15.04.2026 – Whoosch
April 22, 2026
More Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus)! It’s truly unbelievable what’s happening just off the doorstep of Calheta right now. While spotting even a single one is usually considered lucky, our guests are currently encountering multiple individuals on a single trip—and they’ve been staying in the area for an unusually long time. And let’s not forget our winter visitors, the short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), adding even more excitement to these incredible sightings.
Fin whales are the only whales with a striking asymmetrically colored jaw, featuring a dark left side and a pale right. They use this lighter side to help herd prey into tight “bait balls,” making their feeding strategy more efficient during powerful lunge-feeding bursts. When they open their enormous mouths, this adaptation may help confuse prey and maximize each high-energy feeding attempt. This isn’t just cosmetic—the asymmetry extends through the skull and baleen plates, making it one of the most extreme examples of left–right difference in any large vertebrate.
By Eva Köhle
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
09:00 Fin whale, Short-beaked common dolphin
13:00 Fin whale, Short-beaked common dolphin
Stenella
09:30 Fin whale, Short-beaked common dolphin
13:30 Fin whale, Short-beaked common dolphin
16:00 Fin whale, Short-beaked common dolphin
