Dolphins Everywhere, Inquisitive Whales & a Rarity …
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Sperm Whale by Ed Drewitt |
Our August 'Whales & Dolphins of the Azores' tour led by Ed Drewitt, enjoyed perfect weather and a host of close whale, dolphin and other wildlife encounters. Ed describes some of the highlights ...
We had a succession of superb Sperm Whale sightings, including a large breaching bull, groups of Sperm Whales logging at the surface, and a mother with an inquisitive calf which dipped underwater at frequent intervals to suckle. When its mother deep-dived, the calf (left at the surface while the mother fed far beneath), became more curious about us … spy-hopping, logging and turning upside down near our boat!
On another day we were surrounded by Atlantic Spotted Dolphins – a school of 150 to 200 dolphins – they were everywhere and very playful. Younger unspotted dolphins swam by the boat, followed later by the spotted adults. We had prolonged views of them all around the boat, including males leaping from the water and landing with a big splash; one pair could be seen mating underwater.
We also saw Risso’s, Common, Bottlenose and Striped Dolphins, plus other marine-life such as flying fish, a shark, Loggerhead Turtles and … a coconut, all the way from the Caribbean! The birding highlight at this time of year is Cory’s Shearwater and we saw rafts of these graceful birds at sea, as well as having superb close views of young in the nest on land.
We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect introduction to the marine-life of the Azores and, as if this wasn’t enough, as we were heading back to port on the second day, we spotted two breaching whales. It quickly became clear these were Sowerby’s Beaked Whales – and we were treated to excellent views of their distinctive arched shape as they surfaced to breathe, their small dorsal fin and greenish-grey skin. As we watched further, we could see their elongated snout (the ‘beak’) come out of the water. The whales were moving fast through the water, but we managed to see them several more times, counting about four or five individuals in total. This elusive and little-known species is rarely seen, making them a very special addition to our cetacean list for an amazing trip.
A selection of images taken by Ed on the tour can be viewed here.
Contact Catherine on 01962 733051 or via email for further information about our 2011 'Whales & Dolphins of the Azores' short break.