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Client Quote.... 'A wonderful trip with fantastic sightings' A & S. 2003
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BAY OF BISCAY 7-10 AUGUST 2004
TRIP REPORT
A total of thirteen species of cetacean was recorded for the trip, well above average for the Bay of Biscay for this time of year. The group enjoyed close encounters with many animals including lunge feeding Fin Whale and acrobatics from both Striped and Common Dolphin. The highlight for many was a brief visit from an immature Killer Whale. Even the experienced cetacean watchers amongst us had a few surprises in store with two sightings of a probable Dwarf/Pygmy Sperm Whale.
Saturday 7th August
We boarded the Pride of Bilbao in Portsmouth and, after a short delay, we sailed under calm conditions, out in to the Channel heading for the Brittany coast. After the introductory talk the topic of conversation turned to that favourite of subjects, the weather. The forecast in the UK was not good, with the remnants of a hurricane due to hit the West Country from Sunday afternoon. We would have to wait to see what affect this would have on conditions in the Bay of Biscay.
Sunday 8th August
Overnight the wind had increased and by early morning rain had set in, making viewing conditions extremely difficult. We were now in the shallow coastal waters of the Brittany coast and braving the weather, we saw our first dolphins. Unfortunately, due to the conditions, we were unable to identify them to species but they were our first cetaceans all the same and hopefully a sign of things to come. Seabirds included Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Manx Shearwater and many Gannets.
By mid-morning we had rounded the Isle d’Ouessant off Cape Finistere (not that we could see it), but at around 10am the rain stopped, the weather seemed to clear and the sea state improved, making viewing conditions far more agreeable. We soon started to see a number of good seabird species including our first Cory’s Shearwaters and Storm Petrels of the trip. We turned south and headed towards the Bay of Biscay. Early afternoon and excitement mounted as we spotted a large group of Common Dolphins. They proceeded to head straight for, and then under, the ship, showing really well but not stopping to play in the wake. They were definitely on a mission and proved to be the only large school of Common Dolphin we were to see over the next few days.
Following our encounter with the Common Dolphins it was announced that the captain would be deviating west towards the continental shelf edge (a very kind gesture) which would increase our chances of seeing cetaceans. Within minutes of the announcement, a small group of Bottlenose Dolphin was spotted heading purposely towards the stern of the ship, tracked closely by a similar sized group of Risso’s Dolphins. A fantastic sight and a wonderful opportunity for direct comparison of the two species. Throughout the afternoon we had further visits from Bottlenose Dolphins as they headed towards the ship and played in the wake.
By mid afternoon we had reached the shelf edge. Conditions were improving all the time and the sea state meant that any animal breaking the surface could be seen from a considerable distance. Common and Bottlenose Dolphin encounters continued until things really started to pick up and the moment arrived that we had all been waiting for; two, tall vertical blows were observed off the starboard side announcing the arrival of our first Fin Whales. Before we could draw breath two Northern Bottlenose Whales, probably a mother and calf, surged purposely passed the bow of the ship. This species was new to most of the observers on board including our guides. Our attention turned back to the search for further blows. Incredibly, instead of the expected tall vertical blows of further Fin Whale, three bushy forward pointing blows were the next to be observed. Three Sperm Whales logged on the surface some distance away showing dark backs, rounded snout and knuckled fin two-thirds of the way along the back. One of the Sperm Whales then decided it’s time at the surface was up, arched it’s back and, with tail flukes held high in the air, dived to the depths in search of it’s favourite quarry, squid. In under an hour we had observed five different species of cetacean.
Late afternoon and we had our first pod of Pilot Whales. As they swam slowly past the vessel we could see a mix of adults and juveniles but no calves. This was followed by further encounters with Fin Whales as they rolled effortlessly through the water, one animal approaching close to the starboard side of the ship and drawing a sigh of appreciation from the gathered crowd. As late afternoon turned to early evening a further species was added too the list when two large schools of Striped Dolphins decided to join in the fun by carrying out acrobatics in the wake of the ship. This was followed by the bird highlight of the trip as a Little Shearwater was identified off the port side of the ship causing quite a stir amongst the birders on board.
