11.09.2019 – One named “The one with without”
September 22, 2019
13.09.2019 – Still water and sparkling water
September 24, 2019
If you’ve been on board with us on any tour you’ve probably noticed that some of the communication amongst guide and skipper can simply happen through engine activity. This is especially true and important on our traditional boat, the Ribeira Brava, where captain and guide are separated spatially for the majority of the trip. Here, the captain has to remain at the rear to steer the boat and the guide is tending to the guests or keeping a lookout for animals further in front. So a lot of decision-making on the part of spotter and skipper is often communicated through hand signals and through the steering and acceleration of the boat. This method became immediately evident to our lovely guests on board our sunny afternoon tour today, giving them the opportunity to follow up on any updates amongst our crew.
As we cruised out of the marina of Calheta Carlos, our spotter, called our captain Filipe and informed him of a group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) further west. Filipe immediately accelerated and I instantly knew that we were anticipating a sighting. The Bottlenose dolphins were in a delightful mood, gently riding the waves of our bow and swimming calmly beside us. As the sighting came to an end, Filipe steered the boat further out at cruising speed; a clear indication that we were in search mode to patrol an area that complimented our spotters scanning of the ocean. But nothing escapes Carlos eagle eyes; Filipe soon accelerated once again and the excitement on board grew. We were on our way to see some Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) that were at least 5 nautical miles off the coast but, before we could even see a spout from the boat, the animals dove into the depths to hunt.
Upon hearing the news that the animals dove, Filipe had to make the unfortunate decision of slowly heading back and turned the boat back to start driving towards the coast. The obvious manoeuvre was met with a slight disappointment amongst our guests who were nonetheless happy to have had such a wonderful time with the Bottlenose. Then, another surprise! Out of nowhere, a curious group of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) materialised as we were heading back. They gave our guests a fine finale to an excellent trip, leaving them with some special memories and a little more know-how on whale-watching strategies. Perhaps these tactics will prove handy in future…you never know!
By Paula Thake
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
15:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins
