Both our boats ventured out onto a windy ocean at midday and a beautiful sighting awaited us. A pod of Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) was busy hunting Halfbeaks (Belone belone) just 4 nautical miles outside Calheta. These gorgeous dolphins are easy on the eyes to say the least, their gorgeous hour glass pattern makes them easy to identify at sea and these hunts are a beautiful demonstration of how agile, intelligent and coordinated these dolphins are as a group. Moreover, the pod even contained at least one young calf and probably the hunt served as a lesson for the little one.
While the rough seas further offshore would have been difficult for our traditional boat, our zodiac managed a further sighting with Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and a Bryde´s whale (Balaenoptera edeni). In the meantime, the guests aboard our traditional boat enjoyed a lovely cruise along the coastline that contained its own fair share of eye candy. It was a beautiful afternoon and our team was happy to share it with such lovely guests!
By Paula Thake
Sightings of the day
Ribeira Brava
13:30 Short-beaked common dolphins
Stenella
13:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bryde’s whale, Short-beaked common dolphins