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Science for our seas

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Recording species and sightings

MARINElife’s experienced volunteers carry out scientifically robust surveys of dolphins, whales and seabirds on a variety of vessels at sea in UK and bordering waters.

The work is done in partnership with a wide range of sponsoring bodies from ecotourism through to research institutes and shipping companies.

Take a look at our findings from angling boats through to large commercial ferries, monitoring the creatures of the seas.

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We started our survey as we passed Sandown on the Isle of Wight, with good visibility, despite the complete cloud cover. We were soon rewarded with a brief and distant view of a Harbour Porpoise near the island, our only cetacean sighting of the survey. The sea state throughout most of the survey was comfortable with little swell and very few whitecaps and, as we came to the Alderney Race, the conditions flattened with eddies and whirlpools becoming evident on the surface of the sea. Bird sightings were few and far between, with the just the occasional Gannet, Herring Gull and small groups of auk. With daylight fading we finished our survey just before the Islander docked in Guernsey.

Harbour Porpoise (Library photo: Peter Howlett)

We are very grateful to Captain Lee and the crew of the Condor Islander, who went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable.

Judith Tatem and Daisy Turney, Research Surveyors for MARINElife (Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367)

Weather

Outward: wind NW 2, cloudy but good visibility for most of the voyage.

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Registered Charity No. 1110884 | Registered Company No. 5057367