21.07.2020 – Appreciation

Our oceans are full of wonderful surprises and the Lobosonda team has the pleasure of sharing these with our guests almost every single day. Today our crew managed to track down a large group of Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) as well as some Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) gleefully relaxing at the surface. During all sightings we observed a lot of social behaviour at the surface. As the spotted leapt and breached near our zodiac, we saw some animals barrel roll near each other at the surface, their white bellies flashing light blue beneath the blue Atlantic. The pilots were enjoying their usual rest between dives with most of the animals drifting rather motionless at the surface while some small calves splashed and frolicked amongst their older peers. Cetaceans are generally extremely social beings but we don’t always have sightings where so much activity can be observed, so these moments are just as special for our crew as they are for our guests.

We finished our tour with a group of Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in front of Calheta that were speeding eastward and gave our guests only a brief glimpse of their powerful and dynamic nature. Even the shortest sightings are a blessing on the ocean nowadays, especially considering the high level of noise, chemical pollution and exploitation that occurs on a daily level. We are truly lucky to still enjoy such encounters at sea and can be humbled by the curiosity such intelligent creatures show in us. The day was concluded with a sunset tour aboard the Stenella and a playful group of Atlantic spotted dolphins. It’s hard not to appreciate such beautiful days on the ocean!

By Paula Thake

Sightings of the day

Stenella

10:00 Atlantic spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Short-finned pilot whales