11.04.2026 – Salt crust
April 18, 2026
What a day – Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) were just piling up, just 3 miles from the coast of Calheta. We encountered around four of them. Our guest also saw a Sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis), Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Striped Dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), and Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis).
On their migration northwards, where they fill their bellies in the summer feeding grounds, these giants regularly pass by Madeira. When conditions are right and there is a particularly abundant supply of food, it can happen that several individuals gather in a relatively small area at the same time. Such gatherings are not unusual – especially after strong winds, as we saw last week. These winds cause greater mixing of the water, bringing nutrient-rich deep water to the surface. This stimulates the growth of phytoplankton, which in turn forms the basis for an increased abundance of fish.
Most of the time, however, fin whales travel alone. As long-distance migratory filter-feeders, they do not follow a fixed pod but are guided mainly by the availability of food. As their prey is usually unevenly distributed across the ocean, it is worthwhile for them to search large areas on their own – encounters with other fin whales therefore usually only occur where the food supply is particularly high.
By Eva Köhle
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
09:00 Fin whale, Short-beaked common dolphin
13:00 Fin whale, Bottlenose dolphin
Stenella
09:30 Fin whale, Short-beaked common dolphin
13:30 Fin whale, Sei whale, Bottlenose Dolphin
16:00 Fin whale, Short-beaked common dolphin, Bottlenose Dolphin, Striped Dolphins, Loggerhead Turtle
