2 May
(written for Biosphere Expeditions)

The weather remains challenging as is the visibility and wind, and the team members have had to remain flexible. We had an unusual – and sad – sighting on Sunday when we saw a dead common dolphin. It was missing its tail, and we assume it got caught in a fishing net even though the tuna fisherman here in the Azores use hooks and not nets. Monday was the best day on the water for this slot so far – we saw Risso’s dolphins breaching, a giant sun fish, a loggerhead turtle, and a group of fourteen sperm whales with calves!

(start Alisa’s blog commentary and pics–I did not show the dead dolphin to the Biosphere readers)

 

And here is something cool…sometimes there is a ship anchored outside the harbor. I’m told it’s a tuna buying ship–they pay better prices than on ths island, so tuna boats sail directly up to them and sell their fish.

 

And pretty cool, yesterday, the story was confirmed when I saw the tuna boat moored with them.