An Article by Paul Abiatti in Madeira about Fraser’s Dolphins being sighted in Madeiran Waters.
In Summer 2010 Madeiran whale and dolphin boats are sighting a new species of dolphin in Madeiran waters. The specie named ‘Fraser’s Dolphin’ is normally only sighted in Azorean waters. Experts say that one of the reasons they have come into Madeiran waters is the higher sea temperature which was on the day of the sightings the 23rd August, 2010 about 24 degrees.
Fraser´s dolphin group (Lagenodelphis hosei)
Confusion with the Striped Dolphin
From wikipedia:
Fraser Dolphins’ are about 1 m long and 20 kg weight at birth, growing to 2.75 m and 200 kg at adulthood. They have a stocky build, a small fin in relation to the size of the body, conspicuously small flippers. The dorsal fin and beak are also insubstantial. The upper side is a gray-blue to gray-brown. A dirty cream colored line runs along the flanks from the beak, above the eye, to the anus. There is a dark stripe under this line. The belly and throat are usually white, sometimes tinged pink. The lack of a prominent is a distinguishing characteristic of the Dolphin. From a distance however it may be confused with the Striped Dolphin which has a similar coloration and is found in the same areas of ocean.
Fraser Dolphins’ swim quickly in large tightly packed groups of about 100 to 1000 in number.
Often porpoising, the group chop up the water tremendously. The sight of seeing a large group fleeing from a fishing vessels has been reported as “very dramatic”.
It is also marked by having the smallest genitalia of any open sea dolphin.
The species feeds on pelagic fish, squid and shrimp found some distance below the surface of the water (200& or 500 meters). Virtually no sunlight penetrates this depth, so feeding is carried out using echolocation alone.
Read more about Fraser’s Dolphins in Wikipedia
Paul Abiatti, the writer, is a contact for properties on Madeira’s sunniest and hottest south west coast – Calheta coast. Whale and dolphin-watch boats operate from Calheta marina
Sunny House West is one of these holiday rental properties in Calheta on the south west coast of Madeira.
