Rainy rain

It rained heavily last night and we had another shower this morning - very strange for this time of year but very welcome as the eastern Cape Verdean islands suffer from a severe shortage of water. But warm rain could never dampen our spirits.

We covered the waters north and south of Sal Rei today - encountering two mother-calf pairs and two distant breaching whales (likely males). The first mother-calf pair were evasive and in choppy water so we headed south for shelter, following a tip-off from the whale-watching boat. We failed to biopsy any animals in the morning, but returned to the same location in the late afternoon where we successfully biopsied two whales. These were the first samples for the season, and considering it is only day one of our dedicated surveys, things are looking up. 

Mother and calf in Baia Sal Rei. 

We just finished data-entry, sample processing and equipment sterilization and are off to hit the pub for a break before an early start tomorrow. Ciao.

Species List: Humpback whale (5 or 6); Birds: Cape Verdean Shearwater (c. 8); a plovery thing; red-billed tropic bird; osprey (2). Fishes:   needlefish; flying fish. 2 Portuguese man-o-war.