Another Successful IBTS Cruise

ORCA’S surveyors report back on another successful IBTS cruise!

For the last three years, ORCA has participated in the International Bottom Trawl Survey by placing marine mammal observers on the participating vessel, Thalassa. The ship is owned by the French research organisation IFREMER and its through our partnership with them that ORCA can offer volunteers such a great opportunity! This year, six volunteers took part on te survey in the North Sea from the end of January to end of February. They report below on life at sea….

ENGLISH CHANNEL, IBTS 2007: FIRST LEG REPORT
By Marco Ballardini

January the 27th, 2007
After a long journey from Italy, passing through Marseille, Lyon, Paris and Rennes, I’m now in Brest, a very important maritime centre on the edge of Brittany. Walking towards the port, just crossing the borders of downtown, I can see a nice research vessel docked in the commercial harbour.... it’s IFREMER’s M/V Thalassa. It’s cloudy but not raining which is lucky as it’s going to take a long time to reach the vessel through such a labyrinthine harbour!

I’m an ORCA marine mammal observer and I’m here to join the French scientific staff aboard Thalassa, participating in the first leg of the 2007 International Bottom Trawling Survey (IBTS). Such an international campaign is held in the North Sea and neighbouring areas every year, thanks to an agreeement among seven different nations. During its first week at sea, our ship is meant to operate in the English Channel, investigating the fish stock status in the eastern sector of the area.
I’m happy to be back on board. I have a good souvenir from last year in the North Sea and I’m sure I’ll find the same pleasant atmosphere.

This time, I’ll work together with Olivier Van Canneyt and Gregoire Certain, two scientists from CRMM, La Rochelle University, France. I’ve never met them before, but, as I’ll discover later, they’re both smart guys and we’ll work as a very good team. A girl from Estonia and me are the only foreign people aboard the ship!

M/V Thalassa docked in Brest © Marco Ballardini

January the 28th
Leaving time: 8 o’clock. The 2007 IBTS cruise officially begins! M/V Thalassa moves a few miles south, stopping in Douanenez Bay, where we’ll pass the whole day setting up the research equipment of the ship. In the afternoon, according to mandatory safety rules, we are all involved in emergency practises. It’s quite funny to see everybody trying to wear emergency wet suites properly! At the end of the day, I go to sleep looking forward to start watching at sea…can’t wait for tomorrow to come!

The coast of Brittany © Marco Ballardini

January the 29th
“Bonjour!” It’s still dark on the bridge, but the three of us (Gregoire, Olivier and me) are ready for the party… M/V Thalassa will be sailing East in the English Channel during the whole day, first passing close to the Channel Islands, then along the coast of Normandy…no fishing is scheduled for today, so we can spend many hours observing from the monkey island.

Channel Islands © Marco Ballardini

Once north of Cherbourg, our first marine mammal sighting: a group of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus is slowly swimming far away on our right side! It’s definitively good news. We have to keep in mind, however, that finding marine mammals at sea at this time of the year won’t be an easy task. On the contrary, we have the chance to observe hundreds of marine birds, belonging to several species.

Adult Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) © Marco Ballardini

Juvenile Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) © Marco Ballardini

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) © Marco Ballardini

January the 30th
Early in the morning, a rope of the plankton net is cut accidentally, which causes a delay to the trawling activity. Sea state improving: with flat calm sea, we are much more likely to see any marine mammal appearing at the surface of the sea. According to stranding records for the area, we expect to observe at least some harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena). Despite such good conditions, only gulls, kittiwakes, gannets and many guillmots fill up our sighting forms today. In the evening, I participate in the activities of IFREMER biologists, helping measuring fish (mainly herrings and sardines).

January the 31st
We’re now sailing in the eastern part of the Channel, not far from the Picardy. Unfortunately, sea state has turned to 4 since early in the morning strongly affecting our observing capabilities. Nevertheless, we keep encountering an incredible amount of marine birds. They often take advantage of the discarded fish as a very easy prey. Gannets in particular seem to be proud to show us their very well known diving skills. At sunset, we’re in sight of Boulogne-sur-Mer, where we’re expected to dock in a couple of days.

February the 1st
With sea state back to 2, it is an easier life for us. In the morning, Thalassa is fishing around 20 miles south of Hastings. Visibility is poor, no more than 3.5 miles. In the afternoon, we pass very close to the UK, just 10 miles SE of Dover. Another day with marine birds as our faithful cruise mates. While sailing W, we can appreciate a simply wonderful sunset: the french coast is visible on the left, Great Britain on the right.

February the 2nd
A foggy morning close to the English coast. Several fishing boats are at work in the area, when something suddenly appears low at surface between two of them. It’s fast moving and no dorsal fin is visible... we’re very far from it, but we’re pretty sure it’s a seal. Another marine mammal sighting can be added to our list. At 1 p.m. sea state is 1... a very good condition to watch the guillemots and razorbills that we keep encountering until the very end of our journey. We dock in Boulogne-sur-mer soon after 5 o’clock p.m. Dispite our efforts, no harbour porpoises were seen during the whole week. I’m actually a little sad to be about to leave M/V Thalassa, but I’m also happy to have had the interesting experience sailing in the English Channel.
My special thanks go to many people: ORCA Organisation Cetacea, IFREMER staff and the Thalassa crew, Yves Vérin (Head of the IBTS project), Olivier and Gregoire. Hope to see you all again in the future!

To read a report on the rest of the cruise click here
Please note: The report is a large Word document so will take some time to download.