Survey Route: CEFAS Peltic survey

27th – Day of the tuna feeding frenzies We rejoined where we’d left off yesterday, about 50km south of Exmouth (photo 1) and in glorious conditions, clear skies, sea state three and excellent visibility. There were birds around from the start with small numbers of Kittiwakes, Gannets, Manx Shearwaters and other gulls. If you looked…

25th Somebody turned the wind fan up a notch overnight, we got to the bridge to see a very angry looking sea state seven, it looked like another tough day surveying. We picked up where we left off yesterday and headed south, then we’ll run a transect SE towards the French coast before heading east…

It was good to see a few juveniles in amongst all the birds, particularly Kittiwake and Gannet

21st We started the day in mid-Channel 94km south of Fowey, with grey skies, a sea state three and a large swell from the west. Things were a little slow to get going for the first couple of hours, particularly on the bird front, but from about halfway sightings increased quite dramatically. Bird of the…

Bird of the morning was a first winter Pomarine Skua that hurtled down the port side, so quick I only got a rear-end photo as it disappeared

We started the day not far off the Cornish coast SW of the Lizard peninsular and after a short time found schools of fish in about the same place as yesterday (photo 1). The weather couldn’t have been more different – clear skies, 20 knots of wind from the west and a hefty three-four metre…

a quick look confirmed they Pilot Whales, only the third time they’ve been seen on a Peltic survey