13.09.2024 – Deep sea inhabitants

After accompanying a group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) for a while, we were able to watch some local fishermen at work. Tourists usually only see the scabbardfish on their plates when they sit down for dinner. Some people may have already seen this eel-like deep-sea fish in the supermarket or in the market hall in Funchal. Today, however, we saw him being pulled out of the sea.

The scabbardfish, also known as Trachypterus, belongs to the family Trachypteridae and is an unusual deep-sea inhabitant. These fish are particularly known for their exceptionally long and narrow body shape, reminiscent of a sword or rapier, which gives them their name. They often reach a length of 1-1.5 meters. They live at depths of up to 1600 meters. Their shiny bronze scales change color and become black. Their diet consists primarily of small fish and invertebrates, which they capture with their large, wide mouths. Despite their often frightening appearance, they are completely harmless to humans. A special feature of the scabbardfish is its unusual locomotion. Unlike many fish, it does not swim horizontally, but in an inclined or even vertical position. This behavior probably has to do with its hunting technique and adaptation to life at great depths.

At midday there were Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), Bottlenose dolphins and two well-travelled Loggerhead turtles. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are one of seven species of sea turtle.

In the evening, our guests were able to observe Blainville’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris). Fortunately for us, they were not very shy. Our Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), which are reserved when in contact with boats, showed off a few great jumps twice. This allowed everyone to admire the beauty of the animals. During the second encounter with the cute Beaked whales, a male and a female swam off into the sunset while we drove back to the harbour with happy guests.

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins

13:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins

Stenella

09:30 Bottlenose dolphins

14:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Loggerhead turtles

17:00 Blainville’s beaked whales, Striped dolphins