10.11.2022 – Powerful realities

We cannot guarantee sightings of cetaceans at sea because nature simply doesn’t work that way. We can, however, guarantee sightings of litter and debris, especially plastic. Although the regional government does its best to control the plastic tide, by participating in initiatives and projects such as Clean Atlantic, there is much work to be done to protect marine ecosystems and their magnificent inhabitants.

This morning both our boats managed a spectacular sighting with an enormous group of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) before our zodiac accidentally stumbled upon a dead Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) that had died by ingesting a steel line from fishing gear. These deaths aren’t uncommon; discarded fishing gear and long lines can often be a death sentence to sea turtles. Their reptilian brain with its terrible short term memory and the similar appearance of dangerous plastic items to their food definitely doesn’t help, and neither does their lonely life. 

We were all heartbroken from our sighting with the turtle, but encounters involving plastic aren’t reduced to these vulnerable ocean nomads. Seabirds like the Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris borealis) often nip at plastic pieces at the surface, as do cetaceans, including the mighty Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). The male sperm whale we saw today represents a larger class of animals suffering under the plastic tide, and our team has even seen these gentle giants nibbling at plastic debris at the surface.

Joy and heartbreak are emotions that are often intertwined during our tours out on the ocean and we do our best to remind our guests that both represent a very powerful reality. 

In the afternoon strong winds unfortunately made it impossible for us to go ahead with our tours.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Sperm whale

Stenella

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Sperm whale