Our Atlantic spotted dolphins are scientifically named Stenella frontalis. In fact, in the genus of Stenella‘s dolphins, which are found in warm waters worldwide, there are five different types of dolphins: Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) – Clymene Dolphin (Stenella clymene) – Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) – Pantropical Spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) – Atlantic Spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis).
Two of these great five are found off the coast of Madeira: Atlantic Spotted dolphins and Striped dolphins! These two were seen today in the moving waves at noon. And because Stenella’s are fast as the wind and our speedboat as well as it also bears this name.
The Striped dolphins’s scientific name is composed as follows: coeruleus means sky-blue and alba means white. That’s why this jump loving dolphin is also known as the Blue-White Dolphin.
And who wants to protect these beautiful Striped dolphins can make his contribution in signing the petition (Whale Watching/marine protection) against Taiji/Japan.
By Fatima Kutzschbach
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
13:30 Atlantic Spotted dolphins
17:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins
Stenella
09:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins
12:00 Atlantic Spotted dolphins, Striped dolphins
15:30 Atlantic Spotted dolphins