After a few hours’ sleep there was time for a quick breakfast before starting the survey on the bridge at 6.30am, out between Anglesey and Isle of Man. The sea was as calm as we had hoped and within a few minutes of starting we had our first sightings – not an expected seabird but a Common Dolphin closely followed by a Fulmar. A great start!
During the following half an hour we saw several small groups of Manx Shearwater which were recently back from their wintering grounds, and also several Guillemot. Somewhat less expected were the several Pipits, presumably on migration. There was also a solitary immature Kittiwake with the Manx Shearwaters. At 7:14 we saw our first Harbour Porpoise, and then an hour after starting our survey a group of about twenty Common Dolphin came swimming slowly and occasionally leaping past the ship! We were beginning to get used to cetaceans taking more time to record than birds on the survey, and an encounter with a couple of Bottlenose Dolphin swimming slowly past was probably the cetacean highlight of the survey.
Birds tended to be spread thinly over the sea, most being Guillemot with an occasional Gannet and Herring Gull, but about an hour out from Dublin there were several large rafts of Guillemot with up to 120 birds. As we approached Dublin harbour there were several Shag, Cormorant, and more Gannet, while a couple of Sandwich Tern was a nice sight as well as a brief glimpse of a Red-throated Diver just outside the harbour. There are usually good number of Black Guillemot in the harbour but rarely out at sea, so seeing one just outside the breakwater as we entered the harbour was a treat.
In less than three hours of survey on the way to Dublin we had ten encounters with cetaceans of three species. Wonderful! These animals are probably usually present but are rarely seen – this time with the calm sea they could not hide, and we got to see them.
Black Guillemot and Shag were in evidence in the harbour as we docked. After a quick cooked breakfast, we spent some time enjoying the sunshine on deck and watching a few lingering Brent Geese which were seemingly indifferent to the new dock area under construction only a few metres away from them. The weather was so good that we were almost late in for our lunch before heading back onto the bridge for the return survey. Within minutes of leaving Dublin, we saw a Grey Seal with what looked like a large skate on its head, watched by several intrigued gulls!
Overall, the afternoon survey was quieter than that of the morning, and we only added another five sightings of cetaceans! Several Razorbill were seen, looking resplendent in their smart breeding plumage, while Kittiwake numbers were higher than in the morning. A flight of 10 Gannet in the distance was an encouraging increase on the normal ones and twos.
Late afternoon provided the opportunity to review the survey. Highlights were the return of Gannet and Manx Shearwater, the exceptional number of cetacean sightings, and wonderful calm sea conditions. The only disappointment was the number of floating discarded balloons seen during the survey, which at 16 was much higher than normal. With the good weather conditions were they lasting longer at sea before sinking, or were more people having parties and releasing more balloons than usual?
When the sun set into low cloud, we finished our survey and made our way down to the passenger area in time for a good meal before disembarking slightly later than we had expected.
The initial expectation of a fantastic survey with almost perfect weather conditions was certainly realised, and this was one of the best surveys we have had the privilege to experience.
We are grateful to CLdN, Captain Karm, and all his staff, and the CLdN ground staff for their efficiency, friendliness, and help during this survey.
Jenny Ball and Tony Marshall, Research Surveyors for MARINElife (Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367)
Weather
Outward – Sunny with distant cloud; reasonable visibility; Calm; sea state 0-1.
Return – Sunshine with distant cloud; reasonable visibility; Calm; sea state 1.
Species recorded
Marine mammals
- Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus 2
- Common Dolphin (Short-beaked) Delphinus delphis 29
- Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus 1
- Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena 8
- Unidentified Dolphin sp. 1
Seabirds
- Auk sp. Alcidae 7
- Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 10
- Diver species 1
- Common Gull Larus canus 39
- Common Scoter Melanitta nigra 5
- Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 1
- Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis 18
- Gannet Morus bassanus 13
- Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus 6
- Great Northern Diver Gavia immer 2
- Guillemot Uria aalge 90
- Herring Gull Larus argentatus 37
- Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla 91
- Larus sp. Larus sp. 29
- Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 8
- Puffin Fratercula arctica 5
- Razorbill Alca torda 26
- Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata 1
- Shag Gulosus aristotelis 2
Birds in Dublin harbour
- Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle
- Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
- Brent Goose Branta bernicla
- Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
- Herring Gull Larus argentatus
- Hooded Crow Corvus cornix
- Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
- Shag Gulosus aristotelis