29.08.2020 – Benevolent spirits

It’s amazing how cetaceans emerge out of nowhere during a sighting, like benevolent phantoms of the Atlantic. During our snorkelling tours we often hear the Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) in the water long before we actually see them. Then, like magic, they materialise out of the blue and gleefully glide alongside our snorkelers, inspecting each one of us carefully before disappearing again. Soon, the spotted were moving too fast for our snorkelers and our spotter advised us to continue with another, larger group of dolphins further out at sea. The dolphins we met four miles out were Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba); shy, beautiful creatures that unanimously appeared as white splashes at the surface before leaping off and flashing their unique flank patterns.

The wind picked up this afternoon making the crews search for cetaceans at sea a little harder. Before we left the marina, a large light-blue flash below the surface caught the eagle eyes of our spotter and he carefully followed it until our zodiac arrived at the scene. The shining shadow below the surface belonged to a large Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) female who was diving alongside her peers and discretely travelling upwind. The almost ghostly white dorsal side of the animal as well as its size gave the impression that this could well be one of the older animals of the group. As she drifted alongside our Stenella, the younger darker-coloured animals stayed close by, following her everywhere she went. We remained with the pilot whales for a while before leaving them to search the less choppy waters in the west, hoping the Atlantic would surprise us with some more magic. In the end, we didn’t manage another sighting but were pleased to return to the marina with satisfied guests after such a close and delightful encounter with these gentle giants.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Stenella

9:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins (Snorkeling), Striped dolphins

15:00 Short-finned pilot whales