October 5, 2014
Last day of sampling
We cannot believe today is the last day of sampling during this campaign that has been so intense and enriching. To top the day off, we decided to return to Punta del Cascajo, an area we had previously sampled but that could not be “squeezed” as we would have liked to due to weather conditions. As expected, it did not disappoint us, we found large deep coral reefs (Lophelia pertusa, Madrepora oculata), large aggregations of glass sponges, carnivorous sponges, black corals and once again, sharks.
Today we have Jeanny onboard, who currently works on El Hierro beaked whales population, and is part of Natacha Aguilar´s team. As a final surprise, we enjoyed the sighting of two Brainville beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris) they came very close to the Ranger so we could see their particular features in fine detail.
To finish this campaign and bid farewell to this island that captivated us all, Natacha and her team invited us to have dinner once back in La Restinga. It was a great night that marked the end of this productive campaign. Tomorrow we will set off in our last trip to Lanzarote.