After an efficient check-in at the passenger terminal, we soon boarded the Levante Jet. The DFDS crew warmly welcomed us to the premium lounge, where we relaxed while waiting to be invited to the bridge. We departed from Poole ahead of schedule, quickly picking up speed and heading out past Old Harry Rocks into the channel.

Unfortunately, we were unable to survey the southbound leg. As we arrived in Jersey the conditions significantly improved, and once docked, we took the opportunity to get some air on the rear deck. We spotted a very young-looking Herring Gull chick with its parents on a nearby roof and were entertained by an interesting vehicle embarkation involving a number of classic cars.

Shortly before leaving Jersey, we returned to the bridge and were able to start our survey as soon as we cleared the harbour. Our first sighting was a group of eight Shag perched on nearby rocks, and soon we had several sightings of larger gulls plus a couple of Guillemot. As we approached the area around Alderney, we saw our first Manx Shearwater and Gannet; for the next 90 minutes or so we enjoyed regular sightings of both species.

Recent sightings of cetaceans in the waters around the Channel Islands kept us optimistic, but unfortunately, we did not record any on this occasion. As we approached the Dorset coast the pilot came on board and we concluded the survey. We watched the passage through Poole harbour as we came into dock, enjoying the gulls as they swirled around the ship.

We would like to send our sincere thanks to Captain Toby and his crew for their friendliness and support during our time on board, and for their interest in the work of MARINElife. It was a pleasure to meet everyone, and we look forward to surveying on this route again in the future.

Julie Hatcher and Helen Mears, Research Surveyors for MARINElife (Registered Charity No. 1110884; Registered Company No. 5057367)

Weather

Northbound: Overcast, Wind SW force 1-2, Sea state 1-2