Floreana and Isabela Islands
Today has been a wonderful day of discovery and excitement, a day that will be kept in our minds and spirits forever. It has certainly been a day to remember! At this point, you dear reader could be wondering: What made this day so special?
While we were having lunch, we received great news from the bridge: a large pod of dolphins was spotted in the distance. A closer look revealed a wonderful surprise, a very big pod of Rissos’ dolphins (Grampus griseus). This cetacean species, although common in some other areas of the world, is considered very rare in the Galápagos archipelago. Today, it has been the very first time in the almost ten years I have been a Naturalist in the Galápagos that I had the thrill to observe this beautiful dolphin’s species. For almost all of us, this sighting was a first one. Rissos’ dolphins, known as gray dolphins as well, show several traits that help to identify them in the ocean: thick body, a large and rounded head with absence of distinct beak, a prominent and tall dorsal fin located in the center of the body and long pointed flippers. One of the unmistakable characteristics these cetaceans have is how markedly their bodies are extensively scarred. The scars are caused by the teeth of other Rissos’ dolphins and probably by confrontations with squid that constitute their main diet. In their adulthood, these dolphin species can reach 8 to 12 feet in length and weigh 660 to 1100 pounds. Older individuals tend to be white. What happened today is a living proof that every single day in this magical archipelago can bring something new to our lives. We never take it for granted, as the beauty and the charm of the islands is simply indescribable. Cheerful Polaris guests, naturalists, officers and crew, we all felt the fantastic delight of discovery at its most today.
Today has been a wonderful day of discovery and excitement, a day that will be kept in our minds and spirits forever. It has certainly been a day to remember! At this point, you dear reader could be wondering: What made this day so special?
While we were having lunch, we received great news from the bridge: a large pod of dolphins was spotted in the distance. A closer look revealed a wonderful surprise, a very big pod of Rissos’ dolphins (Grampus griseus). This cetacean species, although common in some other areas of the world, is considered very rare in the Galápagos archipelago. Today, it has been the very first time in the almost ten years I have been a Naturalist in the Galápagos that I had the thrill to observe this beautiful dolphin’s species. For almost all of us, this sighting was a first one. Rissos’ dolphins, known as gray dolphins as well, show several traits that help to identify them in the ocean: thick body, a large and rounded head with absence of distinct beak, a prominent and tall dorsal fin located in the center of the body and long pointed flippers. One of the unmistakable characteristics these cetaceans have is how markedly their bodies are extensively scarred. The scars are caused by the teeth of other Rissos’ dolphins and probably by confrontations with squid that constitute their main diet. In their adulthood, these dolphin species can reach 8 to 12 feet in length and weigh 660 to 1100 pounds. Older individuals tend to be white. What happened today is a living proof that every single day in this magical archipelago can bring something new to our lives. We never take it for granted, as the beauty and the charm of the islands is simply indescribable. Cheerful Polaris guests, naturalists, officers and crew, we all felt the fantastic delight of discovery at its most today.
