Adventure!

Today we had an ocean adventure with common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins and a loggerhead turtle. We started by cruising by the oilplatform that is outside the marina to get a look and take some photos before we sped up to get to the bottlenose dolphins. At first it felt like we were just watching water as all the dolphins dived. We waited, and *poff* all of a sudden they are all on the surface and everywhere. Left, right, back, front - barely knowing where to look. We spend some great time with them before heading towards the common dolphins, but the group was spread out and we had very little time with them as they preferred to surf the waves then to spend time with us. So, we cruised to Vila Franca Islet to enjoy its beauty and the coastline on the way back. We sure had an adventures and wet ride back!

The oilplatform

Two Tursiops truncatus and two Homo sapiens

Bottlenose dolphin

Bottlenose dolphin

Bottlenose dolphin

Bottlenose dolphin

Bottlenose dolphins

Common dolphin

Watching Vila Franca Islet

Watching Vila Franca Islet

Feeling blue

Today we started with lovely bottlenose dolphins and Bubbelmaker was out there blowing bubbles as always. This dolphins is such a cutie and always making us smile and laugh. We then got the news that our lookout had seen the blow from a whale. We went to the area and as one of our crew members saw the blow we knew we had arrived to the right are. We waited and waited, but nothing came to the surface. According to our lookout it seemed to be a blue whale, if not a fin whale. We all felt a bit sad (or blue) when we had to leave the area after one hour of waiting without seeing the whale, but it is something we cannot control. We did have a great day on the sea despite the lack of the whale.

Bottlenose dolphins

Familiar fins

This morning we encountered some two different groups of bottlenose dolphins. Among the groups the crew spotted several familiar fins. We can recognise the different individuals from the natural marks they have on their dorsal fins. Just like our fingerprints each dolphin has unique markings on its dorsal fin (seen below in some of today's photos). By routinely photographing and and keeping catalogs of the bottlenose dolphins, and other species we see here in the Azores, we have been able to learn more about them over the years. Todays dolphins were ones that we have been seeing for many years, so we have got to know them quite well. Although they were in two different groups this morning they are in fact individuals that we often see together in a single larger group. It seems that today they spread out a bit to search for food. Between their feeding dives they were also curious towards our catamaran and the people aboard so we could see them really well right in front and next to our boat.

Morning: breakfast and afternoon: baby-making

Today we spent both the morning and the afternoon in the company of common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins. The morning was the time of food, we started with bottlenose dolphins close to the shoreline searching for food, maybe some tasty shrimp or octopus for breakfast. Further out we had many feeding groups of common dolphins and marine birds such as Cory's shearwaters and great skuas. The afternoon turned different with the bottlenose dolphins closer to shore but in a different mood: mating! And later on common dolphins with the same behaviour of baby focus and around our boat we had some newborn curious babies, but in this group we also had one bottlenose dolphin. We got to see what the great whales eat, we found a lonely krill swimming around. So, for all of us, a lovely Saturday. 

Photos from the morning:

Common dolphin

Common dolphin jumping next to us

Bottlenose dolphin

Great skua

Red rock crab

Viewing Vila Franca Islet

Photos from the afternoon:

Bottlenose dolphins

Mating behaviour

The krill

Little egret

An ocean full of life

Just like yesterday the ocean was full of life today. We had a wonderful time from both our whale watching boat and swimming boat with common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins. Right in the beginning of the tour we had a small group of common dolphins but our lookout told us that we had larger groups to see. We continued but we had to drive carefully as the sea was full of turtles. We stopped to see three, but we had two more around at the same time. We were just to leave the turtles and go to the dolphins as the captain saw a group of bottlenose dolphins coming towards us. We did not need to go and see them as they came to see us. Joy of dolphins. After some playful time with them we continued to a large group of at least 50 common dolphins that were more active, bowriding and jumping. Or, as one of our clients said: this is called "playing with tourists", and yes, they sure are playing with us. From our whale watching boat we counted at least 20 loggerhead turtles, lots of Cory's shearwaters, yellowlegged gulls and we got to see a spearfish almost sleeping on the surface and briefly an ocean sunfish. We finished our tour with a stop at Vila Franca Islet, to enjoy its beauty in the middle of all the blue.

Bottlenose dolphins

Lets go and bowride!

Bottlenose dolphin

Bottlenose dolphin

Aboard Cetus

  

Spearfish

Common dolphin

Common dolphin

Common dolphins

Common dolphins

Common dolphins jumping together

Loggerhead turtle

Swimming boat

Swimming boat, swimmers and common dolphins

Beaked whales, dolphins and many other species

Today we had a day of different marine life. We started the morning with common dolphins (including our friend Victor with a flopped dorsal fin) and bottlenose dolphins, and in the afternoon we resighted the two dolphins species and we also got to see Blainville's beaked whales. The beaked whales were 3 adults, and they were very calm on the surface and spend more time then usual on the surface making them easy to see and enjoy. Watching beaked whales is always a true gift from the ocean. Throughout the day we saw 15 loggerhead turtles with triggerfish and pilot fish around, lots of mauve stingers and salps, Portuguese man-o-wars, lots of small fish jumping, Cory's shearwaters and yellowlegged gulls, a few sharks and an ocean sunfish. Who could wish for more?

Video of the Blainville's beaked whales

Photos from the morning:

Bottlenose dolphin

Its beautiful to see the smile dolphins put on our face

One out of 15 loggerhead turtles

Turtlefood! Mauve stinger

Lots of mauve stingers

Common dolphin

Portuguese man-o-war

Our skipper picking up a Portuguese man-o-war

Plastic is a big threat to marine life

Photos from the afternoon:

Watching dolphins

Watching dolphins

Watching dolphins or watching humans?

Bottlenose dolphin

Bottlenose dolphin

Blainville's beaked whale

Blainville's beaked whale

All 3 Blainville's beaked whales

Hello Victor!

Common dolphin