19 Sep 24 - My First Wildlife Guide Role On An ORCA Sea Safari To Santander: Heading North

In the last Blog Post, I covered the last ORCA Sea Safari to Santander where I was one of the Wildlife Guides. We had reached Santander and just disembarked. There were two options for entertainment. Ellie, our Team Leader and the only member of the ORCA staff, had said that there was an apparently better ice cream shop than the normal ORCA Heladeria: her plan was to visit both of them & compare options. My entertainment was to look for Hummingbird Hawk Moths in the park on the way there. Fortunately, there was time to accommodate both plans. What we didn't do, was agree on which of the Heladerias was the best.

Magpie: This is the melanotos subspecies which is restricted to the Iberian Peninsula

Hummingbird Hawk Moth: I saw at least six around these flower-packed bushes in the park on the way to the ice cream shops

Hummingbird Hawk Moth

Ivy Bee: This looks like an Ivy Bee to me. It photobombed one of the out of focus Hummingbird Hawk Moth photos

The normal ORCA Heladeria

The queue for an ice cream in the second Heladeria: It was great to see a good number of willing participants in this citizen science investigation

White-speck: This is a migrant species to the UK. I only saw my first White-speck on the Scillies in Oct 23

Ice cream taste testing over, we had to head back to the terminal. We didn't have too long to wait in the Brittany Ferry terminal before we were being called to clear customs. We were quickly on deck and ready for a few hours of watching as we headed back North. We were about an hour beyond the Northern end of the canyon that heads North out of Santander by sunset.

This sandy peninsula forms the other half of the narrow harbour's entrance

Fin Whale: This was my best photo of a couple of Fin Whales that I saw in Southern Biscay after we left Santander. Note, the long back and the smooth curve of the Dorsal Fin which confirms the identification as a Fin Whale

There was a cracking sunset at dusk

The alarm went off about 06:00 for the pre-dawn drinks and breakfast. I was on deck to find it was overcast & windy. With the earlier departure compared to the day when we normally survey on this route, we were well past the Brittany coast and about half way from the coast to the UK-French border. Unfortunately, due to the wind strength the top deck had been closed. I saw the ORCA team one deck lower on the starboard side. This deck is enclosed and I found it hard to look through the spray and rain-soaked glass. I relocated to the halfway up the steps to the top deck, where it was possible to stay out of the wind, whilst being able to look over the glass. This helped to some extent, and it was possible to see a few Gannets, Cory's Shearwaters and a Manx Shearwater. Bizarrely, a Red Admiral flew past: it was presumably the same individual I had briefly seen the previous day flying around the ship.

Ellie, Neil and Moira were deep in discussion, while a few of the passengers kept watch

David and Hannah

Ellie looks like she is still thinking about the ice cream shops

After a half-hour, Ellie decided we would relocate to deck 6 on the port side. Deck 6 is lower, but it is open-sided and it provides clearer views over the sea. Ellie asked me to stay put where I was, so that any late risers would know where the rest of the group were. Eventually, I headed down to deck 6 to join the others for the remainder of the crossing. It was a better deck to watch from. There was more Gannets, another Cory's Shearwater, a few Manx Shearwaters, three Kittiwakes and regular small groups of Swallows that had decided to abandon the Channel crossing and return to Cornwall. Unfortunately, I didn't see any Cetaceans.

The sea wasn't great: However, this would be classified as a reasonable day in the Southern Oceans. But at least by mid-Channel the light improved and the seas looked bluer compared to the very grey sea of the early morning. As we got closer to Plymouth, sea finally started to calm down

One final photo of Laura (far left) and Moira (at the back), with the passengers who stayed looking to the bitter end

This is the last ORCA Sea Safari to Santander of the season. If you are interested in an ORCA Sea Safari in 2025, then you can register your interest on the ORCA website. Further details of the dates will appear in due course. Hopefully I will be able to be one of the Wildlife Guides again in 2025.

18 Sep 24 - My First Wildlife Guide Role On An ORCA Sea Safari To Santander: Heading South

I've been looking forward to this Sea Safari trip from Plymouth to Santander for a couple of months, as it was my first Wildlife Guide role on an ORCA Sea Safari. I picked up Moira Gainey in Plymouth and we arrived to find the rest of the team were already in the Brittany Ferry terminal. The team was Ellie (from the ORCA office team and the Sea Safari leader), Neil and Hannah Parkinson, Laura Bacon & David Hill. Ellie took the opportunity to give us a final briefing before we checked in. This was an earlier departure from Plymouth than the Sunday departure that I'm used to on the ORCA surveys. The advantage we would have more sea time as we left Plymouth. However, we would also be further into Biscay and the Channel on the following two mornings. So swings and roundabouts over the timing.

We promptly boarded the Pont-Aven, stowed our bags in the cabins as the ship departed on time at 15:45. We had a couple of minutes to unpack the cameras & clothing for the top deck and headed for the bar. Not for drinks, but because this was the meeting place for the thirty passengers who were booked on the ORCA Sea Safari. First up, an introduction to the passengers about ORCA and the Cetaceans we might encounter on the Sea Safari from Dawn: who is one of the two ORCA Ocean Conservationists who share the weeks on the Pont-Aven for the season. Ellie finished up with a quick briefing, introduced David & myself as the go-to peeps for any Bird-related questions, before inviting the ORCA Sea Safari passengers to join us on the top deck for the rest of the day.