As the sun set and all but a few had gone below for dinner, what was probably the most amazing encounter of the whole trip took place. A shout from the monkey deck alerted our attention to a tall finned medium sized whale cruising along close to the ship and keeping pace with us. The grey saddle and white patch behind the eye made identification easy. A Killer Whale had paid us a visit. After a lengthy discussion it was decided that the animal had probably been an immature due to colouration and size. What a way to end a fantastic day; roll on tomorrow.
Monday 9th August
We docked in Bilbao (or rather the nearby town of Santurtzi) in the early hours. Some of us headed into the foothills behind Santurtzi in search of birds and butterflies, whilst other members of the group opted for coach tours of Bilbao and the Guggenheim Museum, a coastal fishing village tour, or shopping in Santurtzi. At 7am it was warm but very overcast with the threat of rain.
Our walk produced a fairly good selection of bird species but, due to the overcast conditions, no butterflies of particular note were observed; bird highlights included a large number of Red-backed Shrikes, including many immature birds, Sardinian Warblers, Yellow Wagtails, Tree Pipits, Melodious Warbler and several Serins. A Fan-tailed Warbler announced it’s presence with the familiar repetitive song and was seen displaying on a number of occasions. Uncharacteristically, a Cetti’s Warbler performed a tail fanning display on a barbed wire fence, showing extremely well until it disappeared in to a low hedge. There were also large numbers of Stonechats, Greenfinches, Linnets and Goldfinches flitting around the rough pasture. Birds of prey were nearly all but absent with just single Kestrel and Common Buzzard seen.
We made it back to the ship in good time and commenced our return journey with much anticipation. The surface of the sea was calm, ideal for cetacean watching. Cory’s Shearwater started the ball rolling and continued with small numbers being observed throughout the day. By 12.30pm we were sailing over the deep underwater canyons, favoured habitat of the elusive beaked whales. The first cetacean of the day was not, however, destined to be any of the commoner species, or one of the rarer beaked whales, but something totally unexpected. Many observed a small whale as it rolled slowly down the starboard side of the ship, showing a blunt head and very concave, hook-like dorsal fin. After much discussion the consensus of opinion amongst the more experienced cetacean watchers on board was that we had just witnessed a Dwarf or Pygmy Sperm Whale. Only time will tell if this identification proves to be accurate. More observations will be required, including photographic evidence, before we can safely say that this species occurs in the bay.
Our journey continued across the deep waters of the bay. Our next encounter was with two separate pods of Pilot Whales, numbering around ten animals in each pod, their black bodies glistening in the afternoon sun as they broke the surface of the water. Minutes later we where delighted by the performance of schools of Striped Dolphins in a feeding frenzy, followed by our first Fin Whales of the day, a group of three lunge feeding, but at some considerable distance from the vessel. Then, at last, our main quarry appeared as three Cuvier’s Beaked Whales cruised past the ship, a speciality of the Bay of Biscay, we were lucky to observe a further two Cuvier’s on the homeward leg of the journey but none as close as these three.
A steady stream of Fin Whale sightings continued throughout the afternoon and in to the evening (our final total for the trip was eventually to reach the dizzy heights of ninety confirmed individuals). One particular group of around eight animals headed straight for the ship, lunge feeding all the way. A spectacular sight, so close that we could easily see the diagnostic asymmetric white patch extending on the right side over the lower lip, mouth cavity and front baleen plates. Unbelievably this was followed by two Northern Bottlenose Whales, which suddenly surfaced next to the starboard side of the ship, doubling our trip total for this species to four. The excitement continued with a further Little Shearwater and, at 5.26pm, the sighting of what appeared to be a second Dwarf/Pygmy Sperm Whale, again rolling past the starboard side of the ship, but this time at a distance which precluded any clear conclusion as to its identification.
As the evening drew on a very tall, vertical, slender blow was observed in front of a group of Fin Whale. Part of the animal was seen briefly and some noted what appeared to be a very long back with a small dorsal fin. Unfortunately this was the only sighting of this animal, as it did not appear at the surface again, despite our searching. We could not therefore verify its identification but most thought that we had witnessed the largest animal on the planet, the Blue Whale. Frustrating though this was, it goes with the territory when you are whale watching, but it did not take the edge off what had been a very enjoyable day.
