Cape Verde to Madeira - The Seabirds & Cetaceans Of Macronesia

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1 Cape Verde to Madeira - The Seabirds & Cetaceans Of Naturetrek 2-10 May 2011 Report compiled by Tom Brereton Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0) F: +44 (0) E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W:

2 Cape Verde to Madeira - The Seabirds & Cetaceans Of Tour leaders: Brent Houston (Cruise Leader) Simon Cook John Sparks (Cruise Guide) (Cruise Guide) Tom Brereton (Naturetrek Leader) Participants: Peter Barrett Chris Barrett Terry Lacey Alison Wild Day 1 Monday 2nd May London Lisbon - Praia, Santiago, Cape Verde After a lengthy day of travelling that took us from Heathrow via Lisbon we arrived at our hotel for the evening, the lovely Pestana Trópico in Praia, the capital of Santiago, located in the Cape Verde archipelago. After a welcome cool beer, and a delicious fish supper for some, it was a chance for the entire group to finally meet up and talk about our exciting prospects ahead. Day 2 Tuesday 3rd May Praia Harbour, Santiago sailing NNW towards Raso Island, Cape Verde After a fabulous buffet breakfast, we went for a gentle stroll along the coast in breezy, but warm and sunny weather. Highlight of our walk was a number of West Palaearctic birds only found in the Cape Verde Islands including the endemic Cape Verde Sparrow and Alexander's Kestrel and best of all at least five Grey-headed Kingfishers, some of which were extremely obliging. Offshore there were two distant Tropicbirds and a light passage of waders including Whimbrel, Grey Plover and Turnstone, whilst around the hotel we had lots of Spanish Sparrows, Waxbills and a Spectacled Warbler. By the large hotel swimming pool, a stunning Citrus Swallowtail butterfly was fluttering around the flowery bushes. After a relaxing morning, we took taxis to the port and embarked on the MV Plancius a little after mid-day. This immaculately refurbished ship was to be our home for the next week or so. Everyone settled into their roomy en-suite cabins, then headed to the dining room for the first of many excellent buffet lunches. Cruise leader Brent Houston gave an introduction to the cruise plans and his team, and we had a glass of champagne to toast the launch of the cruise. By 1pm we were all out on the decks and on our way, sailing steadily north along the west coast of Santiago. The rugged coastline gave shelter from the prevailing north-easterly trade winds and the sea was mostly calm for much of the rest of the day. Through the afternoon there were a steady stream of Cory s Shearwaters, Boyd s Shearwaters and Arctic Terns. A major highlight came at 15:20, when a White-tailed Tropicbird circled around the ship giving excellent views. This may represent only the second or third record for the Western Palaearctic region, following a sighting in Naturetrek July 11 1

3 Through the afternoon we had some wonderful encounters of Pan-tropical Spotted Dolphins, with four pods totalling approximately 500 animals, with a number of the animals coming to bow-ride in spectacular fashion. Other non-avian highlights included a Hammerhead Shark that swam right beside the boat, with the dorsal fin and complete underwater profile fully visible. In the late afternoon period, we came across a large feeding frenzy of seabirds that included 500 Arctic Terns, 105 Cory s Shearwaters, 5 Cape Verde Shearwaters, 15 Boyd s Shearwaters, 20 Brown Booby s and a Sooty Shearwater. Through the early evening period, we continued to enjoy further views of all these species albeit in smaller numbers. Given all the wildlife activity, dinner was taken later than normal at 19:30. This was a different set up to lunchtime, with waitress service for our three course meal. The food again was excellent, and we had glass of wine or two here, then later in the bar catching the last of the evening sun with the dramatic coastline of Santiago as a backdrop. Day 3 Wednesday 4th May At sea off Raso, Branco, Sāo Nicolau, Cape Verde At first light we were off the island of Raso, some 120 nautical miles north-west of Praia. We were informed by Brent that the sea state was slight enough for us to launch the zodiacs and head towards the rocky shores along the south-west coastline of Raso. This is a good area for seabirds, but our prime target was Raso s Lark one of the rarest birds in the world, and restricted to just a few square kilometres of rocky grassland habitat on the island. With a world population of less than 150 birds and lack of access to land seeing the birds was likely to be challenging! We were in the queue for the zodiacs early and we got on the first boat skippered by co-leader Simon Cook, an excellent birder and zodiac navigator who was very keen to see the larks. On approaching the island, we immediately glimpsed a passerine, but the white outer tail feathers and slim shape suggested this was likely to be a Spectacled Warbler. Then we had more small brown birds, but these were all Cape Verde Sparrows. Finally a lark popped up on the boulder shores, and we were able to get surprisingly good views and photographs, thus confirming it was Raso s Lark! Over next hour or so, Simon skilfully worked up and down the coastline and we were extremely lucky with the larks seeing approximately 10 birds at least 7% of the world s population of this species. Raso s Lark was our main focus, but we had other good birds all seen extremely well, including a pair of displaying Osprey s, Western Reef Heron, Little Egret, Turnstone, Whimbrel, 10 Red-tailed Tropicbirds, including a juvenile metres away on the rocks, and Brown Booby s at their breeding cliffs. After a diverse and tasty buffet breakfast, by 08:30 we were sailing again, this time west with the aim of circumnavigating the island of Branco to the west of Raso. Unfortunately, the seas were shallower than the nautical charts predicted, so we decided to turn back and head round the south-east corner of Raso, before heading towards Africa. This proved fortuitous because off this corner of Raso, we picked up a mother and calf pair of Humpback Whales. The animals gave excellent views, showing their over-sized large pectoral fins and breaching on occasion in the choppy seas. 2 Naturetrek July 11

