This was the first regular survey after an inaugural survey at the beginning of August. After a speedy and friendly check-in, we enjoyed an injection of caffeine as the ship departed the berth. We were invited to go up to the bridge as the ship passed through the entrance to Poole Harbour where we were greeted warmly by Captain Ivar Niit and his bridge crew. The crew kindly established a workstation for us with a table and chair. The latter proved useful to rest legs without stopping surveying, the former provided a place for our forms and gear plus for afternoon tea and cakes and late afternoon baguettes which made surprising, but very welcome, appearances.

Passing Old Harry Rocks and Swanage outbound, we were soon seeing birds, mainly Razorbill but also Gannet which were to be the predominant species of the trip. We also saw a few Guillemot and the sole Fulmar of the trip. Continuing to the south, we crossed the shipping lanes and watched a couple of Swallow heading south on migration.

As we approached Alderney, we encountered our first large group of birds – Gannet of different age groups but with a high proportion of juveniles which was encouraging to observe – a couple of Manx Shearwater were also present. A group of Common Tern was a welcome addition to the trip list.

Passing Guernsey and Sark on our right, Jersey appeared to the south, and we were privileged to be allowed to stay on the bridge as the ship picked up a pilot and proceeded to enter St Helier harbour. Watching the Captain and crew turn the ship in its own length before backing into the berth was fascinating.

The Captain kindly treated us to lunch, and we enjoyed a bit of down-time in the restful Premier Lounge before returning to the bridge for departure. Sailing north, we soon encountered a large gull flock which also contained Gannet and a few Manx Shearwater. A Grey Heron was observed flying low over the water, at a surprising distance off-shore. We then came across another large group of birds, straight ahead. They took flight as the ship approached, making ID and counting difficult but we made estimates of 120 plus Gannet and at least 30 large gulls, the majority of which appeared to be immature Herring Gull. There were also a few Manx Shearwater, and we had a fleeting glimpse of a probable skua, most likely an Arctic.

Scattered Gannet sightings continued, interspersed with a second group of Common Tern. This was followed by the avian highlight of the trip – a Sooty Shearwater passed close-by in front of the ship giving excellent views of the silvery underwings and allowing us to appreciate its larger size compared with the Manx Shearwater that we’d seen previously.

The better weather on the return trip allowed us to see features on the Dorset coast as we approached; auks made a reappearance and Gannet sightings continued. Our final sightings of note were two Mediterranean Gull as we approached the entrance to Poole Harbour. We concluded the survey as we entered Poole Harbour and enjoyed stunning views of the sun setting behind the clouds, throwing down pillars of light.

Members of the crew were kind enough to share their sightings from previous trips including videos of bow-riding dolphins but also photos of a Sunfish in Poole Harbour – a fascinating record.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Captain, his crew, and all the staff onboard DFDS Levante Jet for their friendliness and hospitality, and interest and professionalism throughout our time on board; we very much look forward to surveying on this route again.

Chris Hilder and Jol Mitchell, Research Surveyors for MARINElife (Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367)

Weather
Southbound: cloudy with good visibility, wind SSE force 3, sea state 3
Northbound: bright with good visibility, wind SSE force 3, sea state 2-3