We’ll Take That Win!

We’ll Take That Win! Day 7 (Feb 06, 2016)

It’s calm and with blue sky overhead-the weather is simply fantastic! We can now live the Caribbean Cruise brochure. Did we pack the Pina Colada mixers? During the last few days, the grey skies and grey sea felt as though we dallying in climes expected in the brochure for the Southern Ocean and Antarctic.

Whistles. Striped dolphin-style.

Ah, west is best, warm air and bluer than blue sky.

From 0930 this morning we heard dolphin whistles on the towed array continuing for the best part of an hour. The calls gradually grew louder so we knew the critters were getting closer… either we to them or they to us…

Faraway Striped Dolphin. Not a poster shot but an identification image from afar!

With eyes trained anywhere and everywhere, a long line of splashes got my attention at 10 o’clock, approximately 1 nm away. Shooting away lots of photos, in full knowledge that they wouldn’t be poster shots but hopefully useful identifying photographs, the whole sighting was over in a matter of six minutes. When the hundred-strong pod were abeam us on the portside, they fell silent, then a few minutes later resumed their lively clicks and whistles. Reviewing the images, I was thrilled to see the whole body of an individual parallel to the water surface in a spectacular leap! The pigmentation patterns of striped dolphins were clearly revealed in the unquestionable identification record-even from over half a mile away! This was a win-we’ll take this win!

Do I Make The Album? An Australian Gannet cruises closely.

Hearing these animals from over 8 nm away, then finding them 1 nm away and matching the sounds detected on the towed array to the sound-maker is what it is all about! Even better, the more than 2 hours of dolphin whistles heard on my watch and Sam and Rob’s watch (spanning 2am to 4am) early this morning, could also be matched with the whistles detected and heard today. So all up, we had two acoustic detections of striped dolphins and one visual encounter with them! Yes, we will take that win!

Sperm Whales After Dinner. Both literally- after our dinner and seeking their dinner!

More dolphin whistles heard on the towed array in the afternoon had us scouring the sea again and also after dinner we searched for sperm whales approximately 4 nm away. In the drawing light we enjoyed their seeking clicks and then the honing ones as with a huge “pwwwwkkkk”, prey was captured.

What a fabulous day, dolphins and sperm whales chatting away…

Thanks for all the whale sounds.

Mich