Dolphins put in an amazing appearance today at the end of a Seal Survey and completely stole the show.
Here is the video Chris (Atlantic Diver's skipper) took
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202331756307661&l=5417023402595672036
Six Celtic Bottlenose Dolphins appeared like magic at our bow emerging from the brown muddy sea. The water visibily down west was still poor unlike off Newquay , where the sea was back to azure blue as the storm merk has cleared. It made spotting the 3.2m Dolphins fairly tricky but we managed to captured a few of their surface breaths on film to share with you.
Chris slowed down our speed to a gentle crawl as they had 1 juvenile and what looked like last year's calf with them. The adults became impatient and began to use their tail flukes to physically thump "Atlantic Diver's" twin hulls from side to side, (a phenomenum we have experienced before) as if to say …hurry up we want to play. Chris kept a steady and sure path as is suggested in WiSe ( wildlife safe operator guidelines) and left the pod after a short while to continue our seal survey.
A solatary pretty female Grey Seal popped her head up during all of the Dolphin Dancing as if to say .."Hey this is supposed to be a Seal Show!" but she wasn't alone as we saw other Seals in various stages of moulting as we travelled the coast.
It was a fantastic day at sea, starting off before sun up. The Breeding Seabirds are back in good numbers which was pleasing to see after the huge amount that have been washing up on the North Cornwall Coast dead , after the destructive and seemingly never ending storms. It was most satisfying to see them today in the Glorious sunshine perched on their ledges ready for breeding.
Our Friends from Koru Kayaking joined us today to enjoy the Marine Wildlife at its best and we shall be taking part in a kayack trip with them shortly to share their guiding of North Cornwall….What a great place to live or visit, there is so much Marine Wildlife to enjoy. Tomorrow we shall join with other ourdoor providers to decide how best to view our spectacular Cornish Wildlife withour causing Disturbance , so that we can Champion it , whilst ensuring its' very future still exists!
A second trip of the day saw Bottlenose Dolphins this time a little closer to Newquay, still actively foraging….WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sea Safaris are currently running as 2 hour trips but if anyone wants a longer trip to view North Cornwall Wildlife over an extended trip please get in touch on 07860927833 and we can arrange a bespoke package.
Lucky us living and working in stunning Cornwall.
Happy Dolphin Day!!!!!!!!!!
The new Tag-A-Turtle partners the” Cornwall College Green Team” are holding a Fund Raising Event at the Mermaid pub in Newquay…see link.. http://www.tag-a-turtle.co.uk/events.html
to help the Tag a Turtle project secure enough funds to purchase a satellite tag to attach to the next Blue Reef rescued and rehabilitated Loggerhead Turtle when it is well enough to be released. This will provide important information as to the released turtles journey and help conservationalists decide the important areas of the Marine Environment to protect to help conserve these enigmatic creatures. Atlantic Diving..sisiter company to Newquay Sea Safaris and Fishing is one of the official sponsors to the project and wholly recommends supporting their event whilst having a great time too!See you Saturday night!
For the enjoyment of those who don’t dive …a little glimpse into the underwater world of Newquay’s amazing Marine Wildlife courtesy of Matt Slater and Thomas Daguerre of Hydro Motion C.I.C taken during a Cornwall Wildlife Trust Sea Search Dive from onboard ” Atlantic Diver”
We ventured just west passed our newly designated Marine Conservation Zone…”Newquay and the Gannel” to dive where the swell is usually too interesting to explore, but on this night , conditions were just perfect with 15m plus underwater visibility, revealing the jewels of the gullies as Fried Egg Anemonies, Jewel Anemones, Dead Men’s fingers, Spider Crabs, Edible Crabs, Leopard Spot Gobies, Tompot Blenies, A Gurnard, Topknot, Ballan Wrasse, Huge mussels covered in Fluorescent Jewel Anemonies , Devonshire Cup Corals .
An absolute wow moment during our “Seal Cove Safari “when the rare inshore pod of Bottlenose Dolphins appeared in Newquay Bay just as we left Newquay Harbour.
The Iconic group were 5 adults , 1 juvenile AND ….wait for it …1 tiny very pale, almost white calf.
It was adorable ..actively hunting like a big grown with the well establish group of Dolphins. They head lopped, tail slapped and bubble blew as they herded the fish into a bait ball.
We have been catching large mackerel in the Bay for the past few days so we were guessing that’s what they were catching.
Our delighted passengers were silent as they were mesmerized by the tiny calf who was so excited.
We stopped and watched from a safe distance as recommended by WiSe (Wildlife Safe) so not to disturb the pod.
It was magical watching their hunting strategies. They drove the shoal towards us and used the vessel as the fish took refuge under us to gather the fish up alongside, affording us great close views
After a short while we left to continue our marine wildlife expedition seeing seabirds and seals only to find the pod chasing over to us some one and a half hours later as we returned and cruised across Fistral Bay. ..three short beaked dolphin heads broke the sea’s surface right in front of the Headland Hotel and peaked at us, excitedly swimming and leaping across the world famous surfing bay to the boat. I guess they had fed well and wanted to play as they surfed in “Atlantic Diver’s” bow wave.
https://t.co/VhFgs8HFL7?amp=1
Only a month ago we had been involved in retrieving the dead carcus of a large adult male BND believed to be called “Overhang” from New Train Bay as volunteers for Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine Strandings Network Volunteers and British Divers Marine Life Rescue, so it was so good ,after such a sad experience to see that the dolphins are breeding.