4 The remainder of the day was spent travelling in an easterly direction into force 5-6 trade winds, with the dramatic scenery of Sāo Nicolau Island omnipresent on the starboard side of the vessel. Through the day we had regular sightings of an excellent variety of seabirds including Cape Verde Shearwaters, Red-billed Tropicbirds, Boyd s Shearwaters, and our first Madeiran Petrels, Fea s Petrels and Bulwer s Petrels of the trip. No other cetaceans were seen, though other marine animals included numerous Flying Fish, a probable Mako Shark and Portuguese Man-of-war. Day 4 Thursday 5th May At sea between Cape Verde and Mauritania, West Africa Today was a full day at sea out of sight of land, passing through very deep waters (>4,000m) between Cape Verde and Mauritania. This was another intensive day scanning out to sea, with twelve hours of observation logged between 06:15 and 19:15. The day was mainly warm and sunny, though with a cooling north easterly wind. Once again the choppy sea conditions were not conducive to spotting cetaceans; nonetheless this proved a truly excellent day for sightings. Our first encounter was a school of seven Risso s Dolphins at 11:00, sadly only seen briefly and distantly. At noon, we had one of our most memorable encounters of the trip, when a family group of Killer Whales (adult male, female, juvenile and calf) were seen for over 20 minutes all around the ship. We had incredible views of these animals, especially from the stern where one of the animals swam back and two for several minutes, just metres away from the boat. Over the remainder of the day we had superb views of both Pantropical and Atlantic Spotted Dolphins, the latter coming to bow-ride. Other marine animals observed included several Loggerhead Turtles, Hawksbill Turtle, Hammerhead Shark and Ocean Sunfish. There were only about 50 birds seen over the day, but there were a number of highly sought after species recorded including Madeiran Petrel, Brown Booby, Boyd s Shearwater, and our first Leach s Petrel, Pomarine Skua and Grey Phalarope of the trip. Day 5 Friday 6th May At sea, shelf edge off Mauritania, West Africa Today our plan was to follow the edge of the continental shelf north parallel with the coast of Mauritania, hoping for an exciting migration of European and Arctic breeding birds. At dawn we were in 2000m of water, sailing towards the shelf in an easterly direction, approximately 80 nautical miles from land. Although the sea was again very choppy (sea state 6-7) we soon spotted a group of six Longfinned Pilot Whales off the port side our first of the trip. The birding was excellent with a steady passage of birds moving north comprising Grey Phalaropes, Gannets, Arctic Terns, Cory s Shearwaters, Sooty Shearwaters, Wilson s Petrels, Long-tailed Skuas, Pomarine Skuas, Arctic Skuas, Lesser Crested Terns and a lone Black Tern. By 08:30 we were on the shelf edge following the 200m depth contour, within 50 miles of land. Russian pelagic trawlers fishing for Horse Mackerel and Sardines were much in evidence. The area was alive with seabirds and the birding was incredible! Naturetrek July 11 3

5 As we followed the shelf-edge north, a large passage of Arctic Terns (400), Sabine s Gulls (800), Long-tailed Skuas (200) and Pomarine Skuas (250) was in full swing, together with smaller numbers of Sooty Shearwaters (70), Gannets, Cory s Shearwaters, Grey Phalaropes, Arctic Skuas and Great Skuas. At the stern of the ship, there were up to 100 Wilson s and European Storm-petrels in the wake at any one time, whilst overhead there were regular sightings of Royal Terns and Lesser Crested Terns. There were some good cetaceans, including a fluking Sperm Whale, two schools of Short-beaked Common Dolphin and a large group of approximately 100 Longbeaked Common Dolphins. The birding began to quieten down after lunch perhaps because we had drifted into deeper shelf-edge waters, though by normal seawatching standards it was still superb(!) and included only our second Leach s Petrel of the trip. We continued to see more dolphins during the day, but the views were too fleeting to enable positive identification. A probable Sperm Whale was also seen. Day 6 Saturday 7th May At sea, shelf edge off Western Sahara, West Africa Today was spent travelling for about 110 nautical miles NE on the edge of the deeper waters (1000m) of the continental shelf off Western Sahara. The predominant bird species recorded was the Cory s Shearwater, with more than 600 counted over the day. The day was also noteworthy for our first White-faced Storm-petrels and Manx Shearwaters of the trip, whilst the supporting cast included Wilson s Petrel and 26 Grey Phalaropes. The sea state remained a good six throughout the day, making it difficult to find cetaceans and it was lunch-time before we logged our first sightings a small group of Atlantic-spotted Dolphins which came to bow-ride. We had a small group of Short-finned Pilot Whales later in the afternoon, several Ocean Sunfish but the real highlight came at 16:00, when we had a fabulous encounter with two surface-feeding Bryde s Whales, which gave excellent views for over an hour. There was more excitement early evening, when a pod of a dozen Striped Dolphins were seen well, whilst a lone Fraser s Dolphin was recorded by Simon amongst them. Day 7 Sunday 8th May At sea, La Gomera, the Canary Islands At sunrise, it was a welcome sight to see our first land for three days! Several of the islands in the Canary archipelago were visible including the towering volcanic peak of Mount Teide, Tenerife. The plan for today was to pass through the Canary Islands en-route to the Selvagen Islands. We decided on a modified route which took us between El Hierro and La Gomera, as this is a known hotspot for cetaceans including Blainville s Beaked Whales which inhabit the deep waters between the two islands. Once again it was windy, though as we approached the leeward side; the sea became slight, dropping down to sea state once briefly whilst we were at our closest to La Gomera. The change in plans paid off, with the day being particularly noteworthy for cetaceans. Our first encounter was a single Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, seen just before breakfast, followed by excellent views of a fluking Sperm Whale mid-morning. 4 Naturetrek July 11

6 The smooth sea off La Gomera supported good numbers of Atlantic Spotted Dolphins amongst numerous Cory s Shearwaters and Bulwer s Petrels. Subsequent inspection of the photos from this dolphin group in the evening, revealed the presence of at least one or two Rough-toothed Dolphins amongst them! By mid-afternoon we were off the north coast of La Gomera, sailing in a north easterly direction, just south of the island of La Palma. Soon after 15:00, we had an excellent encounter with a group of 14 Short-finned Pilot Whales, comprised of adults, juveniles and a calf. The whales remained around the boat for over 20 minutes. The late afternoon/early evening period was less eventful, though there were two further sightings of dolphins. Through the day Cory s Shearwater was the main seabird species recorded, with a good number of other species observed including White-faced Storm-petrel, Madeiran Petrel, European Storm-petrel and the first Baroli s Shearwater of the trip. Late in the day, we had a welcome surprise when a Plain Swift, a Canary Island speciality, flew over the ship giving great views Day 8 Monday 9th May At sea, Selvagen Islands and north towards Madeira This morning we were once again out on the decks very early, this time scanning the rocky shore of Selvagem Pequena, one of the smaller Selvagen Islands. We were looking for Monk Seals, but alas failed to find any. However, some consolation on the larger mammal front came in the form of a brief view of a probable Roughtoothed Dolphin. There was plenty of bird activity off the island, including White-faced Storm-petrel, Bulwer s Petrels, Atlantic Herring Gulls, hundreds of Cory s Shearwaters and our first Roseate Tern of the holiday. We then headed to Selvagem Grande, passing hundreds of Cory s Shearwaters and smaller numbers of Whitefaced Storm-petrels. As we approached the island, we could see numerous Cory s Shearwaters flying over-land and more than a thousand birds rafting offshore. The island was beautiful but desolate, with the only habitation evident being a small seabird research station. The most unusual bird seen was a Collared Dove that flew across the ship towards land! There were too many white horses in the sea to launch the zodiacs and inspect the island closer, so with a little disappointment we headed off slowly towards Madeira. The rest of the day was spent following a north-westerly course, through moderate to deep (>3500m) Atlantic waters. In the deeper water areas, Bulwer s Petrel was the main seabird species with over 80 logged during the day. Other noteworthy seabirds included Madeiran and Leach s Petrels. Once more, a land bird was the most usual sighting, with a lone House Martin seen heading north mid-afternoon the bird being a bit lost, but at least heading in the right direction! The sea was rough, making spotting animals in the water challenging, though two small groups of Atlantic Spotted Dolphins totalling 11 animals were seen after lunch, followed by a probable Loggerhead Turtle mid-afternoon. Day 9 Tuesday 10th May At sea, the Desertas Funchal, Madeira On our final morning we were anchored off the Desertas Islands by dawn and took the opportunity for a final pre-breakfast zodiac cruise around Deserta Grande. Once again, the island scenery was fabulous, but we failed to see any Monk Seals. Naturetrek July 11 5

