The herd of young Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) we encountered 4 nautical miles off the coast of Calheta seemed to enjoy every minute of the high Atlantic swell today. While some animals gently rode the waves of our bow, others shot to and fro, skimming the surface of the water with their torpedo like bodies. Dolphins enjoy the acceleration they experience within a high swell and often adapt their speed to that of our vessels to enjoy the waves induced at our bow. There were several young calves within the pod, that circled our vessel curiously and some mating behavior could also be observed. As the wind picked up, our captain gently turned our vessel to the coast and we returned to the marina…with a couple of inevitable Atlantic showers.
By Paula Thake
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
10:00 Short-beaked common dolphin
