Pilot whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Spotted dolphins, Sperm whale, Loggerhead sea turtles
In August 2023, we were able to observe the following species of whales and dolphins on our Whale Watching tours off La Gomera:
- Bottlenose dolphine
- Pilot whales
- Atlantic spotted dolphins
- Sperm whale
This August was quite hot (even by local standards), and the Calima wind, which brings heat and sand or dust from the Sahara, was very present. As is often the case at the height of summer, the whales and dolphins made themselves a bit scarcer, which was particularly noticeable with the Pilot whales, usually one of our most frequent encounters. Fortunately, by the end of the month they were back!
The Bottlenose dolphins, on the other hand, visited us all the more often and from time to time we met a pod with offspring! Also the Spotted dolphins, the favourites of many guests (especially children), finally showed up again in the second half of the month and brought their calves with them to everyone’s delight.
Once again it turned out that with Whale Watching, there is always a bit (sometimes a lot!) of luck involved: one group was allowed to enjoy all these 3 species on one tour – which is really quite special in August!
Speaking of luck: on one tour the guests and crew were allowed to get very close to a Sperm whale! For quite a long time, the blow was only visible from afar, but then the whale actually surfaced right next to the boat and everyone got a good look at it before it disappeared again into the depths of the ocean again, spectacularly showing its fluke.
At sea, almost anything is possible!
Photos: Noel Covián, OCEANO archive, U.C. Ludewig, guest Björn – many thanks!