? Well actually it is, this is our job as guides and captains of whale watching boats in summer. 

I admit, there’s very exhausting trips and days. It’s not only about the heat and motion, we are mostly used to it. It is also the constant staring at the horizon in search of animals, always trying to make the best of every single trip. We know, for our guests this is a very special experience, eventually filled with lots of expectations. It is also some extra office hours, submitting photos for our guests and research institutions, repeating safety briefings again and again. Our days in summer are often longer than 10 hours. And still, I fully agree with one of my today’s guests who turned to me with a big smile on her face and said “You have the best job in the world!“ – “Absolutely, yes I do”. This was after seeing a beautiful group of Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus) – Even according to our experienced skipper Pedro, one of the best sightings of this species ever. We experience wonderful moments every day: stunning views onto the ocean and the island, a slight breeze around us, the surprising encounters of all different animals out in the Blue. Only today we found, besides Risso’s dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis), countless seabirds and even flying fish (Cheilopogon melanurus)! Another part of making our jobs the best in the world is to share this all with our regardful and curious guests. Today, I was even able to take one of my oldest friends to work! Marvellous indeed! 

By Sarah Kather

Sightings of the day

Click on each sighting to access the photo gallery of the correspondent trip

Ribeira Brava

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins

13:30 Risso’s dolphins

17:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins

14:00 Risso’s dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins

17:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, Rough-toothed dolphins