17.07.2026 – Whales are similar, yet different
July 23, 2026
The conditions at sea today were great. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were traveling near Calheta in large numbers. A newborn was spotted in the group next to his mom. We can distinguish light vertical stripes called “fetal folds” from their time in the womb.
Later on, we encountered Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus). These amazing dolphins are dark grey when they are young. When they get older, they turn light gray and become more white. Adult Risso’s have a large amount of scars on their body that give them this white coloring. They get these scars from teeth raking between dolphins, as well as circular markings from prey (e.g., squid) and cookie-cutter sharks. These cetaceans prefer deeper waters, out in the open ocean and can dive up to 300-500 m and hold their breath for 30 minutes.
This sighting was even more special as they were my first Risso’s dolphins !
By Juliette Colançon
Sightings of the day
Ribeira brava
09:00 Bottlenose dolphins
13:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Bryde’s whale
Steno
09:30 Bottlenose dolphins
13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Bryde’s whale, Risso’s dolphins
16:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Sperm whales