7 After about an hour we were back on the MV Plancius and heading northwest to our final destination, Madeira. The birding was good, with Manx Shearwaters, Baroli s Shearwaters, Bulwer s Petrels, White-faced Storm-petrel, the ubiquitous Cory Shearwater and our first Desertas Petrel of the trip. Just after breakfast, we also had our first Bottlenose Dolphins, with five animals counted. By 11:00 we were at the approach to Funchal Harbour, picking up our final cetacean sighting of the trip, a second group of seven Bottlenose Dolphins that were playing around three dolphin watching boats. In the harbour, there were over 600 Atlantic Herring Gulls, several Common Terns and two Roseate Terns that gave excellent views. However, there was no sign of the Yellow-crowned Night Heron that had been intermittently present since the end of March. As the ship docked, all that was left to do (with some sadness), was to say our goodbyes to the crew and our fellow marine wildlife enthusiasts. After a short taxi ride, we were at Funchal airport in good time to depart for our late afternoon flight back to London, via Lisbon all of which went smoothly. Summary: We had seen an extraordinary diversity of marine wildlife that included 14 species of cetacean and 33 species of pelagic seabird. The combination of a great crew, great group, a friendly set of knowledgeable passengers and a wealth of marine wildlife had all combined to make this a truly wonderful trip. The trip was also important for conservation research, with new data collected in rarely sampled waters off West Africa. The sightings will be added to the charity MARINElife's growing database of cetacean and seabird encounters from cruise ships, container ships, ferries, research vessels and smaller boats that sail in Western Palaearctic waters. In addition, tail fluke photographs of Sperm Whales in the Canaries and Humpback Whales off Cape Verde will be supplied to current photo-identification projects managed by local research groups. Finally, the Risso's Dolphin sightings will contribute to a current global review of the species' distribution. To view images from the trip go to Receive our e-newsletter Join the Naturetrek ing list and be the first to hear about new tours, additional departures and new dates, tour reports and special offers. Visit to sign up. Naturetrek Facebook We are delighted to launch the Naturetrek Facebook page so that participants of Naturetrek tours can remain in touch after the holiday and share photos, comments and future travel plans. Setting up a personal profile at is quick, free and easy. The Naturetrek Facebook page is now live; do please pay us a visit! 6 Naturetrek July 11

8 Species Lists Birds May Common name Scientific name Total Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae Desertas Petrel Pterodroma deserta Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea Cory's or Cape Verde Shearwater (undetermined which species) Cape Verde Shearwater Calonectris edwardsii Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus n Shearwater Puffinus baroli Boyd's (Audubon) Shearwater Puffinus baroli boydi Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus Wilson's Storm Petrel Oceanites oceanicus White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro Leach's Storm Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus Little Egret Egretta garzetta Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis Northern Gannet Morus bassanus Brown Booby Sula leucogaster Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Osprey Pandion haliaetus Alexander's Kestrel Falco alexandri Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Sanderling Calidris alba Ruff Philomachus pugnax Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius Sabine's Gull Xema sabini Atlantic Herring Gull Larus michahellis Black Tern Chlidonais niger Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii Naturetrek July 11 7

9 May Common name Scientific name Total Common Tern Sterna hirundo Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea Great Skua Stercorarius skua Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus Long-tailed Skua Stercorarius longicaudus Feral Pigeon Columba livia 'feral' Plain Swift Apus unicolor Grey Headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala Raso Lark Alauda razae Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Common House Martin Delichon urbicum Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis Cape Verde Sparrow Passer iagoensis Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild Mammals 1 Bryde's Whale Balaenoptera edeni Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis Long-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus capensis Short-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala macrorhynchus Risso's Dolphin Grampus griseus Fraser's Dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei Killer Whale Orcinus orca Pantropical Spotted Dolphin Stenella attenuata Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba Atlantic Spotted Dolphin Stenella frontalis Rough-toothed Dolphin Steno bredanensis Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus ? 14 Sperm Whale Physeter catadon Dolphin sp. (undetermined) Naturetrek July 11

West African Pelagic 2013

West African Pelagic 2013 Cape Verde Islands continental shelf edge, Mauritania & Western Sahara Canary Islands Selvagen Islands Desertas Islands Madeira 5 th May Summary and Species List by Simon Cook