After a blustery weekend, we were glad to see that the forecast for this survey was for an improving situation, and so it proved to be.  Having been greeted at the port and taken right up to the Power’s accommodation deck by the CLdN staff, we settled in for a short night’s rest before starting the survey the following morning at 05:30.

It was a bright clear morning but with a stiff breeze blowing from the South-west, so we knew that spotting cetaceans might be difficult.  Thankfully on the other hand, seabirds were recorded almost non-stop during the remaining four-hour passage into Dublin, with Manx Shearwater, Kittiwake, and Guillemot were seen regularly all morning, with the occasional Razorbill or adult Gannet to liven up the mix (it was interesting to note that no sub-adult Gannet were seen on this survey).

With the ship docked in her usual berth, we enjoyed our lunch and then the opportunity for a rest before the resumption of the survey on the return leg.  From the messroom we got a view of the new tern nesting platform, over the other side of the Liffey in front of the Pigeon House generating station.  This platform was only installed at the end of May, a replacement for the one in place since 2013, and is part of an ongoing collaboration between Dublin Port and Dublin Bay Birds Project (BirdWatch Ireland).  We could see plenty of terns milling around the platform, so I am sure hopes will be high for them establishing nests very soon.

The wind had dropped a little for our return sailing to Heysham, but it pushed a couple of heavy showers over our heads, reducing visibility for a while.  The sea state also reduced a little from time to time, and we had one fabulous sighting of a pod of Common Dolphin rushing towards and then beyond the ship.  There were approximately 10 individuals, with a calf and adult pair seen jumping together.  Every breaking wave thereafter held a little ray of hope that we would see some more cetaceans, but no more luck this time.

Bird sightings were slower than in the morning with the same small range of species recorded, enhanced by a couple of Puffin and a few Fulmar.  Most birds were once again flying in all directions, but there was one large raft of some 200 Manx Shearwater resting on the water, before being disturbed by the ship.

We concluded our survey as the ship turned up the channel at Lune Deep, and thanked Captain Karm for his hospitality on the Bridge.  We are most grateful to CLdN for enabling MARINElife to carry out this valuable work and much appreciate the courtesy with which we are treated both at the port and on board their ships.

Jenny Ball and Vicki Payne, Research Surveyors for MARINElife

Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367

Summary of Weather

Outward leg:   Wind SW F7, sea state 5, clear and bright

Inward leg:       Wind SW F6, then W F5, sea state 4, intermittent heavy showers