This was to be our first survey on Condor Islander. Shortly after the ship left Portsmouth we were able to go up onto the bridge to meet the crew and were shown the instrumentation that we would be using. We started our survey as we passed Sandown on the Isle of Wight, with sun and good visibility. Two Cory’s Shearwater were seen early in the crossing, an excellent start to the survey.
From the middle of the day, we lost the morning sun and had light cloud cover with strong glare over the sea. Between the Guernsey and Jersey Manx Shearwater and Gannet dominated the sightings. Most of the Manx Shearwater were seen in the later afternoon, rafting in large groups on the sea. Approaching Jersey we sailed through a group of Barrel Jellyfish. Nearing the harbour the ship slowed to allow the Jersey pilot to board.
We were told by the crew that they have regular sightings of Common and Bottlenose Dolphin along the south coast of Jersey. Having not seen them on the inward passage we decided to survey as the sun set at the start of the return journey, sadly, no dolphins were seen. We did, however, learn later that one appeared shortly after we left the bridge!
We are very grateful to Captain Rolie and the crew of the Condor Islander, who went out of their way to make us welcome and were very supportive of our survey work.
Chris Hilder and Judith Tatem, Research Surveyors for MARINElife
Weather: wind WSW-WNW 1- 2, visibility good to moderate visibility, slight swell
Summary of Sightings
Seabirds
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 4
Cormorant/Shag sp. 1
Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris borealis 2
Gannet Morus bassanus 60
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 7
Herring Gull Larus argentatus 14
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 2
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus 237
Petrel sp. 2
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