31.10.2020 – Why not?

On this sunny and hot Saturday we had two very different experiences with two different species of marine mammals. The Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) clearly showed that there was no interest in interacting with us. But a subgroup of the Short-finned Pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), consisting of young animals, was very curious. There was no hesitation in exploring us. Of course we like that.

Madeira and the Azores have a history of whaling. But this is long in the past. Where the “Vigia”/ spotter used to look out for Sperm whales, which were then hunted, today he is also responsible for finding the animals. But now the discovered animals are admired by tourists. This developed into an economic sector that benefits tourism and enables people to encounter whales and dolphins in their natural habitat. Here it is always important to do a responsible whale watching! Madeira and the Azores have rethought, times have developed for the better for the oceanic fauna and it is also beneficial for the islands’ financial situation.

The Faeroe Islands, like Japan, are beautifully landscaped. It could be exciting vacation destinations. One could also make use of the treasure in the sea there in a peaceful, positive way. So it is all the less understandable why the choice still falls on destruction, brutality and species extinction? Whoever thinks of these two places will not think of the scenic beauty first, no, on the contrary, blood-red bays appear before the inner eye.

Those who are not able to rethink their behavior, to change behavior for the better, do not develop any further. And as already mentioned in yesterday’s blog: We always, always, always have the choice of how we behave.

By Fatima Kutzschbach

Sightings of the day

Stenella

10:00 Bottlenose dolphins, Pilot whales

31.10.2020