São Miguel’s waters are filled with energy and this week during our tours we observed lots of socializing activity among dolphins and whales.

 The summer time is the breeding season for the dolphins and some species like the Atlantic spotted dolphins, come closer to the coast of São Miguel to mate and give birth to calves. Throughout the summer of 2010 TERRA AZUL gave the chance to many people observe frequent socializing behaviour associated with mating.

 Male dolphins can be seen breaching out of the water for courtship display, but they can also be seen swimming after females in the attempt to mate with them, sometimes even harassing them.

 Definitely summer is not over for the dolphins as on the 22^nd of September a large group of Atlantic spotted dolphins comprising adults, juveniles and calves was seen socializing and quite few individuals were very active and in search of partners. 

 Socializing is not only a question to find a mate, it is also an important behaviour among members of the same group and between mothers and calves. The physical contact between the two is very important and helps to strengthen the bond.

 An intimate behaviour like nursing was witnessed on the 21^st of September between a female sperm whale and her calf.

 The mother was seen rolling halfway on her body showing the belly. This behaviour when performed in the presence of calves may be considered connected with nursing. The calf, which is not visible at surface, approaches the mother in the genital area where are the nipples to suckle milk. 

 In the picture below the female was seen together with two young individuals and the one visible may not be necessary her calf.

 Other species encountered this week were the Risso’s, common, bottlenose and striped dolphins.

However, the sperm whale once again drove our attention as they were breaching on several occasions.

 Breaching whales are always spectacular to watch, just have a look in our blog www.terrazulazores.com/diariodebordo 

Miguel

The end of the summer is approaching, but fortunately here in São Miguel it feels far away still. Dolphins and whales cheer us up whenever encountered making everyday special and bright!

This week (13-19 September 2010), we observed five different species, the bottlenose dolphins, the common dolphins, the Atlantic spotted dolphins, the pilot whales and the sperm whales. 

Both whales and dolphins are often seen breaching out of the water with spectacular jumps. The reason for these acrobatic leaps can be various from courtship display, simple fun or related to a less joyful cause like trying to eliminate parasites! Cetaceans are in fact affected by various ectoparasites which in some cases can produce damage on their skin, but do not cause death.

Below is a photo of an Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) while leaping out of the water and showing a parasite attached on its flank.

 Ectoparasites of whales and dolphins include the acorn and stalked barnacles typically found on humpback whales, or the Cryptolepas rhachianecti another barnacle species found on gray whales. Barnacles are not true parasites as they don’t feed on whale skin, rather they exploit the swimming of the whales to filter food in the water. However, when in great number they can bother whale movements. Gray whales are also affected by lices gathering around wounds and scars and feeding on their skin. Other parasites damaging skin tissue are cookie cutter sharks and possibly sea lampreys.

 During one of our encounters with Atlantic spotted dolphins we had the chance to enjoy the sighting of some young individuals leaping high into the air. One of them, at closer look, showed a parasite attached on its flank. Although the resolution of the picture doesn’t help to identify the parasite, its size and shape suggests it could be a cookie cutter shark.     

 Cookie cutter sharks (Isistius brasiliensis) are so called because they leave cookie-shaped scars on the body of large fishes and marine mammals. They have a cylindrical body and a circular mouth, which contains many teeth used by the shark to remove the flesh of the host.

 When we see dolphins showing their acrobatic skills it is not necessarily due to parasites luckily for them, and many exhibitions are related to a courtship display during the breeding season.

This is a TRADITIONAL AZOREAN WHALEBOAT. It is one of the most significant legacies of whaling history and culture of the Azores. Inspired by American Heritage, the Azoreans have produced a new model of the boat by making it longer and better adapted to the seaworthiness of the islands surroundings. It is also a model of the coastal whaling experienced in all the islands of the Azores. This legacy is also the result of inventive genius and capability of the first Azorean boat builders and summarizes a mixture of strength, elegance, efficiency, and uniqueness. Many experts believe this whaleboat to be the most perfect vessel to have ever sailed the seas. For the Azores, organized coastal whaling most likely began in Faial around 1832 and passed quickly throughout the islands. By the 1920s, the use of motorized boats for towing and catching whales had become widespread. In 1934 the first fueled steam factory for processing whale matter had opened on the island of S. Miguel. After the Second World War three more of these modern factories were built in Faial, Pico and Flores.

The boat “SENHORA DE FÁTIMA”, owned by Cristóvão Mota Soares, was built in 1945 in a small Village called Capelas located on the northern coats of S. Miguel. Its’ registration is PD-320-B. According t its official document, the boat was classified as a “sailing and rowing whaling canoe” LOA = 10.85 m, beam = 1.92 m, depth = 0.72 m; gross tonnage = 12.923 cubic meters. In 1946, the boat was sent to the island of Graciosa, where Mr. Soares had a whaling company operating with two motorized tow boats and six whaleboats. On July 25^th, 1946 the whaleboat changes its registration to SG-98-B in the Maritime Delegation of Santa Cruz, Graciosa, maintaining the same name, technical specifications, and owner. At the peak of the whaling period, “SENHORA DE FÁTIMA” was rented to the Whaling Captain João Baptista, who continued operating the boat in Graciosa until 1960. After the death of Mr. Soares, his company was acquired by Jose Cristiano de Sousa, a prestigious ship owner from the island of Pico. The company later joined an association called, Armações Baleeiras Reunidas, LDA, based in the town of São Roque, Pico. It is known that the whaleboat “SENHORA DE FÁTIMA” was active during the 40s until the ban on whaling in the early ’80s, and then later abandoned on the wharf of Santa Cruz. In January 1989, Mr. Rufino Cordeiro Dias Pereira, a native of Graciosa, purchased the abandoned boat. His reasons are essentially emotional. It was the boat in which his father, Captain João Baptista, used for whaling over many years!

In May 1993 it was converted into a fishing vessel having kept the same name but changing the registration for GS-222-L. In March 1998, it changed to the category of a leisure boat and has undergone profound modifications in the structure. A few years later the boat was once more transferred to the Santa Cruz Nautical Club, where it was converted into a bar counter at an affiliated department. On November 30, 2007, the “SENHORA DE FÁTIMA” remains were acquired by the Azorean whale watching company TERRA AZUL with the aim of its total recuperation under the Azorean Whaling Heritage Program, supported by government public funds. The idea is to rebuild this TRADITIONAL WHALEBOAT and restoring its dignity and splendor of old times allowing current and future generations to conserve their cultural references and collective memories.

Check more info at www.150milhasdehistoria.blogspot.com

Miguel Cravinho

Hello my friends,
Just to inform you that our new boat has finally arrived!  Especially designed to provide safety, comfort and still a close contact to Nature, this new equipment will certainly update our fleet, providing our clients with an excellent experience discovering the Atlantic Ocean and – of course – the “amazing world of whales and dolphins”.
The new boat is 11 meters long, powered by 2 engines (4 stroke) of 250cv – the most energy efficient/environmentally friendly on the market – the boat layout provides 22 individual seats with 4 seats in the rear part, particularly designed for families with children or “older” people (next to the skipper).
The boat was build in Viana do Castelo, northern Portugal, by SEARIBS. It’s the result of a customised project bring together the skills of the boat’s factory and the specific needs of our whale watching operation giving birth to a high performance and extremely fun boat.

Hope you enjoy it.
Best regards.

Miguel

For information on a whale watching holiday aboard this great new boat, click here