We are so fortunate to have our own inshore pod of Celtic Bottlenose Dolphins
Their numbers are very low compared to historical levels and many wildlife experts are concerned for their future. We all need to do all we can to help these beautiful and charismatic Dolphins survive.
All our photos and data has been sent to Cetacean experts who are recording sightings historic and new.
If you see any dolphins the details of date ,time ,location and number of animals can be sent with any pics ( taken without flash) to
“The Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (ERCCIS) “ so the population health can be monitored.
As the weather warms up our sea safaris will be running daily
Contact www.newquayseasafarisandfishing.co.uk 07582 466 122
A group of work colleagues who work in jobs in the Marine Sector had the most amazing Marine eco-tourism adventure ….Cage diving and free diving with the iconic blue sharks that at this time of year migrate to UK’s habitat rich Cornwall with sea temperatures an impressive 18 degrees c .
As the group work in the marine sector… the marine environment is their passion and they chartered Chris Lowe aboard adventure Dive Catamaran “Atlantic Diver” from Newquay Sea safaris and Fishing to become one of the lucky few here to experience the slinky sharks known as “Wolves of the Sea” as they often hunt in packs and scavenge mammalian carcass as well as small fish, other sharks and cephalopods.
Nina Godsell the group leader had swum with whale sharks in Mexico and was hopeful to experience a close encounter of the sharky kind with Newquay’s “Blue sharks ” experience which would be eco-friendly to the shark, being aware of The Shark Trust’s campaign “No Limits” https://nolimitsnofuture.org/ which attempts to limit the catch to sustainable levels in EU waters by using scientific data on 5 species of shark including the blue, before they become a threatened species, as has happened with the Porbeagle
The shark expedition left historical Newquay harbour but ventured far off shore away from swimmers and surfers where the pelagic ..ocean going sharks drift through and forage.
Nina was exuberant and explained … “ it was breath taking being in the sea with my favourite shark and it was not like watching it on the TV or seeing a picture in a book as there was more of an emotional attachment almost a bond and was a privilege to spend time with the 1.7m female in her natural environment.”
The group now wish to support raising awareness of the blue shark’s plight highlighted by Chris and were keen to learn that Newquay Sea Safaris and Fishing were part of five collaborators
Newquay Sea Safaris and Fishing
Newquay Marine Group
Polzeath Marine Conservation Group
St Agnes Marine Conservation Group
And Cornwall Seal Group and Research Trust
forming Cornwall Marine Micro Plastics Researchers, undertaking the first UK #TRAWLSHARE project with 5Gyres, which aims to gather marine micro plastic samples from the seas surface along the North Cornwall coast to produce data on its presence and possible effects on the food chain ,of which the Blue Shark is top predator. It is believed toxins from plastic pollution in the body is concentrated at the top end of the food chain.
It is National Marine Week 28th july-12th August and the spectacular blue shark encounter/sighting will be sent to the #NWDW2018 (National Whale and Dolphin Watch Week 28st July -8th August) sightings data base at the Sea Watch Foundation, alongside the 2 Harbour Porpoise that swam passed feeding at the same time as Atlantic Diver drifted through the chum slick and multiple sightings of common dolphins one of which was a calf with Foetal folds , crease lines across the body where the dolphin was folded in utero….A real treat for the shark tourists to see.
Chris Lowe who also rescues Marine Life with British Divers Marine Life Rescue ( including a blue shark) earning him the nick name “Whale Rider” to the amusement of the group, has been offering these shark expedition trips for the past 10 years and is concerned over society’s increasing plastic use in everyday life. He hopes that helping to forge a caring attachment between humans and sea creatures through real life encounters ,done without causing disturbance ,will encourage people to really try to reduce their plastic use daily. He is a member of Richard Peirce’s Cornwall Cage Diving Operators Association which follows code of conduct for swimming with sharks to ensure good practise by experienced operators that shark tourist can look for when wanting to ensure sharks’ wellbeing.
Surfers Against Sewerage campaign #plasticfreenewquay have some great ideas to help people along and are all working as a community towards plastic reduction use in Newquay.
To book onto a shark experience contact Skipper Chris Lowe through www.newquayseasafarisandfishing.co.uk. Trips will be running through to October whilst the sea is still warm.
Katie’s first seal jump
Just outside the Harbour…
Sadly a Sperm Whale Live Stranded on Perranporth Beach a few miles west of Newquay which was the first female to have starnded in the UK since Strandings were recorded.
As Senior British Diver Marine Live Rescue Marine Mammal Medics in Newquay Chris and I were on our way to attempt to disentangle a young Grey Seal at a local seal Haul out site when Dan Jarvis our Area co-ordinator sent out an immediate call to action to go to Perranporth Beach where a Sperm Whale had just live Stranded….I thought maybe I had misheard and repeated “Sperm Whale?”….as the Cornish Coastline isn’t an expected area of Sperm Whale Foraging, certainly not this close inshore, as they would usually hunt cephalopod, (squid )and fish deep off the Continental shelf but the females usually staying with calves in the area of the Azores .
The huge Beautiful Female was lying on her side as we arrived and we immediately assessed her condition before working as a team to keep her body cool in the blazing July sun. Its was tragically difficult as there really isn’t much can be done when such a huge Cetacean Strands…there body’s just aren’t designed to be out of the water and all her weight was crushing her internal structures as she lay helpless , tide still racing in! Within 2 hours of stranding the 38ft marine mammal took her last breath, confirmed by BDMLR vet. It was very emotional.
People flocked in their hundreds to see this magnifiscent and rare to our waters whale, as the team recorded her size and appearance for Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine strandings and readied her for Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme post-mortem the following day.
