30.07.2022 – Friendly dolphins and Pilots of the sea

The morning tour started promising with Rough toothed dolphins (Steno bredanensis) and Atlantic Spotted Dolphins (Stenella frontalis). Compared to our very commonly seen Spotted dolphins, the migration pattern and distribution of rough toothed dolphins is still poorly understood.  Known is that this species can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The population we encounter here in Madeira probably travels in between the Macronesian islands of the Azores, Madeira and Cape Verden.
Their encounters are quite slow and steady, but very lovely and mostly the pods like to approach our boat and stay around.
The afternoon only got better and better and we got surprised by a small pod including mother and calf of Blainville beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) on our way to approach a rather rare species here – the Pilot Whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). They were named Pilots because it was thought each pod followed one Pilot as a leader. Even though their called whales, they are just one of the biggest members of the Dolphinidae family. Last but not least on our way back to the marina we found another group of Spotties that never cease to amaze us.

by Paulina Kalita

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Rough toothed dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins

Stenella

14:00 Blainville Beaked whales

17:00 Blainville Beaked whales, Pilot Whales, Loggerhead turtle, Atlantic spotted dolphins