Madeira expedition tags Blainville’s beaked whale for first time
Madeira GuideA satellite tag expected to remain in place for about six months will help researchers track the deep-water species and study Madeira's importance as habitat.
Researchers on the Madeira Ocean 2026 expedition tagged a Blainville's beaked whale for the first time during the expedition's first stage in the Desertas Islands and Funchal, held between Friday and Monday. Scientific coordinator Beatriz Vinha said it was the stage's main milestone.
A satellite tag was placed on the whale and is expected to remain attached for about six months to track its movements. Vinha said the species is very difficult to sight in Madeira, although it had been seen previously; its usual presence in deep water makes it difficult to approach and tag.
According to information given to Vinha by a Mare-Madeira team, this was the first successful tagging of the animal in the western Atlantic and possibly the whole Atlantic, pending confirmation. The tracking data will help researchers study the species' ecology and distribution, as well as Madeira's importance as habitat for the animals.
The expedition also used tags that remain attached for only a few hours, as well as BRUVs, ROVs that identified black coral fields, DNA sampling, manta trawl and intertidal research. Diving was not possible in the Desertas Islands because of the monk seals' breeding period, so divers worked in the Cabo Girão area.
Its second phase began on the day of publication and will run in southern Madeira until Friday using the same methods, including work in the protected marine areas of Garajau and Cabo Girão. The expedition ends on 28 October and includes the Santa Maria Manuela and 13 other boats working off northern and southern Madeira, the Desertas Islands and Porto Santo.
The Santa Maria Manuela was berthed at the Port of Funchal on the day of publication and was due to remain there on Wednesday before returning to sea. The former cod-fishing vessel is open to the public and is hosting initiatives with more than 700 students from schools on the island.
This site previously reported on Madeira's Advanced Technology Set to Explore the Deep Sea.
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Madeira Guide
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