30.04.2022 – Best prepared
May 8, 2022
03.05.2022 – Big brother
May 11, 2022
What a fantastic day! The small group of snorkelers braved the cloudy, frisky morning with our crew to find a group of Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) to snorkel with….and the Atlantic delivered! An enormous group of common dolphins suddenly appeared just 2 nautical miles in front of Calheta and the several subgroups enabled us to manage some incredibly close encounters with the animals without remaining with the same dolphins throughout the activity. This didn’t only minimise the impact we had on the observed animals, it also maximised the enjoyment of the experience for our guests and for me as a guide!
After this magnificent start to the day, our team set off for another tour on board our zodiac and met another group of common dolphins as well as a smaller, more compact group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Both species prefer the coastal waters here around Madeira and this puts them into frequent contact with boats of all sizes. This is one of the many reasons why special care and minimal intrusion is key to communicating the importance of protecting these species. We don’t want to be another disturbance for the animals; our objective is to demonstrate what beautiful rewards await those who give the natural environment the respect it undeniably deserves.
By Paula Thake
Sightings of the day
Stenella
09:30 Short-beaked common dolphins
15:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins
