07.06.2022 – Conscious Breathers

Our Stenella roared across calm seas today towards a pod of Short-finned Pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) floating calmly on the sea’s surface. Their distinct breathing wafted across the surface of the sea right into our guests’ ears. While marine mammals can breathe out underwater, they need to make sure their blowhole isn’t covered with water when they breathe in. Therefore, nature arranged it so that they are conscious breathers. Every breath is thought through. Of course, this also has an impact on their rest periods. In order to relax, one side of the brain is at rest while the other side is active and aware of what is happening in the immediate vicinity. After a while, the cerebral hemispheres alternate.

Afterwards we went to our Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), which were hunting in different groups. Various species of fish, cephalopods and invertebrates are on their menu.

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins

14:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins

Stenella

10:00 Pilot whales, Atlantic spotted dolphins