Another awesome trip, ultimate in every sense, with 10 definite species of cetacean recorded! Our 2007 cumulative total of cetaceans is now in excess of 11,000 animals!

Highlight was a Northern Bottlenose Whales plus 32 Fin Whales, 26 unidentified large rorquals, a possible Sei Whale, 4 Sperm Whales, 6 Cuvier’s beaked Whales, 2 Minke Whales, 39 Common Dolphins, 347 Striped Dolphins, 4 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 4 Risso’s Dolphins, 155 unidentified dolphins and 2 Harbour Porpoise.

Other marine life included 3 Ocean Sunfish and 75+ small tuna species.

Seabirds included 7 Sabine’s Gulls, 19 Sooty Shearwaters, 4 Mediterranean Shearwaters, 1 Pomarine Skua, 3 Arctic Skuas, 29 Bonxies and 2 Storm Petrels.

Migrants recorded on or from the ship included another incredible record of a ROSE-COLOURED STARLING - our second record onboard Pride of Bilbao plus Turtle Dove, Grey Heron, Meadow Pipit, 50+ Swallows and 2 House Martins.

Highlights in Spain were an out of range LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER, another 2 RED-BILLED CHOUGHS and another juvenile WOODCHAT SHRIKE - plus Booted Eagle, Sparrowhawk, 6 Red-backed Shrikes, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Redstarts, 5 Black Redstarts, 1 Garden Warbler, 3 Whitethroats, 1 Melodious Warbler, 5 Sardinian Warblers, 5 Cetti’s Warblers, 4 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Whinchats and 10 Serins. A staggering 17 species of butterfly included Swallowtail, Short-tailed Blue, Queen of Spain Fritillary, Mallow Skipper, Cleopatra, Adonis Blue and Clouded Yellow.

Other wildlife included Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Jersey Tiger Moth and 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.