Plymouth-Roscoff

Richard Price, Steve Hughes, MARINElife Research Surveyors
Weather:

Short-beaked Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 47

Gannet Morus bassanus 40+
Common Gull Larus canus 4
Great Skua Stercorarius skua 3
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 7
Little Gull Larus minutus 1
Guillemot Uria aalge 5
Unidentified Gull sp 7
Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 11+
Unidentified Auk sp 9
Lesser Black-Backed Gull Larus fuscus 20+
Greater Black-Backed Gull Larus marinus 20+

Feral Pigeon 1

Our overnight crossing southbound was very smooth and at this time of year in the morning, there was not quite enough daylight to set about our formal observations. Departure was prompt, and after leaving the harbour we were welcomed by the very helpful crew to the 'passerelle' or 'timonerie' - I am never sure which is the correct word for the bridge.

Within minutes of us being on the bridge (barely enough time to get the clip boards out), a pair of Common Dolphins were racing into bow ride, giving us brief but superb views of them. This was a good sign of things to come, since this species spends the winter in the Channel. 

Soon after the Common Dolphin, we started to encounter seabirds, predominantly Gannets, Fulmars and Kittiwakes, with highlights being a Little Gull and a handful of impressive Great Skuas. Thereafter the trip was punctuated with views of auks and Back-Backed Gulls in pursuit of fishing vessels.

The cetacean watching was a little frustrating, as despite good light conditions the wind ruffled the water causing tiny whitecaps which made viewing of Harbour Porpoises challenging.  We know Harbour Porpoises can frequently be seen on this route, but their tiny size and undemonstrative behaviour make them difficult to spot unless the sea is mirror calm.

However as we approached the South coast of England we were rewarded with more views of a large pod of Common dolphins. This species is slightly larger than the porpoises and more demonstrative, making them easier to observe. With the crew also keeping a keen eye out, group after group started to come into the bows of the ship, energetically leaping and turning to bow ride.  It is always exciting to see these charismatic animals so close to the ship and we were privileged to encounter 47 animals during this survey.

Once again our thanks go to the staff and crew of the Armorique who made this a very enjoyable crossing.

Richard Price and Steve Hughes, Research Surveyors for MARINElife