Futurismo Biologists TeamAugust put a smile upon our faces. They say that time goes fast when you are busy and this couldn’t be more true. It seems like august just started last week but the busiest month of the year is already over, and we are leaving it behind with a big smile on our faces.
Weather this summer was just as we would like it to be. Changeable, as it befits a São Miguel, with just enough sun and wind to have a good trip. It allowed us to go out in 28 out of 31 days and this is something we are very grateful for! Following the good weather conditions, we’ve also had thousands of curious people, that trusted us and booked a trip with us, and a bunch of different animals, that are settling Azorean waters. Count these three things together and you get our unique receipt for an unforgettable summer!
In August we were able to see 9 different species of cetaceans: Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), Striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus), Beaked whales (Mesoplodon spp.), Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), Sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) and Bryde’s whales (Balaenoptera edeni).
Common and Atlantic spotted dolphins were the most sighted species of the month – we’ve seen them almost every day – followed by sperm whales, bottlenose and Risso’s dolphins. In the first part of the month, Sei whales and striped dolphins were around São Miguel and we were lucky enough to have some fantastic observations! Last but not least, Bryde’s whale and beaked whales were also sighted in August.
Summer is the perfect time to observe dolphins and our sightings this month more than confirmed that! At this time of the year our resident species get the company of Atlantic spotted and Striped dolphins, we can see a lot of socializing, a bunch of newborns and also mating. We will for sure have plenty of babies next year! Regarding the newborns, the highlight of the month would be for sure the birth of the sperm whale, which we were able to observe! We were really lucky to be in the right place at the right time!
The Atlantic Ocean is not home only to a diverse group of cetaceans, but also to many other animals! This past month flying fishes, loggerhead turtles, sicklefin devil rays, hammerhead sharks, tunas, Portuguese man-o-war and spearfishes were sighted in the water. Almost every day our boats were accompanied by Cory’s shearwaters, common terns and yellow gulls, and also Macaronesian shearwater, Bulwer’s petrel, Rudy turnstone and rock pigeon were around this summer.
Summer months can be tiring and they can take all of our energy, but at the same time, they give us so much in return! Making people happy, helping them realize their lifelong dream of seeing their favorite animal or just sharing some precious moments together on the boat are the things that fill our hearts with satisfaction and gratitude.
As Christopher McCandless once said: “Happiness is only real when shared.” Our planet has a lot of beautiful places and hidden treasures, that are waiting to be explored and enjoyed. And what on Earth could be better, than sharing our happiness with others, and not just keeping it for ourselves?
If that makes any sense to you, join us next time and let’s share happiness together!
Futurismo Biologists Team
Sandrina Rodrigues
