Another superb trip with the highlight for most being a lunge-feeding Fin Whale being bow-ridden by Striped Dolphins! Cetacean totals were 14 Fin Whales, 16 unidentified large rorquals, 7 Sperm Whales (a pod of three and a pod of four), 1 unidentified beaked whale, 1 unidentified medium sized whale, 9 Pilot Whales, 1 Risso’s Dolphin, 90 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 57 Common Dolphins, 500 Striped Dolphins, 114 unidentified dolphins and 29 Harbour Porpoise.

Other marine life included an Ocean Sunfish and a shoal of unidentified Tuna.

Birds recorded from the ship included 1 Cory’s Shearwater, 3 Manx Shearwaters, 6 Storm Petrels and 13 Bonxies. In Spain we recorded Griffon Vultures, Sardinian, Fan-tailed and Melodious Warblers, Serins and Red-backed Shrikes.

11 species of butterfly included Adonis Blue, Long-tailed Blue, Clouded Yellow and Cleopatra. We also recorded several Hummingbird Hawkmoths.

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.