07.09.2026 – Measurements in meters
September 15, 2026
Today was my first day bak on the ocean after a long break, and we were lucky to be greeted by one of my personal favourites; the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis). I am definitely not the only whale-watcher and biologist who is fond of these charismatic dolphins – spotted dolphins have a reputation for being extremely interactive and this makes them excellent study subjects for biologists as well as wonderful cetaceans to admire at sea. Their characteristic spot pattern makes them very easy to identify at sea and allows even first time observers to distinguish different age classes, granting some insight into their social lives. This mornings pod was fairly large granting us a palette of spot patterns and age classes, including tiny calves clumsily swimming alongside their mothers.
Like us, spotted dolphins establish friendships and, naturally, these can change as the animals mature. These friendships form the basis for the ever-changing group structure that characterises these dolphins as incredibly flexible creatures. This social structure is known as a fission-fusion society and was first discovered and intensively studied in Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), a species we saw during our afternoon tours along with several dispersed pods of spotted dolphins. Between these sightings we had a lovely encounter with Rough-toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis), a species associated with oceanic islands and of which we know very little about. What we do know about these dolphins, is that they also apply a fission fusion structure but that, within these ever-changing complex entities, the animals nurture extremely close relationships to one another and this is often evident during a sighting. The animals swim in line with their peers, maintaining body contact using their flippers – a behaviour that is a clear manifestation of close relationships amongst individuals.
So today we went from a palette of spot patterns to a palette of social patterns, proof of what complex creatures dolphins are. How wonderful it is to be back!
By Paula Thake
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
09:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins
13:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Rough-toothed dolphins
Steno
09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins
13:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Rough-toothed dolphins