ORCA Ocean Conservationist Dawn: Dawn gave an excellent presentation about ORCA, the work ORCA does and some of the Cetaceans that we could see on the crossing

We were on deck by 16:30, which gave us had a good crossing that afternoon with lots of time for engagement with the passengers. As well as looking for Cetaceans (and Birds), we were also passing the ORCA bins and an ORCA tablet around within the ORCA team, so that any Cetacean sightings could be logged, along with the regular logging of the position and sea conditions every thirty minutes (or if the sea conditions changed).

There was an excellent sunset at dusk at 19:20

There were a few Short-beaked Common Dolphin sightings that afternoon and early evening. In between these sightings, there a chance to start getting to know the passengers who had signed up on the Sea Safari. There were regular Gannet, Manx Shearwater and Cory's Shearwater sightings which allowed me to point them out to the passengers. It had been a good start to the Sea Safari. The priority on the Sea Safaris is to spot and identify the Cetaceans and to ensure the ORCA team are recording the sightings. Equally important is to ensure the passengers are seeing the Cetaceans, providing good passenger engagement and making sure the passengers are having a good time. I didn't managed to get any worthwhile photos, but getting photos is a much lower priority.

Short-beaked Common Dolphin: I didn't get any Short-beaked Common Dolphin photos on the Sea Safari, so here is a photo from my last ORCA Plymouth to Santander survey (14 Jul 24)

The alarm went off in the cabin on day two of the ORCA Sea Safari at a comfortable 06:00, about forty-five minutes before we were due on deck. This allowed time to have some breakfast, wash it down with a couple of cups of tea and brew a couple of small flasks of fresh brew coffee to take on deck. All essential early morning tasks to prepare for a long session on the top deck of the Pont-Aven.

The essential drinks table: One of the passengers went to get a pre-dawn tea from the ship's vending machine, as the restaurant is closed at that time. It provided a small cup, a tea bag, but no hot water

It was just getting light when David & I got onto the deck. With the earlier departure from Plymouth, we were in central Biscay and over the deep abyssal plain. Some of the ORCA team and passengers were already there and enjoying the early morning. About fifteen minutes later, the sun decided to wake up.

Sunrise was just after seven

We also had an excellent view of the Moon

It was a bit breezy on the top deck, but it quickly warmed up in the sunshine.

Ellie & some of the passengers on the starboard side of the ship

Laura (left), Moira & Neil later in the morning

The morning's trip towards Santander was over the deep abyssal plain. The Bay of Biscay is a good area to see Fin Whales. They are the second largest animal every known to live, with only Blue Whale being larger. Northern hemisphere Fin Whales can reach up to twenty-four metres: they a bit smaller than the maximum of twenty-seven metres in the Southern hemisphere. In comparison, Blue Whales can reach up to thirty-three metres in length. They feed on small invertebrates, a variety of Fish species and Squid. They will also practice lunge fishing where they swim around in circles, blowing bubbles to compress Fish into tight shoals, before they lunge through the middle of the shoal. During the morning, we saw a number of definite Fin Whale sightings, as well as, a number of blows which were probably more Fin Whales. Unfortunately, there weren't any Sperm Whale or Cuvier's Beaked Whale sightings: both of which are often seen in Southern Biscay.

We had enjoyed a good selection of definite and probable Fin Whale sightings throughout the morning

Fin Whale: Note, the smooth curve of the Dorsal Fin which confirms the identification as a Fin Whale

Fin Whale: The same individual showing its long back and just showing the Dorsal Fin

Fin Whale: Another individual. This proved to be a gentle, dispersed blow on this occasion, which is why I'm very cautious at identifying Cetaceans from their blow

Fin Whale: Another photo of the last individual. They have an impressively broad back from this angle

Fin Whale: A third individual. This Dorsal Fin looks more upright. I'm sure some of the peeps on the old Bay of Biscay trips would have tried claiming it as a Sei Whale on this basis. However, it's just looks more upright as it is starting to dive. The gentle curve of the Dorsal Fin confirms it as a Fin Whale. A Sei Whale would have a noticeable kink on the leading edge of the Dorsal Fin

It was hazy as we approached the Santander coast

A hitch-hiking Chiffchaff popped up briefly on a few occasions on the ferry. It will have used a lot less energy on the crossing from the UK to Spain, than if it at flown South. I also, saw a Wheatear bomb over the top deck on one occasion. They would have been pleased to see the land. Finally, we saw a few Yellow-legged Gulls close to the shore.

Yellow-legged Gull: Juv/1st Winter. This gorgeous Yellow-legged Gull kept pace with us for a few minutes

Yellow-legged Gull: Juv/1st Winter

Yellow-legged Gull: Juv/1st Winter

The entrance to Santander's port & beaches is behind this headland

We quickly tied up and within fifteen minutes of docking, the gangplank was attached and we were able to disembark. There was another few minutes to clear customs and check-in for the return crossing. We were ready to have a couple of hours in Santander, but I will cover that in the next Blog Post.

As soon as we had entered the harbour, the hazy evaporated and it was wall to wall sunshine

This is the last ORCA Sea Safari to Santander of the season. If you are interested in an ORCA Sea Safari in 2025, then you can register your interest on the ORCA website. Further details of the dates will appear in due course. Hopefully I will be able to be one of the Wildlife Guides again in 2025.