04.09.2022 – Blue Office – Red Cove

A gorgeous Sunday morning with great sightings awaited us in our blue office today. We first encountered our coastal Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Although they were traveling in a small group of four, they kept close to the boat. We then drove further out to admire the great leaps of the Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis). About a half a mile to the west, a large fishing net was floating in the sea. These ghost nets are a major problem for marine life. They are carried through the sea by the ocean current and carry the risk of animals getting caught in them. Unfortunately, the net was way too big to pull on board.

On the way to the marina, we met a Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus). They behaved somewhat reservedly.

Since we had such a nice contact with the Bottlenose dolphins today, I would like to point you to our petition page. Please sign the petition against the brutal slaughter of marine mammals in Taiji Bay, Japan, which happens every year from September to May. This affects Bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales, Risso’s dolphins, striped dolphins and sometimes Atlantic spotted dolphins. Photos of a blood-red bay are not a thing of the past. It can happen at this moment.

Ric O’Barry, a trainer of the first “Flipper” dolphins, came to the conclusion during his career that dolphins do not belong in delphiniums. Today he is strongly against the imprisonment and against what is happening in Taiji. At the moment, we also have a list of petitions in our shop that supports his honorable work. Ric O’Barry risked his life to film the 2010 Oscar-winning documentary The Cove. Definitely not a documentary for the faint of heart, but very informative.

Here you will find petitions on our Website:

https://www.lobosonda.com/whale-watching/marine-protection/

Documentary “The cove”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L466OlsT-gY

In the afternoon we were able to observe the wondrous, pretty Risso’s dolphins. This time, too, they were distributed over a large area in various subgroups. While the Ribeira Brava floated relaxed in the Atlantic, the animals socialized with each other in small groups. Risso’s dolphins change color throughout their lives. They have a brown-beige body color as calves, turning dark gray as they reach adulthood and then white as they age. Today we could clearly see that the groups consisted of animals in different age groups.

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Risso dolphins

15:00 Risso dolphins

Stenella

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins, Risso dolphins, Loggerhead turtle, Fying fish

14:00 Bottlenose dolphins

17:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins