Month: March 2024

Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles

The weather gods turned against us on Tuesday and Wednesday. The ‘Windy app’ displayed ominous shades of orange and red, signalling wind speeds of up to 45 kilometers per hour and waves reaching four metres. Clearly, these conditions were far from ideal for spotting cetaceans, even for those with sturdy sea legs!

Having said this, shore days provide a good opportunity to learn about cetacean photo-identification. Half of the team focused on matching sperm whale flukes using the Flex, Europhlukes Match, and Happywhale algorithms. Meanwhile, the other half meticulously sorted through our Risso’s dolphin shots to determine the number of individuals in each group. This preparation is needed before going through the existing local Risso’s dolphin photo catalouge. Step by step, these matches unveil insights into the life history, migration patterns and group sizes.

We also used our two days ashore to honour a longstanding tradition in Horta: the vibrant paintings on the breakwater in the harbour. Trans-Atlantic sailors initiated this tradition many years ago, believing it would ensure safe passage to their next destination. We hope the same holds true for our expeditioners departing this morning in rough weather conditions. Biosphere Expeditions is grateful for your hard work and dedication to cetacean citizen science, with lots of good humour and an excellent team spirit. Obrigada!

Group 2, get ready for more rough weather!

Continue reading “Azores : Windy days”

Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles

On Saturday we had sea state 4 with higher waves, strong winds and a rocking boat. The lower deck team had to hold on tight and put their balance skills to the test. Also on the upper deck, taking data when holding on can be tricky, but the team managed in the end. With the north-eastern winds, we headed out again to the south of Pico and came across a dead sperm whale floating. The cause of death is unclear. Eventually the carcass will sink to the bottom in what is called ‘a whale fall’ and provide food for a whole set of organisms during the different stages of decomposition at depth for a long period of time, up to as long as 10 – 50 years. We have yet to spot our first live sperm whale.

Further offshore we managed to get photos of a blue whale. Turned out it is still the same individual we saw on our first day, hence there must be food around. This individual was last seen around Azores in May 2022.

Then Lisa decided to explore an area good for Risso’s dolphins sightings, one of our priority resident species, and sure enough we found them there. The animals were moving about slowly, surfacing simultaneously in chorus-like display line not too far from the boat. We took many pictures, which will be analysed later this week and send to specialists. A lonely loggerhead was floating nearby and many Cory shearwaters completed the scene.

With the winds getting even stronger, Sunday was a day off for the team to explore the volcanic landscapes Faial has to offer: Caldeira, Capelinhos and, right next to our basec, Monte de Guia.

On Monday we tried our luck again even though the wind was blowing fiercely. The southern side of Faial was the only place sheltered enough to do monitoring. These conditions make it much harder to spot animals, yet our patience paid off. Following multiple short encounters of individual common dolphins, a pod of 20 approached the boat to bow-ride and surf in the waves displaying their agility and beautiful colouration.

Continue reading “Azores : Risso’s dolphins displays”

Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles

On Thursday it was smooth sailing on rolling waves. The topic of the day was clearly baleen whales. We did a return visit to the same giant blue whale still feeding in the same area. Then Nicole spotted a large fin whale twice, followed by Peter surprising us with the observation of the smaller minke whale. Quite remarkable, as they are hard to spot with almost no blow. An excellent day to memorise those identifying features, unique to each species. Meanwhile everyone is in the rhythm of the different roles to be performed on board. Also, thanks to sea state 1, with just ripples on the surface, we managed to get a good closer look at our first loggerhead turtle floating nearby the boat.

On Friday the sun came out. We covered a lot of distance in the morning with no sightings, except for a few elusive small groups of common dolphins. Southeast of Pico, a vigia guided us to a humpback whale feeding closer to shore. Another baleen whale species on our list, the fourth in only three days! Their white long pectoral fins make this species quite distinctive, as well as their coloured fluke, ideal for photo-identification. Another blue whale was feeding in that same area….

On our way back to Horta, we spotted Risso’s dolphins, also called the ghosts of the sea, ranging from black to white depending on the number of scars. The local expert Karin Hartman confirmed this is a relatively shy resident group of males, some of which have been seen already since 2000, with one female in the group being courted. Thus ended a long, tiring yet very satisfying day full of beautiful observations, rich in data and many photos for identification to better understand the migration patterns of the different baleen whales.

Continue reading “Azores : Baleen whales”

Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles

After two days of strong winds, the sun came out to welcome our first group of expeditioners arriving from both sides of the Atlantic. As always, the first two days are dedicated to full-on training to get everyone up to speed on the species of interest, ready to record valuable data out at sea.

As we were getting familiar with all the roles on board, the many different datasheets, GPS, transect log, phone app… there was a slight sense of information overload. Yet, once on board, the team really got into it, performed well and demonstrated they are up to the task.

Southwards of Pico, we spotted and recorded our first two groups of common dolphins, when the vigias – lookouts on land – informed us of something special further ahead. Sure enough, a little later Isabelle spotted a huge blow of 8 m high, which can only come from ‘the’ mighty gentle giant of the ocean, the one and only blue whale. Lisa commented it was a ‘small one’ of just 20 m, nevertheless we were all in awe, especially when the whale was cooperative and dived several times to feed, resulting in some good fluke shots.

It’s fair to say that our first day out at sea with a blue whale sighting kicked off this 18th annual expedition nicely. With good weather foreseen in the coming days, we are curious to see what else we can find. Meanwhile our photos of the blue whale have been sent to experts to see if they can identify the individual. Stay tuned for more.

Continue reading “Azores : A blue start”

Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles

I write to you from our beautiful research base at Monté de Guia where Lisa and I are busy preparing everything for your arrival. Located right at the waterfront, the sea view here is ideal to check out the weather conditions before heading out to sea and get into marine citizen science action. Today we were treated to blue skies, some sunshine, but strong winds and many white caps dancing on the waves, but the conditions should improve in the coming days when group 1 will get trained.I hope group 1 is more or less packed up and ready for the journey or on it already.

I wish you a safe flight and I look forward welcoming you here tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11:30.

Continue reading “Azores : White caps”

Update from our marine conservation volunteering holiday in the Azores archipelago, working on whales, dolphins and turtles

Welcome to the first diary entry of the 2024 Azores Biosphere expedition. I am An Bollen, your expedition leader for this 18th edition. I look forward returning to the stunning Azores and immersing myself in citizen science research alongside all of you in the weeks ahead. It will be my third time running the expedition.

Meanwhile at our research base, Lisa Steiner, our expedition scientist, has already been treated to sightings out at sea. Not only her favoured sperm whales, but also humpbacks, including a mother with a young calf – an uncommon occurrence.

This year, we’ve established a new research base – the Monte De Guia Alojamento, strategically positioned right along the seafront. I’m already in packing mode, preparing to depart for Lisbon on Saturday and then onwards to Horta. As always, the weather during this time of year remains unpredictable. Some days offer fair conditions, while others bring strong winds, chilly temperatures, and occasional rain. Lisa’s photo, showcasing her all-weather whale-watching outfit, encapsulates it perfectly. Layering up with a reliable windproof and rainproof outer jacket is the key. The Azores can surprise you with four seasons in a single day, so come prepared!

When I arrive in Horta, I’ll share the next diary entry along with my local contact details. Those remaining back home and eager to stay updated, can visit this blog, where we’ll regularly publish diaries and photos.Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

An Bollen
Expedition leader

Continue reading “Azores : Starter”