A Frosty end to the Season

With the prospect of a calm day a trip on the Cartlett Lady was hastily arranged for Sunday. Sure enough the day dawned with bright blue skies but those on board had to clear the frost off their windscreens before making their way to Neyland Marina for the last Sea Trust small boat cetacean survey of the 2010 season. A short way out of Milford Haven the seas were a little more choppy than the Indian Summer of the last few days promised but skipper Andy Rickard soon had us amongst a pod of 15 or so Common Dolphins. They were, however, more intent on fishing than playing and this was to be the pattern for the day as we encountered a number of pods totalling over 90 Dolphins in all but none showed more than a passing interest in us other than one, lone, individual, pictured, which rode the bow wave for a few minutes before going on its way. Few juveniles were seen with the vast majority of the Dolphins we did see being adults.

Grassholm was eerily quiet with just a few young Gannets still gathering the courage to leave land and a look for Rissos Dolphins beyond the Bishops and Clerks drew a blank. Two Porpoises in the flooding tide through Ramsey Sound completed our tally for the day.

After a windy summer when many scheduled trips were cancelled it was great to get out on a crisp and invigorating day.