06.02.2024 – Hard lines

Despite our experience, our team always relies on a healthy portion of luck to have success during our trips out on the ocean. This means that there are indeed some days where, despite our best efforts, we return without a cetacean sighting. Unfortunately, today was one of those days.

On both trips our Stenella searched far and wide. On the second trip our spotter had even spotted a pod of Blainville’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) and a handful of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). We managed an extremely brief sighting of the Bottlenose dolphins before they vanished into the Atlantic and were not to be found again. We didn’t even to see the beaked whales although this isn’t an uncommon occurrence with these elusive marine mammals. 

A healthy approach to whale-watching is to simply take things as they come. This isn’t a popular commercial approach but we cannot expect the ocean to deliver while we continue to exploit her. Marine life isn’t there for our pleasure and the ocean commands our respect. We are grateful for the successful days at sea and humbled by the difficult days, and hope our guests share our awe for our beautiful Atlantic Ocean.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Stenella 

09:30 No cetacean sighting

13:30 No cetacean sighting