17.08.2026 – Surprises

Today, after a long time, I had the pleasure of leading two tours again on our beautiful traditional boat, the Ribeira Brava. I must confess, I was a little nervous. 

And who did we encounter on the sea? My favourite dolphins, the rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis). What a wonderful surprise! They showed themselves off in all their glory, at the bow, swimming in sync, with their white lips and those inquisitive eyes. They were watching us too. “Human watching,” as one young guest so aptly put it. 

There was another surprise for me: a family who had already gone out to sea with me and our senior captain, Senhor Luis, 16 years ago. Was that coincidence or fate? Certainly a lovely surprise. Besides my favourite dolphins, I was also particularly delighted by our young guests, who had so many interesting questions. 

Isn’t it wonderful to be surprised like that?

by Claudia Gomes