Breakwater Bottlenose 14/07/2025

 I arrived at the breakwater two hours after high tide expecting like the day before to wait for any dolphins to come in. When I reached the end though there were three Bottlenose foraging in the area just behind the lighthouse. I quickly got the camera out as recently they haven't been staying very long. Today was different though, as they stayed for two and a half hours, mostly just milling around with the odd burst of action as they came accross fish. I always take a look over toward Pen Anglas as well just to see if there's more about and sure enough there were at least another three out in the tide race showing intermitently about 300mtrs out. When they did catch fish it seems it was Sea Trout and Mullet were on the menu as they played with them and threw them up in the air before devouring them. One particular sequence was very interesting as it looked as if the fish, a Grey Mullet, was all but safely away untill the final bite came. There is no escape from those jaws. I'll put that sequence up first.

There was one other incident where a Gannet came down and took a fish being chased by a dolphin and it was so big the gannet, after swallowing it, couldn't take off. The dolphing was not best pleased and came at the Gannet veering away at the last moment. I was hoping for some play action but sadly none this time but two of them did go and escort a large sail boat entering the bay with one of them bow riding for a short while. 

                                                  A lovely silver bar of a fish " Sea Trout"

Breakwater survey 13/07/2025

 I decided to do a "sit and wait" survey on the breakwater this morning. I arrived at 08.45 and set up my kit. For two hours I waited and waited but nothing but boats and a couple of birds passing. I was set to come home and had brought my camera kit back to the car and I thought just one last scan around before I go. Then there, some 400mtrs off Crincoed Point a fin. Then another and another. Might they come in to the breakwater's end I thought. They were milling around in the same spot for ten minutes or so and then one broke away and headed in followed by the other two a few minutes later. They spent all of ten minutes or so in front of me and then moved off toward the cliffs at the opposite side of the bay. 

That was enough though for some decent images which let me see that one of them was our friend with the growth on it's face. This group of three are nearly always seen together as are the other five that have been frequenting the bay. That's eight that I know are using the bay on a regular basis but mostly at different times. Watching them almost daily does allow us to build a picture of the groups and their behaviour while they are here. Any sightings you may have could be very useful in that respect so please if you do see Bottlenose while out and about do report it in to Sea Trust either by phone or on the Sea Trust Wales Facebook "Pembrokeshire Porpoise Whale and Dolphin sightings" page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/545573509378069/

While waiting for the dolphins I took some shots of some of my feathered friends to pass the time.

 

Red Shank

Common Sandpiper

Cormorant

 

Porpoise on the Breakwater 11/07/2025

 It's funny how things go you know. Cliff and I were sitting on the breakwater yesterday like two old codgers talking over old times and how we never seem to see porpoise off the breakwater these days when  8-10 years ago when I first started with Sea Trust that's all we would see off the brekwater. We didn't see Bottlenose Dolphins  until seven or so years ago. Then today I had quite a surprise to see not one but two mother and calf pairs as i sat waiting to see if any dolphins would come in. Even at that time of the morning 08.40 ish the heat haze was terrible and out of roughly 160 shots taken just fourteen made it through processing. One of the adults we think was Jupiter a marked porpoise we've not seen for some time so that was a bonus as well. It was off to Strumble then to join the survey team but again the heat haze struck and no usable images I'm afraid. 

                                                                    Second pair adult

                                                                   Second pair calf.