Rough-toothed dolphins, Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Baleen whale, Beaked whale, Loggerhead turtle
We have recently seen the following whale and dolphin species on our whale watching tours off La Gomera:
- Rough-toothed dolphins
- Pilot whales (Short-finned pilot whales)
- Bottlenose dolphins
- Beaked whale (unidentified)
- Baleen whale (unidentified)
In addition to our fortunately quite regular encounters with pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins, we also encountered some rare visitors. We discovered a group of short-finned pilot whales. Their behaviour was clearly different from usual – and it quickly became clear why: There were baleen whales nearby. Another whale-watching boat had already spotted the animals earlier, and the whales had probably been watching us for quite some time before we even noticed them. One was particularly curious and circled our boat several times. The pilot whales seemed visibly excited; a lot must have been happening underwater.
The second animal, on the other hand, kept its distance. Perhaps it was the mother? Unfortunately, it was not possible to identify the species exactly.
We also had a visit from rough-toothed dolphins – always a spectacular sight.
A few beaked whales reappeared briefly at the surface.
The sighting rate for the whole period was 90%.
Fotos: Noel Covián, OCEANO Archiv