Sea Trust Volunteers aboard the Cartlett Lady came across a wall to wall “super pod” of Common Dolphins this weekend on a cetacean survey between Milford Haven and the island off Lundy in the Bristol Channel.
Sea Trust have been surveying the waters off Pembrokeshire for Whales and dolphins for over ten years.
On three occasions we have encountered super pods of common dolphin in Pembrokeshire waters but this was the most spectacular, with wall to wall dolphins over a thirty five mile stretch, from just of Lundy to the approaches to Milford Haven!
The survey route we took was from Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire out to Lundy Island out in the Bristol Channel, (about twelve miles off the Devon coast)
Pod after pod kept coming into our boat the Cartlett Lady fifty here a couple of hundred thee another hundred forty or fifty it just kept going for over three hours. our conservative estimate was 1,000+ animals but it was probably twice that as it was almost impossible to keep track of them!
One of our regular volunteers (Andrew Crowder) referred to the survey trip as like floating in dolphin soup!
The pods consisted mainly of maternal groups, mothers with calves and juveniles obviously they find our waters a good safe place to have thier calves.with plenty of food.
This area has been suggested as a possible site for a the massive Atlantic Array wind farm but the project has since been shelved .
Some pictures from the superpod. Special thanks to David and Elwyn for this photo:
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