12.03.2026 – A sleepyhead in our marina
March 19, 2026
We have had so many Friday the 13ths in these last year and the superstitions are split into those associating the day with luck and those associating it with bad luck.
Despite some incoming wind I’d say we had quite the lucky day out on the ocean, with long searches always ending with a sighting of dolphins. Today we encountered a few dispersed, small groups of Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) as well as a pod of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).
While these two species vary in their site fidelity as well as morphology and ecology, they do share one thing in common; they are two of the most well-known dolphins to mankind. The Bottlenose dolphin has a reputation of being the best studied while the common dolphin goes down as being the first described species, with records and documentations going as far back as times where the Minoan civilisation thrived.
Another trait both these species share is the fact that they inhabit a changing ocean. While prey availability forces bottlenose dolphins to resort to depredation, common dolphin populations, such as the one in the Mediterranean, are facing a critical decline. Climate change will change residential patterns for coastal ecotype bottlenose dolphins while common dolphins may generally avoid warmer waters and have trouble finding their usual prey. Common dolphins still end up as bycatch in supertrawler nets and bottlenose dolphins remain the species that has the most contact with maritime traffic due to its preference for coastal waters.
Considering these threats, it’s fair to deem this Friday the 13th as another lucky day out on the ocean where we are able to see these lovely animals despite the plights they face. As my colleague Fatima mentioned, it does help to see the glass as half full rather than empty.
By Paula Thake
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
09:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins
13:00 Short-beaked common dolphins
Stenella
09:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins
13:30 Short-beaked common dolphins
