31.07.2021 – The pretty eye is a marvel

Today, one or the other glimpse of us was risked.

The animals of the first sighting of a group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were busy with themselves. Nevertheless, some dolphins came to our boat to look at us.

There were also onlookers at the second sighting, a kindergarten group of the Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis). Clearly this was a subgroup. Were the other animals searching for fish? The little calves, some of them still newborns, enjoyed themselves with their mothers. One of the minis kept sticking its little head out of the water. In this group, it seemed like a sport to want to get on mom’s back and slide down from there again and again. I have seen this behavior many times in Gray whales and Humpback whales. After the birth, the mother whale supports her calf with her flipper, the fluke or with her back. The calf gets used to this care and support and is not badly surprised when the mother is suddenly less impressed and simply continues to swim while the calf keeps slipping off her mother’s back.

The dolphin eye is very interesting. It can move in all directions and is protected by an eyelid. An oily substance protects it from irritation from the salt water, and the cornea is thick to withstand the enormous pressure. A metallic layer of cells, the so-called tapetum behind the retina, ensures that the dolphin’s eye glows at night, just as it does in cats. By the way, dolphins cannot distinguish colors. They are nearsighted above water, but can still see up to 15 meters.

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic Spotted dolphins

15:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic Spotted dolphins