Today we had the most wonderful morning with 5 different species present in our tours!
The 2 boats had different starting points today and met where Filipe, our lookout, saw the first Atlantic Spotted dolphins of the season! On the way there, one boat met a friendly group of Common dolphins and the other a solitary Bottlenose dolphin.
We were so happy so see our lovely Spotted dolphins again. The last time we saw them was in November last year so we missed them!
Our guide Arianna giving information about Atlantic Spotted dolphins
Not far away a mother Fin whale and its baby were waiting for us. The two were travelling after a nice breakfast. Not only did we see them foraging but they also left us a very bright orange poop, giving us the chance to explain our clients the importance whale poo play in the ocean ecosystem. You can find more about it here.
Fin whale arching it’s back for a deeper dive
Terrazul II looking for the Fin whale
With the arrival of more boats from other whale watching companies, we left the area to avoid stressing the whales and made way to a big group of Risso’s dolphins that Filipe spotted near his lookout.
The group was divided into two subgroups: one made up by adults, and one constituted by adult females and their calves. Risso’s dolphin social structure is still not very well understood, however a long-term study in Pico of the resident population has shed some light on it. There, adult females with calves and juveniles seem to stay together and adult males constitute separate groups.
When feeding, Risso’s dolphin can stay up to 30 minutes underwater but the young calves can’t keep up with their mothers and stay at the surface. During this time they are vulnerable to predators so, by staying together, females can protect each others babies during foraging times.
We were happy to share this morning with two special groups, one of which came with our partners Azores Adventure Islands!
Group from Azores Adventure Islands at the Vila Franca Islet
Stay tuned for more news of our tours! 🙂
