06.10.2022 – Bittersweet smiles

Few animals makes people smile the way cetaceans do. Every time they appear, they magically make everyone who is lucky enough to encounter them smile, irrespective of size, behaviour or species. The same goes for our team; it doesn’t matter how often we see them, it simply never gets old and we appreciate every moment with these magnificent, intelligent creatures.

Our summer guide Paulina went into the Atlantic Ocean with a bittersweet feeling during this morning snorkelling trip, since it would be her last underwater encounter with Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) before she leaves Madeira. Our spotter managed to find a wonderful group of dolphins and the animals delivered a spectacular sighting that left Paulina and our snorkelling guests delighted. The group was so enormous that our traditional boat also managed an encounter with them as well as with a pod of shy Blainville’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris).

In the afternoon the spotted dolphins earned a few more fans aboard our vessels in the waters in front of Ribeira Brava and our Stenella even managed a sighting with a few Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) before speeding back into the marina.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Blainville’s beaked whales

14:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins (Snorkeling)

15:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins