29.07.2021 – Attention

A large group of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) was encountered during the trips on board both our trips today. These small, curious dolphins belong to the favourite encounters of both our team and guests. Their inquisitive and playful nature makes them surprisingly easy to observe in the wild, in contrast to other innately timid cetaceans, together with the fact that they occur in enormous groups that may consist of over 200 animals!

Forming big pods isn’t a rarity in cetaceans, particularly in smaller species of dolphins. In larger pods, several subgroups of animals come together and find safety as well as foraging and reproductive advantages. This means that the animals often behave more confidently around boats in larger groups, often putting a number of social interactions on open display just as they did today. They also, however, attract a lot of attention. When big pods of dolphins hunt, they often find themselves in the company of other oceanic predators competing for the same prey, such as sharks or tuna. While such marvellous feeding situations help contribute to the balance in our oceans, they can also be a perilous situation for vulnerable animals in the pod such as calves or sick animals, who are suddenly surrounded by potential predators. Large pods also attract more attention from whale-watching or fishing vessels, who hope to gain advantages by pursuing the animals and may create a stressful situation for the animals by not acting responsibly.

So, despite the interactive nature of the spotted dolphins, we must remember that they too are can fall victim to badly managed situations at sea and this is why our team does its best to reduce its impact on their behaviour during encounters.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins

15:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Loggerhead turtle