08.03.2022 – Mother ocean
March 16, 2022
12.03.2022 – Whipped ocean
March 19, 2022
Seeking refuge near an oceanic island from the often perilous open ocean, where vulnerable animals are completely exposed to potential predators and food is a hard thing to come by, is an understandable motive. Some animals seek shelter, others seek prey, the diversity of marine life in Madeira is a collection of species who come to the islands waters for several reasons.
Food is always one of the main factors affecting distribution and while the opportunistic Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) seemingly find prey in the waters around the archipelago all year round, seasonal visitors like the Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) prefer what’s on offer at specific times of the year. We met a school of common dolphins hunting after encountering Bottlenose dolphins closer to the coastline this morning.
The common dolphins were dispersed in several hunting parties that were all gorging on Halfbeaks (Belone belone), an abundant fish species during the winter, and doing so in the presence of several Cory’s shearwaters (Calonectris borealis), some Manx shearwaters (Puffinus p. puffinus), a handful of Yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) and a Northern gannet (Morus bassanus). Birds are normally associated with feeding situations to gain hunting advantages but sometimes also another cetacean species becomes aware of the commotion and joins the hunting party.
Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), another small species of dolphin that visits Madeira and is very abundant during the summer, joined a group of common dolphins in the pursuit of the terrified Halfbeaks while the birds shot into the water from the sky. Such an aggregation of species happens because of a mutual attraction to a common resource and good coordination amongst the predators can have advantageous results for all participants….and their spectators! What a magnificent morning!
By Paula Thake
Sightings of the day
Stenella
10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins
