Check-in and boarding were very quick and once on-board we were soon invited to the bridge where we met the Captain and prepared to start the survey. As we departed Poole Harbour, and before the start of the survey, we enjoyed sighting Spoonbill and Avocet in the Brownsea Lagoon. We started our survey once alongside Old Harry Rock on what was a sunny, mild and calm day.
As we started the survey, we observed a small group of four House Martin followed shortly by a lone Kittiwake and Great Black-Backed Gull and, as land receded behind us, we saw increasing numbers of Gannet with the occasional Manx Shearwater and Fulmar.
Approaching Guernsey, we had clear sighting of five Sandwich Tern and a large number of Fulmar either resting on the water or in flight.  Our journey from Guernsey to Jersey continued with a mix of Gannet, Great Black-Backed Gull and Herring Gull. We moored-up in Jersey next to the warship ‘Iron Duke’ which looked like it was preparing to receive visitors.
Our return journey from Jersey to Guernsey gave us excellent sightings of four Cory’s Shearwater, a Common Dolphin and, as we entered Guernsey outer harbour, one Risso’s Dolphin of which we had good ‘broadside on’ views, showing the white frontal scarring and relatively large fin.
Our trip back to Poole from Guernsey was the highlight of the day. We had good sightings of Cormorant and gulls as we departed Guernsey and then Gannet, Manx Shearwater, Guillemot and Fulmar as we headed towards Alderney and Ortac Rock.
On Ortac Rock there were still a large number of Gannets present. Shortly after Ortac Rock we observed two different pods of Common Dolphin within a few minutes of each other, one pod of three adults and one pod of five animals including at least one calf.
Further on again, we came across a feeding group of 67 Gannets with many Gannets diving spectacularly for food and then shortly after that we came across a large raft of 40 mixed Shearwater and Guillemot with at least one identified Sooty Shearwater present.
Approaching the English coastline, we observed two Tuna although we also saw other splashes which we thought could also have been Tuna.
Entering a busy Poole Harbour, we were escorted by a Police launch to help us navigate through the small craft enjoying the harbour on a beautiful evening.
Thanking the Captain and his very friendly crew we headed down from the bridge and were swiftly on our way to the staff car park and home.
Chris Hilder and Emma Grant, Research Surveyors for MARINElife (Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367)
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Weather: sunny with good visibility, wind S-SW force 3-4 with glare at times on the outward journey
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Summary of sightings
Marine Mammals
Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis 9
Risso's Dolphin Grampus griseus 1
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Seabirds
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 12
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 8
Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris borealis 4
Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 47
Gannet Morus bassanus 217
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 3
Guillemot Uria aalge 32
Herring Gull Larus argentatus 37
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 1
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus 7
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis 5
Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus 1
Shearwater sp. 20
Gull sp. 43
Tern sp. 2
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Terrestrial Birds
House Martin Delichon urbicum 6
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