Azores : Risso’s dolphins displays

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.

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