Another excellent trip with a great diversity of wildlife. 25 Fin Whales (including one calf), 55 unidentified large rorquals, 2 Minke Whales, 5 Sperm Whales, 27 Pilot Whales, 276 Common Dolphins, 95 Striped Dolphins, 5 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 43 unidentified dolphins and 2 Harbour Porpoise.

Other marine life included 4 Ocean Sunfish, a Basking Shark, an unidentified shark and several shoals of Tuna.

Birds recorded from the ship included a Grey Phalarope, 4 Great Shearwaters, 3 Sooty Shearwaters, 7 Manx Shearwaters, 70 Storm Petrels, 1 Arctic Tern, 4 Sandwich Terns, 12 Bonxies and a flock of 11 Dunlin.

In Spain we recorded Griffon Vultures, Black Kite, Booted Eagle, Cetti’s, Sardinian, Fan-tailed and Melodious Warblers, Nightingale, Black Redstart, Serin, Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Tree Pipit, and both Pied and Spotted Flycatcher.

15 species of butterfly included Spanish Argus, Adonis Blue, Holly Blue, Clouded Yellow and Cleopatra. Other wildlife included Hummingbird Hawkmoths, Heath Moth, a Stick Insect and a Wall Lizard.

The Company of Whales has been providing effort-related sightings data for ORCA for over ten years. This data has been utilised for a number of key research projects on cetaceans, ranging from the distribution of common dolphins in areas of the Western Approaches to the English Channel where they are susceptible to bycatch in fishing gear, through to new discoveries which have revealed the presence of rare beaked whales close to the Spanish coast.

ORCA is extremely grateful to the work of The Company of Whales, its guides, and staff, for gathering and submitting this information, which is essential if we are to further understand marine mammals in the European Atlantic and the threats that they face.

For further information on The Company of Whales and their Bay of Biscay holidays, please check out their website at www.companyofwhales.co.uk
E-mail the or phone their office on 01950 422483.