27.06.2025 – Ocean safari

Today can only be described as ocean safari. We had so many different animals today. It started this morning with some Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) which were hunting flying fish (Cheilopogon melanurus) next to the beach of Madalena do Mar. Bottlenose dolphins are the dolphin species which closest comes to the shore , but today they were literally 10m from land. The safari continued with a rare sighting of a Hammerhead shark (Sphyrna spec.). Sharks around Madeira are very shy and do not approach boats or the shore. After this we could appreciate two other dolphin species, the Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) and the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis).

The second trip did not add a new species to the list, but we could appreciate the cuteness of a newly born Atlantic spotted dolphin. It was swimming next to the mother and jumping regularly out of the water.

The last trip was another exiting one, as we went almost 10nm out to the open ocean. From that distance we could appreciate the beauty of the island of Madeira. Apart from the Spotted and Bottlenose dolphins, on our way back we encountered a large Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). This turtle is the most common we can see around Madeira as in Summer they pass by here to hunt, but as there are no beaches here, they can’t nest.

Apart from all these animals Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris borealis) and Bulwer’s petrel (Bulweria bulwerii) were our constant companions on our trips over the vast Atlantic Ocean.

By Horst Schulte

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:00 Bottlenose dolphin, Striped dolphin

Stenella

09:30 Bottlenose dolphin, Striped dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin, Hammerhead shark, Flying fish

13:30 Bottlenose dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin, Flying fish

16:00 Bottlenose dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin, Loggerhead sea turtle, Flying fish