Six species including false killer whales greeting us! (Drone Video)

‌This morning the flat sea provided us a relaxed and calmed trip. The conditions were optimal to watch and enjoy all the present species of today, as if it was prepared for what was going to appear during the journey… Nothing but six species were seen today, one of them a group of unusual false killer whales hunting tuna!

Sometimes we manage to watch such incredible spectacles that really prove how reality is even more beautiful than documentaries if you keep searching and observing. First, we sighted in the distance a group of elegant porposing striped dolphins. After following them gently for a while, but realising that they were quite reluctant to our boat, we decided to leave the pod and look for other animals.

After a few minutes, a pod of common dolphins was sighted swimming with the other human terrestrial species from our swimming with dolphins boat.

To the west we spotted a female sperm whale with white speckles which rised the tail after a while starting its deep foraging dive.

After it dove we waited for another sperm whale to come up but suddenly a group of spotted dolphins entertained us until we had a look at the next sperm whale, this time a young male, which also showed the tail after a few profound breathings. We managed to record it with our drone when it dived!

What an incredible sighting from the birds perspective… Finally, the special present of the day appeared… a pod of enormous blackish, named false killer whales with calves, displayed their might in front of us hunting tuna. They stayed a long time with us, just as if they were showing off to impress us with its elegant and giant bodies. Watch the video!

‌During the trip we saw other animals as well. Numerous common terns and yellow legged gulls, giant beautiful group of flying or resting Cory’s shearwaters, some Velellas also named “by the wind sailor” and a nice flying fish, greeted us today.

‌A shark was also spotted during the trip. It was a hammerhead shark showing the tip of its dorsal fin and was surprisingly long at the surface.

From the zodiac all six species of the day were seen already in the morning as they also came across the bottlenose dolphins. So what an abundance of wildlife off the South coast of São Miguel!

The afternoon was different but also great as the false killer whales came closer to Ponta Delgada and still showed us their tuna catch. Then just after saying that they seldomly are seen above the water one started breaching showing half of its body out of the water. The bottlenose dolphins and the spotted dolphins also made some leaps and came as close as the false killer whales right to the bow and we felt very blessed. Swimming with spotted dolphins was on the programme of the afternoon so it is always different what nature offers us even the swimmers were having the pleasure with our false killer whales one of our highlight of the day.