Welcome to the home of Angie's Dolphin Diaries. Here you will find the in-water records of encounters had with the local Dolphins of Ponta during May 2022 in the Maputo National Park (MNP).. Please scroll down to find your encountour date. We would like to say a heartfelt thanks for joining us on the Dolphin Boat in Ponta! Without you we would not be able to do what we love most.
Thank you for your support which helps us keep track of the local #DolphinsofPonta.
Please take a moment to leave a review on google or tripadvisor!
280522 - There was no activity in Ponta Bay this morning, however as we headed north into Malongane, two fins flashed close to the boat. On inspection, we noted residents Rocha, her babe Rona and it looks like a pregnant Silva. The three females were hanging out, seemingly waiting; with Rona confidently engaging and swimming between snorkelers - showing off her remora!
Twenty minutes later, the three of them were joined and whisked away by Skelletor and some other males and females who continued traveling south. Trailing them was sub-adult male Shiva in the company of 8 other young males who were socialising amongst themselves.
Jellyfish season is upon us and we had a great observation of two young males engaging with a large jelly by whacking it with their tail - dislodging some of the brittle star fish!
260522 - Today the local dolphins were spotted heading south though Ponta bay. The pod of some 20 individuals were in two groups that comprised of a nursery with mum Adot, followed by sub-adults males Gandalf and Pluto. The pods were traveling close to backline and opted not to stick aground and engage today.
24/250522 - AISM
After a great presentation yesterday @ Gala Gala to the Grade 5 students from @AISM we headed off to sea as the sun rose over the ocean. Our first tour observed a large, mixed pod of our finned friends that included Herme the Humpback dolphin who were traveling south, hugging the Point. Not long afterwards, we observed Bo and Silva in the company of a young female slightly offshore.
Our second encountour of the morning found conditions had slightly worsened as the wind picked up and with no dolphins around, we opted for a shallow reef snorkel instead.
The following day found dolphins sighted throughout the morning in the coastal shallows with our sunrise encounter seeing Herme in the company of a large mixed pod including our Bo and newly named Becca who is 100% healed from her shark bite.
Our second and third encountours found us observing large adult males Rob, Tik and Dylan escorting the same nursery pod, although this time Herme and the younger males had split from the group.
Thank you to both the parents and teachers from @AISM for entrusting us with your children! To the students, thank you for your enthusiasm and courage to get into the big blu with us.
250522 - Third Encountour
250522 - Second Encountour
250522 - Sunrise Encountour
240522 Sunrise Encountour
190522 - Sunrise Encountour
An interesting morning spent in the company of some of our local dolfriends.
Bo and babe were seen in the company of Silva around the point offshore. With long dive times and not much surface activity, it was clear that there was some action down below; yip - just as Bo’s babe open jawed and fled off in-shore there was the a large shark below us who had cleary come up to take a look - or was in pursuit of the little one, who has recently survived a predation event!
Our second sighting found Rocha and Rona traveling with a pod of young males heading north. Little Rona has developed quite the lesion on her head, possibly from the large remora that has been accompanying her for the past many months.
Low and behold, the newlay damaged fin that we saw a couple of weeks ago in the distance, is in-fact local male Gandalf, the son of Gilly! As you can see quite the fin damage - the cause; possibly a shark (however there are no other lesions) or fishing line with a series of hooks.
180522 - Sunrise Encountour
A small pod of male bottlenose dolphins were observed just south of Malongane Bay and were travelling close to backline. The bunch of boys included Pluto,Freddy and Ulrich!
160522 - Sunrise Encountour
The beastly easterly was up early this morning and we were greeted by unexpected bumpy seas. Our efforts were rewarded though with two pods of bottlenose dolphins sighted.
The first pod, a small long diving group was seen off the Point, while in Ponta Bay a large mixed pod was sighted socialising and traveling south.
In-water we were greeted by dolphins who spent time between themselves down below while circle swimming and socialising with observers up above.
140522 - Sunrise Encountour
A beautiful ocean greeted us this morning which was perfect for our Techobanine long launch! Our offshore run up the coast observed ONLY three Pan-tropical spotted dolphins offshore in the company of a young bottlenose dolphin. As to what the little bottlenose dolphin was doing in the company of the adult Spotties is unclear!
Sometime later, while cruising south in-shore, we observed two large pods on our local Bottlenose in Malongane bay - one comprising mostly of males who were traveling and the other a mixed pod of mums, babes and young ladies who were keen for a bit of a human visit.
A great way to say to end the tour with our German guests from @Sunway Safair’s!
130522 Sunrise Encountour
The wind was up early this morning and as we were pushing in the onshore was already starting to blow. It was not long after we launched that we located a large nursery pod heading south, surfing and socialising in backline.
It is great having @SunWay Safair’s back on board again. Needless to say we had a bunch of very happy Germans who were able to get unclose to our resident dolfriends!
100522 - Sunrise Encountour
Dolfriends hunting in the bay this morning as the sun rose over Ponta bay.
As we pushed in a small pod of bottlenose dolphins was observed - chasing.
In-water we were able to observe a young male with his catch of the day!
080522 - Sunrise Encountour
Calm seas, calm peeps and calm dolfriends! Another beautiful May day in Ponta do Ouro for dolphin encountours! Local ladies Sabby, Savanna and Sunny were seen with their babes in the company of females Maria and Beijo who were traveling south.
070522 - Sunrise Encountour
This morning we observed two different pods as the sun was coming up!
First up, With and Lucy were recoded hunting south of the point in the company of one other, while a little later, Bo was seen with her babe in the company of another young female - also hunting!
060522 - Sunrise Encountour
Dolphins surfing AGAIN this morning as we launched!
We were blessed to share space with some friendlies in the bay again this morning with local Dolphins of Ponta Freya and her babe, little Rona, Billy and Switch!
050522 Sunrise encountour - In the bay swims happen seldom, but when the do…..
As we were about to put on our lifejackets to launch, some bottlenose dolphins came surfing around the Point and did not stop until they got all the way into the Bay!
With the tide just right, local ladies Ritz, Lucy and Switch together with mums Sheshy and Adot with their babes made it across the sandbank were they stayed and milled around with us!
030522 - Today did not disappoint with 6 sightings had of the local dolphins of ponta throughout the morning in the coastal shallows of both Ponta and Malongane Bays.
With glassy, clean seas dolphin spotting and snorkelling was made easy!
Our sunrise encountour observed a large nursery pod of bottlenose inshore together with a singleton who was making way towards them and, as we were about to beach, a 20 strong bunch of mixed age males including Herme the humpback, Skelletor and Avalon could be seen peeling around the Point surfing as they continued their travels north.
By launch two, Herme was spotted on his own and two large mixed pods were observed, one offshore and one in backline!
Second encountour
030522 Sunrise encountour
020522 -Stepping into magical May with a busy day for the dolphin team. We have to admit it is sooooo good being out on the water again with three launches.
Our Sunrise encountour spotted two pods of dolphins, first up Herme the humpback was seen milling off Point Point - as if waiting, and a little while later, while cruising north towards Malongane we observed a large nursery pod surfing and socialising just off backline.
Our second encountour of the morning found the large pod had moved off with not much dolphin activity around, however on our return to Ponta Bay mums Rocha and her mum Bo were seen with their babes. It was breakfast time and Rocha had a HUGE fish in her mouth, possibly a Milkfish, Springer or Bone fish:-)
Our third encountour of the day found no dolphin activity at all. By now our dolfriends had all moved off. A little disappointing yes, but this is the way of the wilds….
020522 Second encountour
020522 Sunrise encountour