Tuesday 10th August
Due to engine problems, the ship was running just over two hours late. This meant that, by early morning, we were still in a very productive area for cetacean watching. The sea state was still very good and by midday we had notched up three Minke Whales, one of which approached extremely close to ship, eight Harbour Porpoise and four Risso’s Dolphins, a very good record this far in to the Western Approaches. Bird highlights were few but we did manage six Great Skua, one Artic Skua, six Black-tailed Godwit and a Pied Flycatcher, which landed on the ship for a short rest before commencing its long journey South.
We rounded Isle d’Ouessant and sailed into the English Channel towards Portsmouth. Some attended the informative Biscay Dolphin Research Programme talk by Clive Martin, which was followed by the log, a little later in the day than usual, enabling the group to be up on deck during the productive part of the morning. By late afternoon we were enjoying views of the Isle of Wight, and soon we were sailing in to Portsmouth Harbour, the Pride of Bilbao provided an excellent vantage point from which to view the myriad of naval vessels. Among the sheds of red brick and concrete we spotted a number of historic vessels including the impressive HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The Bay of Biscay is a wonderful place and our trip had been particularly successful with thirteen species of cetacean encountered. We reflected on the numerous highlights and discussed the various aspects of cetacean identification as the ship docked. All too soon it was time to say goodbye to our fellow travellers. We hope that you all enjoyed the experience and that we have the opportunity to travel with you again in the future.
Very best wishes
Derek Barber and Kevin Morgan
BAY OF BISCAY
Summary of sightings at sea
Saturday 7th- Tuesday 10th August 2004
Cetaceans Birds
Fin Whale 90 Fulmar 6
Minke Whale 3 Cory’s Shearwater 27
Sperm Whale 5 Little Shearwater 2
Northern Bottlenose Whale 4 Manx Shearwater 1
Cuvier’s Beaked Whale 5 Mediterranean Shearwater 3
Pilot Whale 55 European Storm-petrel 17
Orca (Killer Whale) 1 Northern Gannet 200+
Pygmy/Dwarf Sperm Whale 2 Oystercatcher 2
Common Dolphin (Short-beaked) 120+ Whimbrel 9
Striped Dolphin 400+ Black-tailed Godwit 6
Bottlenose Dolphin 370+ Great Skua (Bonxie) 7
Risso’s Dolphin 18 Arctic Skua 3
Harbour Porpoise 8 Black-headed Gull 100+
Whale sp (probable Fin Whale) 3 Common Gull 1
Whale sp (possible Blue Whale) 1 Kittiwake 20
Dolphin sp 300+ Herring Gull 3
Cetacean sp (prob. beaked whales) 3 Yellow-legged Gull 5
Great Black-backed Gull 20
Lesser Black-backed Gull 47
Sandwich Tern 1
Other marine life Common Tern 14
Black Tern 2
Sunfish 7 Common Swift 9
Tuna sp 200+ Pied Flycatcher 1
Carrion Crow 1
BAY OF BISCAY
Summary of Sightings
Santurtzi, Monday 9th August
Birds (P = Present)
Grey Heron 1 Garden Warbler 1
Common Buzzard 1 Sardinian Warbler 4
Kestrel 1 Common Whitethroat 2
Yellow-legged Gull 200+ Zitting Cisticola 6
Woodpigeon P Cetti’s Warbler 1
Cuckoo 1 Melodious Warbler 1
Common Swift 2 Great Tit 1
Swallow P Red-backed Shrike 10+
House Martin P Magpie P
Tree Pipit 1 House Sparrow P
Yellow Wagtail 2 Serin 3
Robin 1 Greenfinch P
Stonechat P Goldfinch P
Blackbird P Linnet P
Corn Bunting 1
Butterflies
Large White
Small White
Clouded Yellow
Peacock
Meadow Brown
Gatekeeper
Wall Brown
Other Insects
Yellow-winged Darter
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