One Species Missing From September's Marine Mammal Sightings!

The first week of September was an exciting one for the team in Mauritius with a small group of spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata) in Tamarin Bay! This species is usually only seen at depths greater than 1000m, and has not previously been seen so close to shore.

The following trip was just as exciting: while heading south towards LeMorne a group of 10-15 Tursiops truncatus were seen spyhopping and jumping, providing the volunteers with a great opportunity to take some pics for photo-ID.

Turtle Surveys in Black River Bay have continued, and the area is proving to be a popular spot for green turtles. On one particular trip 11 turtles were sighted during 2 hours of surveys!

Towards the end of September some of the team were fortunate enough to serve a very rare and elusive species: Mesoplodon! A group of six beakedwhales surfaced several times and then disappeared under the water. Unfortunately they never showed their heads but the team believe they were Blainvilles beaked whales due to their dark coloration and dorsal spotting.

Our volunteers were also extremely pleased to be able to finally report a sighting of a humpback whale on the west coast, treating them to a display of breaching just off Flic en Flac!

While it appears humpbacks have returned, none of the team have seen any sperm whales since June. Skippers in the area have reported sightings however, so hopefully our next update will bring news of a sighting for our volunteers!