13-15th July 2022 - Unexpectedly good pelagic expedition!

After loosing a couple of customers due to strong winds at the airport that diverted the airplanes and consequently cancelled the flights to Madeira, the next days were with very light winds. The 3 pelagic evenings had no more than 10 knots of wind which normally is not enough to attract storm-petrels to the chum but somehow they showed up and made this another great Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition! Flocks of Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis sitting on the water and some Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii flying were watched everyday.

15th July 2022 - It started with 10 knots of NNW wind dropping to 3 knots and 1 meter waves from north
3 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 1 on the way to the chumming position
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Common tern Sterna hirundo
3 Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus graellsii
16 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Bottlenose dolphinsTursiops truncatus
Baleen whale Balaenoptera sp. - a glimpse of a dive
Short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus

14th July 2022 - 7 knots breeze of Northwest and 1.5 meter swell from the west
5 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 4 on the way up
2 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
3 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 1 on the way back
2 Common tern Sterna hirundo
2 Pterodroma sp.
2 Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
European Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus graellsii
8 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

13th July 2022 - 4 to 6 knots of westerly wind and relatively flat sea
Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 1 on the way up
3 Pterodroma sp. - 2 on the way up
Common tern Sterna hirundo
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus - far away, only watched by some of us
Madeiran storm petrel Oceanodroma castro
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta
Risso’s dolphins Grampus griseus
Short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus - a bit far
Baleen whale Balaenoptera sp. - too far and too quick to ID