25.06.2024 – Don’t You Forget About Me

I used to work in Iceland (a fact that my fellow staff members must be getting sick of, considering how much is mentioned). While in Iceland, an animal struck a chord with me. It wasn’t the playful Humpback (Megaptera novelangliae), the sneaky Minkes (Balenoptera acutorostrata), or the cryptic Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), but the beautiful and often overlooked Northern Fulmar (Procellaria glacialis).

I feel the same on many tours in Madeira. Despite glourious sightings today, including a Sperm Whale (Phyester macrocephalus), Spotted Dolphins (Stenella frontalis), Rough-toothed Dolphins (Steno bredanensis), and Blainville’s Beaked Whales (Mesoplodon densirostris), I can’t help but feel the true star of the show was our Corys Shearwaters (Calonectris borealis). For guiding us to every location, for providing entertainment when the animals are down, and for giving their commentary on the quality of the fish that our Madeiran Ceteceans are hunting. So as much as the big guys impress during our tours, it’s important not to forget the Shearwaters.

By Peter Worth

Sightings of The Day

Stenella

09:30 Rough-toothed dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Blainville’s beaked whales

16:00 Sperm whale, Atlantic spotted dolphins

Ribeira Brava

09:30 Rough-toothed dolphins, Atlantic spotted dolphins

13:30 Bottlenose dolphins, Blainville’s beaked whales