Zoologia Caboverdiana 5 (2): 111-115 Available at www.scvz.org © 2015 Sociedade Caboverdiana de Zoologia Short Note | Nota Breve Recent and noteworthy records of Cetacea from the Cape Verde Islands Simon Berrow, Pedro López Suárez, Beatrice Jann, Joanne O’Brien, Conor Ryan, Jaquelino Varela & Cornelis J. Hazevoet Keywords: Cetacea, Ziphiidae, Physeteridae, Delphinidae, distribution, Cape Verde Islands During August-September 2014 and 2015, yacht- based surveys were conducted in the Cape Verde archipelago with the main objective of trying to locate humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae during the late boreal summer (Berrow et al. 2014). Spring breeding humpbacks in Cape Verde waters are known to have their feeding grounds in the high Arctic (e.g. Wenzel et al. 2009). While these animals have generally left the breeding grounds by mid-May, a number of sightings during the summer months (June- August) have raised the possibility that animals from southern stocks may occasionally reach as far north as Cape Verde (Hazevoet et al. 2011). The cruise plans of both surveys were designed to maximize survey effort in those locations with recent sightings of humpback whales (e.g. off the island of Maio; E. Magileviciute unpublished data), as well as visiting habitats that are known to hold humpback whales during the spring (e.g. off the island of Boa Vista; Ryan et al. 2014). In 2014, 12 days were spent at sea (31 August-11 September) and a total of 1,182 km of track line surveyed. A continuous watch for cetaceans was maintained from the yacht during daylight hours. All cetacean species were recorded with a best estimate of numbers, presence of calves and behaviour. Apart from Maio and Boa Vista, waters off the islands of Santiago, São Vicente, Santa Luzia and São Nicolau, as well as Branco and Raso islets, were surveyed. Seven cetacean taxa were identified to species level and two more to genus level. Humpbacks were the only baleen whale species recorded. We recorded eight odontocete taxa, including melon-headed Peponocephala electra and short-finned pilot Globicephala macrorhynchus whale and rough-toothed Steno bredanensis, pantropical spotted Stenella attenuata and Atlantic spotted S. frontalis dolphin (see Berrow et al. 2014), all of which are frequently reported from Cape Verde waters. Here we report on sightings of taxa the occurrence of which in Cape Verde seas has not or only rarely been established. Also included are a few recent stranding data from Boa Vista. BEAKED WHALES There were two sightings of beaked whales Mesoplodon sp. One group of four individuals, including a calf or small juvenile, were observed at 14º.96722’N, 23º.40863’W (between Maio and Santiago) in very rough seas (Force 8) on 7 September 2014. They were observed for around 20-30 seconds during which time they surfaced on three occasions with poor images taken on the third surfacing (Fig. 1). They were ca 5-7 m in length, light brown in colouration with a broad triangular shaped dorsal fin. The beak appeared above the water on surfacing, with the head also apparent. Images taken were too poor to establish their identity at the species level.