08.03.2023 – Together
March 13, 2023
10.03.2023 – Beyond luck
March 17, 2023
The dispersed groups of cetaceans sure had our team darting from one area to the next like a ping pong! After meeting a small, compact pod of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) our Stenella darted to and fro to find a small group of Baleen whales (Balenopteridae) that were repeatedly diving close to the shore. After they dove again, our spotter saw a pod of Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) briefly resting at the surface in between their deep dives. He managed to make out a little calf within the pod, heightening the chances of one of the adults returning to the surface soon. We decided it made more sense to try our luck with the Sperm whales since the baleen whales would dive as soon as we were within 300m of where they were foraging.
Surely enough, the family of Sperm whales surfaced to rest at the surface. It was a brilliant sighting of at least 7 different individuals, with one adult even breaching high into the air not far from the boat. We hasn’t seen the species in at least 4 months and were just as thrilled as our guests to finally have them in our waters again. Sperm whales simply always deliver an absolute spectacle!
By Paula Thake
Sightings of the day
16:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Sperm whales
