Another good surprise

Another windy day on the island! The sea was ok, just a little bumpy but with good enough conditions for us to work in. We went out just in the morning today and came across a group of common dolphins south of Água de Pau. They were very active which was great for us! Following this encounter we passed some Risso’s dolphins around some traditional fishing boats. It is very common for us to see Risso’s near these boats, waiting for their chance to take some of their squid, something stealing it directly from the fishermens’ lines. We encountered one more group of common dolphins before heading back along the coastline, passing Vila Franca islet along the way. At the ilset we found our surprise of the day – a double-crested cormorant which is a rare vagrant bird here in the Azores. It was the very first time that we have seen this particular bird species here in the island. The bird avoided the boat, diving into the water and making it difficult for us to get good photos. Still we did manage to get one to remind us of our encounter: