Cartlet Lady Cetacean Survey 15/09/2021 Continued.

 Some more images from our very successful cetacean survey trip on the 15th. The description of the day can be found on the previous post. All the photos from the trip can be viewed on my Flickr stream as well. 

I have now uploaded all 50 or so images to my Flickr stream. You can view them as well as many others on the link below. When you get there you may get a cookies dialogue box. If you don't want to accept the cookies just press the bottom left button to reject and dismiss. Below the header bar and just above the images to the right side you'll find an icon like a TV with an arrow in it, if you press this it will go into slide show mode. Careful though you might stay there for hours :-).  Just sit back and enjoy or you can scroll through and click on individual images to view larger. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wdig/

 

 

Cartlet Lady Cetacean Survey 15/09/2021

I left Fishguard headed toward Mathry to pick up Cliff and Fran as the sea mist was rolling into Fishguard Bay. Not the best thing to see on a boat trip day and it persisted all the way there. As we reached Letterston it was better but we picked up the thick stuff again as we dropped down to Wolfscastle, but joy of joys by the time we reached Neyland the mist was clearing down the haven and better still the wind turbines were still which meant no wind. All aboard then and it was off down the haven in glorious sunshine. 

We left the heads behind with calm seas ahead and as we chewed up the miles we had a feeling it was going to be a good day. Now the first three trips of the season had been far from the best and on each trip the dolphins had been quiet and lethargic. What a surprise then as we approached the first pod of the day to see them leaping as they sped into the boat. Time after time each pod greeted us with as much delight as we did them and to be honest it really made up for any disappointment we may have felt on previous trips. I have a thought that lack of regular food may have been the cause for their previous behaviour and now the Mackrel were here in big numbers they had fed well and had energy to spare. We steamed on and had a very brief encounter with a Basking shark as we passed it almost head on. Most in the boat got a look though and although we tried to re-locate it sadly we failed.

We left the dolphins behind and ventured out a few miles more before changing our heading to the south then looping back around to the East as we headed back in. The next sighting was a Minke Whale much to the delight of Cliff and all aboard.  It was hard to get the lenses on it but eventually it surfaced long enough to get a few shots for the record. A lot more dolphins on the way back in with a very big feed going on at one time with over a hundred Gannets joing in the feast creating quite a spectacle. An hours push back into port with everyone delighted and smiling thanks to a wonderful day in the care of skipper Andy and crew Rob who as ever got us out and back safely making sure the time in between was very memorable indeed.

I have so many images of this trip that I will post a selection over the next couple of days but will place them all on my Flickr stream and put a link here for you to be able to view them.  

ENJOY!!!  Ken B.

I have now uploaded all 50 or so images to my Flickr stream. You can view them on the link below. When you get there you may get a cookies dialogue box. If you don't want to accept the cookies just press the bottom left button to reject and dismiss. Below the header bar and just above the images to the right side you'll find an icon like a TV with an arrow in it if you press this it will go into slide show mode. Careful though you might stay there for hours :-).  Just sit back and enjoy or you can scroll through and click on individual images to view larger. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wdig/ 

 

 

Strumble Diary 14/09/2021

 Before I set about processing the images from yesterday's boat trip I wanted to publish this blog entry from two days ago. Holly wanted to view the location I've been using lately to see it is suitable as an aditional survey site to bring the volunteers to. It needed to be within the boundry of the survey area and naturally provide a good enough view over a wide area so as to be useful for data. We arrived mid afternoon as the tide was dropping and within minutes got our first sighting, a mother and calf pair moving in from the NW. This was soon followed by several more further out and as a bonus five or so Rissos were mooching about further down the tide stream. In the end I was happy with lots more images in the bag and Holly was happy with the location so it's onward and upward for the Poroise ID project going forward.

Another day out from the Pembrokeshire coast with Sea Trust, anothet thousand dolphins..., part one.

 we sret off aboard the Cartlett Lady in flat calm conditions as the mist burned off. Andy our skipper  intended to  head out towards Lundy in the outer Bristol channel but the Castlemartin shooting range was hosting a few challenger tanks for some live firing so instead we headed out again towards the Celtic Deep. Ken will (when he has processed his 600+ images) illustrate the amazing time we had out there, but heres a bit of a taster!

Strumble Diary 14/09/2021 Volunteers Delight.

A bright sunny morning for a change and it was off to an early start on the flood tide. Hopeful of seeing the Rissos again today I set up my kit and started the session. It just felt like one of those days when everything was coming together. Calm seas, excellent light and porpoise (although distant) already showing before the tide race had formed. About forty minutes in and sure enough out to the NW at about 1/2 mile the unmistakable tall fins of some Rissos. Mostly heading to the NE and I feared not coming close enough for decent images. Thinking it might be the same pod that I had seen previously I was wondering if this were the four big adults then where were the younger ones. Well I didn't have to wait long to find out. 

Holly, Ruby and Anna arrived for their session just as the juniors arrived almost in front of the lookout and about 200mtrs out. They cruised around for a while and we all got some tidy shots in the bag. This was Anna's first encounter with Rissos and Holly's and Ruby's  first of the year so you can imagine the delight all round when the Rissos turned toward us and came within thirty feet or so from the rocks in front of us. I have to say I was on a high too as they showed how graceful they move through the water and the shots I managed to get were very pleasing. It's not often we get close encounters like this but they stay with you for quite a while and I know that long after summer vanishes this day will be recalled in my mind many times. Just Stunning!!