Dolphins of the Marlborough Sounds

Five species of dolphin can be seen in the Queen Charlotte Sound. The most common species being the endangered Hector's dolphin and dusky dolphin, and the less common being the orca and (surprisingly) the common dolphin. There's a fairly good chance that any time of the year you head out on the water at least one of these species will be encountered. Summer is the best time to see Hector's dolphins on a regular basis and common dolphins or orca if you are lucky. Winter is when the acrobatic dusky dolphins visit the Marlborough Sounds and can be seen in large groups.

Hector's dolphin making eye contact

Hector's dolphin breaking the surface

Bottlenose dolphins

Common dolphin

Juvenile common dolphin (displaying more muted markings than the adults)

Dusky dolphin breaking the surface

Dusky dolphin showing its characteristic dark-tipped beak

 

Rare dolphins in South Africa

After being in the Azores with an almost certain chance of sighting several dolphin species every day, it was quite different off the coast of South Africa where whale sightings are common but dolphins much rarer. A few different species can be seen off the South African coast, but encounters were low at least for the winter months that I spent off the Western Cape. This made it all the more special for crew and passengers alike when dolphins were encountered.

Indian Ocean humpback dolphins are resident and always present in key areas, but their critically endangered status and small group sizes in the shallows means that sightings were rare and treasured. Common dolphins were not commonly seen, despite their name, but this is a species I saw almost daily in the Azores. The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins I saw in South Africa was a new species for my list. 

In total in the winter months I spent in South Africa we encountered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins 19 days, common dolphins 4 days and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins 4 days. Below are a few photos I managed to snap of these slightly more rare encounters:

Indian Ocean humpback dolphins

Indian Ocean humpback dolphin

Common dolphin

Common dolphins

Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin - not the best photo, but the best I have

South African marine megafauna

The southern right whale is the star of the show in the South African marine scene. However there are many other bucket list species to see here. There are humpback whales, Bryde's whales, Indian Ocean humpback dolphins, common dolphins, African penguins, albatross  and a whole range of other marine birds to name a few...

Indian Ocean humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) in Kleinbaai, South Africa

Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) feeding on an octopus

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), funnily enough not common at all in this area

Shy albatross (Thalassarche cauta)

Southern giant petrel (macronectes giganteus)

Subantarctic skua (Stercorarius antarcticus)

Kelp gull (Larus dominicanus)

Antarctic prion (Pachyptila desolata)

and one more Cape fur seal for good measure

Dolphins in the azure blue ocean

My favourite days for whale and dolphin watching are the ones with blue skies and clear water without ripples on the surface. These kinds of days make for the best views and photos of animals in the water.    

Newborn baby whales and dolphins

Whale and dolphin babies (calves) are always a crowd pleaser. Below is just a small selection of the species who's calves I got to meet over the years: blue whale, common dolphin, Risso's dolphin, Atlantic spotted dolphin and false killer whale.

Blue whale mother and calf in calm water

A very darkly coloured newborn common dolphin

Newborn Risso's dolphin with a disproportionately large dorsal fin

Baby Atlantic spotted dolphin leaping high and full of energy

False killer whale mother and calf pair

And another common dolphin calf for good luck

Spring sea selection part 2

Spring - the time of the year when the ocean comes to life with marine species in the Azores.

Fin whale pushing itself over a large swell

Blue whale rolling over like a puppy

Bottlenose dolphins

Common dolphin in clear calm water

Portuguese man-o-war

A powerful robust bottlenose dolphin

Cory's shearwater - an abundant nester on the Azores Islands

Spring sea selection part 1

Spring is such a diverse time of the year for seeing marine life. The hardest part is choosing just a few best photos. Below is a small selection of mine from 2017, with some more to come in the next post...

 

Blue whale surfacing

Blue whale tail

Bottlenose dolphin with a water moustache

Bottlenose dolphin blowing a bubble trail

Humpback whale rainblow

Trio of Risso's dolphins surfacing in sync

Bottlenose dolphin

Common dolphin

Fin whale surfacing