18.02.2020 – The dolphin effect

Dolphins aren’t known as flagship species for nothing! Their charisma and curious nature remains relatively unchallenged within the animal kingdom making them ideal ambassadors for the love and protection of our oceans. As our traditional boat set off on a wavy, wild Atlantic this afternoon, our guests braved the waves together with our crew to find these magnificent creatures. The conditions didn’t make things easy for everyone and such choppy seas aren’t everyones piece of cake. 

That all changed when we finally discovered a small but curious group of Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) who delighted everyone with their beautiful flank colours and dynamic behaviour, as they raced through the waves at our bow. As we returned to the marina we were surprised by another group of interactive Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) who also made good use of the wave-inertia at the bow of the Ribeira Brava.

The dolphins weren’t the only ones enjoying a good bowride; our younger guests were particularly intrigued by these magnificent animals and enjoyed a bumpy ride at the front of the boat while admiring the agility of the dolphins. I lovingly refer to this as the “dolphin effect” since these creatures truly never fail to capture the hearts of our guests and crew, irrelevant of the conditions we face out on the vast, unpredictable Atlantic Ocean.

By Paula Thake 

Sightings of the day

Ribeira Brava

14:30 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Short-beaked common dolphins