15.03.2019 – Clear skies

With our zodiac on drydock since this morning, the scorching sun and calm seas meant conditions were perfect for a leisurable trip aboard our traditional boat, the Ribeira Brava. The Atlantic also revealed a couple of its little treasures for our guests this afternoon. Apart from enjoying a rather long sighting with a swift-moving group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), our guests also managed to see a small Portuguese Man O’ War (Physalis physalis) along with one of its potential predators, a young basking Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta).

Recent research has shown that Loggerheads generally prefer clear skies to forage and bask at the surface. Turtles have good eyesight underwater and the more light is available for them to see during their hunts below the surface, the better. Moreover, clear skies and cam conditions enables the reptiles to warm up properly and regain their strengths before resuming their underwater journey.

While sightings with turtles tend to increase with clear skies and calm seas, sightings with the Portuguese Man O’Wars are largely seasonal and usually coincide with the high swell generated by the winter storms raging across the Atlantic. The siphonophores hardly have a choice since they are completely subject to changing currents and winds often leading to the mass strandings of these cnidarians.

In contrast, sightings with Bottlenose dolphins can be expected all-year round, with the nature of these sightings being entirely unpredictable. As opportunists, the cetaceans tend to come and go as they please so the encountered schools are ever-changing.

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

14:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Loggerhead turtle