Monday 18 January 2016

Strumble Diary: Is there anywhere else in the UK where Risso's Dolphins are seen right through the year?

Volunteer Nick McIlvenna popped into the O lab this afternoon to tell us he had just been at Strumble and been having a great time watching a pod of Risso's... Before you could say "Grampus Griseus" we were on our way in the hope we might see them before it got dark. On our arrival the sea looked pretty calm so we should have seen them if they were there. Odd porps were popping up here and there, Anita spotted a mother and calf but the big fins we were looking for seemed to be absent... 




All five of us (Stevo, Anita Stijn and Chris as well as myself scanned high and low for several long minutes but eventually Chris and Anita got sa brief glimpse of one and then another but they were being sneaky and playing hard to get.



They popped up here and there leading us a merry dance but in the end we all got a decent view of them. Sadly my photographic skills were a bit pants but eventually I did get a couple of record shots... we reckoned there were at least three but could have been more.


I am not certain and would have to check but I think we have seen Risso's off and around Strumble in just about every month over the past two years certainly they have been recorded in every month of the year!
Team Sea Trust today at Strumble!

Nick McIlvenna

19 Jan (1 day ago)
to me
  Glad you got to see them...yes..I reckoned four Rissos and at least a dozen Porps...it was like arriving at Cetacean heaven, great conditions and both species in the same scope....Porps 500m off and Rissos 1000m but as close as 700 m...I came from the Sound yesterday where it was just 15 mins of Porps in four hours..but then just 100m away.....like you say it is a pay off..in the Sound you can often hear them first !