16.08.2025 – Bonus experiences

Today was a tricky day. With a calm see and few clouds, the conditions were ideal to spot animals. However, this is no good if we have none around. The Ribeira Brava started the day with no sightings and on the Stenella we found a very small group of shy Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus) that we didn’t say with for long. During such trips we always try to put an extra effort into finding ocean inhabitants of the non-cetacean variety to still inspire admiration for the sea. The Ribeira Brava team found a Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and Daniel picked the exoskeleton of a crab from the marina wall to show the guests.

During the afternoon, we were lucky enough to have a group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) passing by. Everyone was very excited to observe these dolphins and one animal even showed off with a neat leap right next to the boat. The last Stenella trip of the day also included a rare sighting of five Cuvier’s beaked whales far out at sea. With dolphins and whales, definitely the luckiest trip of the day. On our way, we also collected some rubbish floating on the surface. Whilst it saddens us to see rubbish polluting our   oceans, this time it resulted in the opportunity to observe some animals that make use of it. Daniel gave everyone the Trigger fish 101 which is another one of our little bonus experiences.

By Hannah Carstens

Sightings of the Day

Ribeira Brava

09:00 No sightings

13:00 Bottlenose dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Risso’s dolphins

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins

16:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Cuvier’s beaked whales