Fernando
We know Fernando since July 30th, 2011. Fernando was chipped by a group of researchers to follow his movements via satellite. Since then, poor Fernando has had obvious complexes and is often seen far away from his group.
Unfortunately Fernando is affected by this transmitter because there is still a piece of metal in his fin. It seems as if he wants to say with his calls: "Let me live in peace".
Adopt Fernando
Through research and information we want to draw attention to the situation of the dolphins in the Strait of Gibraltar and contribute to raising awareness. Thank you for supporting us with a symbolic sponsorship!
Fotos
This is how we have experienced Fernando since the beginning of our adoption program:
2014
We probably saw Fernando the most of all animals. He always moves in one of the first groups moving from the Mediterranean to the Strait of Gibraltar. We don't interest him much and he often dives with his two companions, both big males, for a long time. His scar, from an incorrectly attached chip, is still clearly visible.
2015
Also this year we saw Fernando very often. His round white scar has become imperceptibly smaller.
He moves in a group of three, in his company there is always Dientes. Since Fernando's group often dives for a very long time, we never spend much time with this family.
2016
Fernando and Dientes still swim inseparably together with a third Pilot Whale. They dive for a remarkably long time, so that we often get away from them in order not to disturb.
2017
Again we saw Fernando together with Dientes and a third Pilot Whale. We know that they often dive for long periods of time and we leave them relatively quickly so that we do not disturb them.
They seem to lead the whole population of Pilot Whales, because we always meet them as the first group when they swim from the Mediterranean towards the Atlantic.
2018
We have seen Fernando more than 50 times, always accompanied by Dientes and the third Pilot Whale without a name. We have always wondered whether the third in the group is a female or a male.
Fernando's white spot on the fin has recovered well from the former transmitter. You can still see the spot, but it is getting smaller every year.
2019
On the 14th of April, we once again saw the trio that we know well from the last few years: Fernando, Dientes and now the third has been named Lupin.
We met Fernando and Dientes 59 times during the season. Fernando's injury from the badly attached chip has become imperceptibly smaller. These two always spend a remarkably long time diving and we often drive away to leave them undisturbed.
2020
Despite the very short season, we saw Fernando very often, in fact 19 times. Dientes was usually swimming with him. Together they were also present at the big pilot whale meeting in August.
2021
Although the season was two months shorter than usual, we were able to see Fernando 44 times. Most of the time he swam with 2-3 other animals. On the 21st of August, he was part of the big pilot whale gathering with over 80 animals.
2022
We saw Fernando 36 times throughout the season, but most often in August (12 times) and September (9 times). Most of the time Dientes was at his side. He feels most comfortable in small groups of 3-4 animals, only once in May did we encounter him with over 20 other pilot whales, which were also joined by bottlenose dolphins.
2023
Fernando has been seen in every month of the season. In July, we saw him 11 times out of a total of 37, with Dientes again very often at his side.
2024
This year, we were once again able to record the usual high number of sightings. There were 41 encounters this season. Fernando was again accompanied by Dientes on 21 occasions. Twice (once in May and once in July) he was observed in very large groups of over 50 animals each time.