The Gathering

„The whole world is singing…we’ve just stopped listening“ Dr. Christopher W. Clark, Cornell Bioacoustics Lab

Working as a whale-watching guide is truly inspiring; it is a fantastic job  brimming with encounters involving magnificent animals thriving in their natural environment. This hot, sunny afternoon in the month of August began like several others this summer. We sped out on our speedboat Stenella in search of cetaceans and were soon welcomed with an interactive pod of dolphins by the generous Atlantic ocean. So we were already positively hyped before the highlight of the day and, quite honestly, my summer occurred.

We were informed of a small group of Sperm whales off the coast west of Calheta between Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar by our spotter so, naturally, we hastened off to the sighting. The group of cetaceans was very dispersed at first with two impressively large animals rafting at the surface and occasionally engaging in some shallow dives. As one animal raised its fluke to descend into the depths to hunt, we spotted a rather compact herd of females and several calves nearby. The young animals tend to be very inquisitive and often approach our boats before the rest of the pod follow suit. This is what happened on this very day and offered us a sighting that I will remember for many years to come. Additionally, this gathering of gentle giants near our boat was captured underwater by the onboard skipper of our zodiac, allowing us to witness it from a completely different perspective.

The smallest calf was the first to approach the Stenella and was cautiously pursued by the rest of the group before the animals began unanimously spy-hopping and barrel-rolling at the waters surface as they inspected us. In the midst of this peaceful interaction, our guests suddenly exclaimed and pointed at a larger female advancing from the depths near the bow of the vessel. The animal was at least 12m in length and was probably one of the two deep-diving individuals we had encountered at the beginning of the sighting. The group then remained mingling near us for some time before they continued their journey into the big blue.

While this incredible congregation was being observed by everyone on board, our skipper recorded the entire spectacle underwater and showed it to everyone on board right after the sighting. The first and most obvious difference between a sighting below to one above the surface, is that the full physique of the animals can be appreciated. The second major difference is sound. Our boats are generally silent during a sighting, particularly during one involving animals as giant as Sperm whales. This allows the cetaceans to peacefully approach us but is also a manifestation of the awe and fascination on the part of our guests. Underwater the situation is very different. Sperm whales, like all toothed whales, exist in social structures and rely on a variety of vocalizations for communication, group coordination, hunting and echolocation. The large predators use the sonar produced in their bulky heads to communicate with one another in a series of clicks that have been recently compared to our morse code. These vary according to individual pods indicating that the species displays culture and that the animals are capable of social learning. It was jaw-dropping to watch the animals socialize underwater and how resonant such interactions truly are.

Unfortunately, such gatherings were often used against the kind nature of the animals during the whaling era which lasted until the EU ban of commercial whaling implemented in 1982. Calves often remain at the surface while the larger females dive to hunt. During their wait at the surface they often swam towards their lurking killers out of sheer curiosity. The close bonds within the social unit motivated the rest of the animals to join the youngsters near the whaling vessels, resulting in the unfortunate demise of the entire herd. This sighting was not only a manifestation of the strong bonds among these enormous animals, it is also a stark reminder of how lucky we are to be able to encounter them in the wild today.

A video of this event is included in Lobosonda’s Underwatersounds series and can be viewed on our social media sites (Facebook and Instagram). I encourage you to take a peek and remember: the natural environment is filled with a variety of songs and sounds, sometimes we just have to stop and listen.

Your guide Paula Thake