'Antero (our vigia or look-out) drew us closer, his voice crackling over the radio. Michael powered down the boats throttle and we hurtled forward, jumping the waves at speed. With the wind roaring in my ears I strained my eyes – somewhere ahead there were Sperm whales. Seconds passed as minutes do and my anticipation grew - where were they? I was looking for a blow – the tall spray of mist produced when a whale exhales – but nothing was there. Then as a Bulwer´s petrel or Alma-negra (literal translation - 'Black Soul') flies across our bow momentarilly distracting me - THAPOW! - a huge splash breaks the still water ahead - one of the whales has breached!! Spectacular - but thats not the end of the show there was more to come – not one breach but six more in a row – HOOHAA!! Incredible.'
A Sperm whale breaches!!
'As Michael slows the boat everyone takes a breathe to comprehend what they where just witness too. No one speaks. Enrico regains his composure first. Breaking the stunned silence he starts to explain some of the reasons why whales are thought to breach. His narrative, however, is short lived. Its cut short when one of the whales surfaces and lifts its tail clear of the water repeatedly slapping it down with a resounding BOOM and SPLASH! My God what an amazing encounter. My mind races. Questions start to fill my head - what is going on? Why is this animal doing this? Is it trying to communicate something to others. I decide there must be more whales close by.'
A tail-slapping Sperm whale - what is it trying to say?
'While I debate these thoughts in my head the whale stops tail slapping and slips beneath the waves vanishing from view. News of dolphins nearby passes over the radio. Michael contemplates leaving so we can go and see them. Nonetheless we decide to stay put and wait for what may yet come. Several minutes pass but our patience is soon rewarded as not one blow but a whole series of blows spurt up from the sea revealing a line of 9 Sperm whales (3 adult females, 3 sub-adult females, 1 sub-adult male and 2 calves). For some reason the whales had decided to gather up and socialise. I contemplate whether I had been correct, maybe the breaching whale was trying to communciate something, maybe it initiated the whole get together. As we watch and wonder Michael turns the boat and a new thought enters my head– its time to move on – now where are those dolphins...'