14.04.2022 – Dolphin Day

The 14th of April is International Dolphin day, a day dedicated to educating the public on the importance of dolphins in our oceans and communicating the urgency of protecting them. When hearing the word dolphin, the grey, friendly face of the Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) tends to materialise in people’s minds but the actual dolphin family (Delphinidae) is incredibly diverse. From the enormous, intelligent Orcas (Orcinus orca) up to the colourful Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), this family simply bursts with variety!

The family was wonderfully represented by several groups of Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) out on the Atlantic today, a very fitting species for the job given that these dolphins are one of the first described and best known of the entire family. Records of common dolphin sightings date back to ancient Greek and Roman civilisations, where they decorate various art pieces and are the subject of wonderful stories. They are highly social dolphins that are particularly fond of Madeira during the winter months, when upwelling processes transport nutrients from the deep up to the surface, fertilising the plankton in the upper layers of the water column. The plankton then feeds small shoals of planktivorous fish, the preferred prey of these dolphins, and hunting situations involving the common dolphins are a typical sighting at this time of the year.

We saw several small groups of common dolphins today, all dispersed across the southwestern waters. Including the commons, a total of nine species of oceanic dolphins regularly visit Madeira and a few others also show up on rare occasions. All nurture their own unique relationship with the regions waters. We see dolphins so frequently here in Madeira that you can almost say, that here around the archipelago every day is dolphin day.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Short-beaked common dolphins

14:30 Short-beaked common dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Short-beaked common dolphins

13:30 Short-beaked common dolphins

16:00 Short-beaked common dolphins