16.08.2017- Better together

Today was chuck-full of associations between different species of toothed whales. During the morning tours, the waters west of Calheta, revealed three different species all swimming in close proximity to one another. We saw Bottlenose dolphins swimming within a herd of curious Pilot whales, which were later joined by a large school of Atlantic spotted dolphins. I was the guide of a small group of very nice guests on the Ribeira Brava who were enthusiastically taking snapshots of the animals surrounding the boat. The guests on the Stenella were able to share this fantastic sighting with us, while we happily discussed the advantages of a female leading the whale pod 🙂

My day continued on board of our zodiac in the later afternoon and our sightings remained fantastic. This time we drove east of Calheta and encountered a large aggregation of Pilot whales, that didn’t let their socializing get interrupted by our Stenella. As we maneuvered further into the group we were able to spot large Bottlenose dolphins swimming in between the whales. The dolphins were quite interactive and jumped at the bow of the boat while our skipper, Daniel, was able to record some of the whistles made by the Pilot whales and show these to our astounded guests.

What made this trip even more special was the fact that my mother and brother were on board and had the opportunity to leave the island with yet another unforgettable experience with Lobosonda. Our guests in the evening were able to observe peaceful Beaked whales before encountering the notoriously energetic Atlantic spotted dolphin.

by Paula Thake

Todays Sightings:

Ribeira Brava

09:00 Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins

13:30 Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins

17:00 Blaineville´s beaked whales

Stenella

09:00 Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins

12:00 Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins

15:30 Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins

18:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Blaineville´s beaked whales

SaveSave