What Otter Nonsense!

Once again over the last few weeks Sea Watch volunteers have been jumping on board the local tour boats, Ermol V and Ermol VI undertaking casual surveys. Ermol VI s a two hour boat trip running South East along the coast heading towards Llangranog and back to New Quay. We’ve been taking these trips nearly every day collecting data and interacting with the public. On these boat trips we also promote the Adopt a Dolphin campaign and increase public awareness of marine mammals through our talk. These trips also act as mini surveys; effort is recorded and we scan the water just as we would on dedicated surveys. So far this year we have been lucky with many sightings of harbour porpoise, grey seals and occasional dolphins which are feeding or travelling along the coastline in the sheltered shallow waters. Occasionally we are greeted by the Ermol crew’s seagull friend George who provides entertainment for the passengers as he flies alongside the boat, and perches on the bow tapping his beak in a cheeky manner for food.

Over the past week a total of 4 dolphins, 7 grey seals and 1 harbour porpoise have been spotted.

One of our volunteers had a lucky sighting yesterday whilst on The Islander; a wildlife tour boat that also runs from New Quay. Helene saw a European Otter (Lutra lutra) feeding on a crab – could this be the one that Michelle saw? Hopefully we will have more sightings of this illusive creature over the coming weeks and we will keep you updated with these.

Sea Watch Foundation Team

www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk

Score on Radio Four

On Monday the Radio 4 reporter Tom Fielding came and visited Sea Watch Foundation in New Quay, as they intend to do a short feature about the Photo-A-Fin campaign we are running on their Today show. Tom went on Ermol 5 with one of our volunteers Claire to experience how casual survey work is carried out and she explained to him the procedure for collecting data on dolphin, porpoise and grey seal sightings. We are waiting to hear when the SWF feature will be on air and we shall keep you posted.

SWF volunteers had a practice run on Tuesday on the land based survey. We were lucky and saw two groups of bottlenose dolphins in the bay, one group consisting of two adults and the other a mother and a juvenile. They were busy feeding for the hour we watched them. The land based survey is designed to provide SWF with information about dolphin movements around the harbour area, how they utilise it, how often and it will also provide data on how boat traffic affects them.

Finally, Sea Watch Volunteers are excited at the possibility of conducting a dedicated search for dolphins on Friday. The intention is to leave from Aberystwyth and focus our survey in the northern SAC of Cardigan Bay. Fingers crossed that the forecast stays fine!

Sea Watch Foundation Team
www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk

DEDICATION PAYS OFF!

The week started brightly in New Quay with the volunteers gearing up for a potential all day boat survey on the Thursday if the weather forecast held true.

The forecast changed and the trip rescheduled for Wednesday - a 07:30am start. We awoke early, fingers crossed for calm weather and the heavens were certainly shining for us. We boarded 'Dunbar', pushed off the quay, right on time and it was all hands on deck to get equipment set up, GPS turned on and the first two 'spotters' in position up high on the roof.


We travelled out west then headed south along the Ceredigion coast admiring large flocks of gannets (Morus bassanus) plummeting into bait balls. After two hours we finally had our first spot - four adult bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) feeding. We followed the dolphins, recording their activities, admiring their dexerity as they dived deep in pursuit of their prey, effortlessly leaping from the water. Once we were sure we had all the information we needed we
moved on leaving the dolphins to enjoy their mid-morning meal.


Heading north now, chasing time and tide we spotted another group of dolphns. This time three adults with a calf, once again we spent time following and recording their behaviour. This encounter was quickly followed by two harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena).


Our third encounter was a group of eight bottlenose dolphins, again with a calf and a juvenile. They were enjoying the sunshine, displaying social interactions with each other, breaching, leaping, and took an oportune moment to speedily bow-ride a large ship that was passing through the bay. Once bored with the large ship the group returned to spend time bow-riding alongside our boat.


We continued on our return leg back to New Quay harbour leaving a grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) in our wake, and were rewarded with a magnificent group of five adult bottlenose dolphins swimming and solialising.


Stretched for time we pushed on passed Bird's Rock and spotted yet another group of dolphins, but with time and tide really against us we headed on into the harbour leaving the pod to their games. With the tide too low for 'Dunbar' to dock alongside the quay, it was a climb into the tender and our gentleman skipper Graham rowed us safely ashore.

Our first dedicated boat survey was a wonderful success, with great memories already to take us through the season.

Sea Watch Foundation Team
www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk

Otter Observation!

On a windy overcast Tuesday morning (11th May) Michelle one of the Sea Watch volunteers climbed to the cliff observation point to double check with the PhD research assistants that the sea state was indeed too rough for marine mammal observations that day. As the three of them glanced down onto Bird's Rock they saw a curious sight. In front of them they saw a head emerge from the waves, binoculars to the eyes and expecting a seal's head they were taken back by a brown creature with a fish in mouth, a long tail and four legs - an otter (Lutra lutra) catching his breakfast in the surf. Next time the camera will be poised ready, as you never know what encounters you'll have at 07:50am!

Sea Watch Foundation Team
www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk

2010 SEASON OFF TO A SPLASH!

The 2010 marine mammal monitoring and research program in New Quay, West Wales has started with a huge splash!

The first six volunteers of the season have arrived and settled into life by the ocean. Following an intensive week of training the casual watch boat surveys began. Everybody was excited when they were told of the first boat survey training outing on Ermol VI (http://www.newquayboattrips.co.uk/).

All aboard and equipment in hand the Ermol VI headed out on an hour trip south down to Cwmtydu (Seal Bay) following the beautiful rugged coastline. Rain began to fall but it didn't dampen the spirits of the bolunteers who were rewarded with the season's first official sightings of a harbour porpoise (Phocoena phoconea) and two Atlantic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). Further sightings of both species have been recorded throughout the week, with seals in abundance.


It is estimated that the UK is home to approximately 30% of the world's population of grey seal, with about 5,000 found in south-west Wales. They can usually be seen surfacing in the water while feeding or hauled out on the rocks sunbathing. The males (bulls) can grow up to 3m in length and weigh up to 300kg. The females (cows) are much smaller growing to 1.7m and 150kg. An estimated 66 pups are born in the secluded bays of the Ceredigion SAC in autumn each year.


Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have also been observed this season feeding in New Quay harbour and off shore from the cliff top viewing point, which is great news as Sea Watch Foundation researchers believe that some portion of the population spends the winter in north Wales and come back during the summer months.

In other new, the Sea Watch team continued their winning streak in the Queen's bingo last night - congratulations Michelle!

Sea Watch Foundation Team
www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk