Whales and dolphins of Madeira

Atlantic spotted dolphins are fast swimmers and are active at the surface, often performing acrobatics and surfing in the waves created by boats.

They live only in warm and tropical water areas of the Atlantic Ocean. They usually form groups of five to 50 individuals but sometimes travel in groups of up to 200.

Other names: spotted dolphin; Atlantic spotter; bridled dolphin

Sperm whales are totally unique. Colossal giants of the deep, their presence commands reverent awe.

They possess the largest brain in the animal kingdom and spend much of their lives in the light-starved depths of the oceans hunting prey.

Some whales are big, some are fast, some have unusual looks. The fin whale somehow manages all three.

Nicknamed ‘the greyhounds of the sea’, fin whales are the second biggest mammals in the world.

Other names: Finner; Razorback; Finback; Flathead; Common rorqual; Herring whale

The only baleen whales to spend their entire lives in tropical and subtropical waters, these great whales are over 44 tons of sheer awesomeness.

Both the identity and the exact number of Bryde’s whales are a bit of a grey area. As well as ‘ordinary’ Bryde’s whales found in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, there are also one or smaller forms who tend to prefer more coastal waters. Currently, though their status is unclear, with only two sub-species recognised for sure: B. e. brydei (offshore Bryde’s whale) and B. e. edeni (Eden’s whale).

Other names: Common Bryde’s whale; Pygmy Bryde’s whale; Tropical whale; Eden’s whale

Along with great apes, elephants and humans, common bottlenose dolphins have one of the most sophisticated intellects on our planet.

Exploited by the ‘entertainment’ industry for years, common bottlenose dolphins are the most widely recognised species of dolphin. Watching a pod of common bottlenose dolphins hunting or playing together is an experience that will stay with you for life.

Other names: Bottle-nosed dolphin; Bottlenose dolphin

With its steeply arched jaw, Blainville’s beaked whale is both striking and easily recognisable.

Known for its unmistakable arch, Blainville’s beaked whale’s lower jaw curves sharply upwards. Especially striking, the male’s arch is topped with prominent tusks that point upwards past the upper jaw. Denser than elephant ivory, these distinctive features have earned Blainville’s beaked whales the epithet “dense-beaked whales”.

Other names: Dense-beaked whale

The pilot whale is recognizable by its globular head and its long, low and rounded dorsal fin.

 Mainly black, the pilot whale nevertheless has an anchor-shaped spot on its belly. It’s also one of the most social cetaceans, which even goes so far as to maintain physical contact with its peers during rest sessions!

Other names: Globi