Page 40 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #02

The Celtic Explorer
is a multi-purpose
research vessel run by
the Marine Institute.

Welcome distraction:
common dolphins
interrupted Mike’s dinner
by riding a bow wave.

bridge. For the first hour of my first day of 20 like waiting for proverbial
days onboard, I alternated my admiring gaze London buses… you see
between compass and blue jellyfish slipping nothing for ages, then
past in our wake and the terns, guillemots everything turns up. Will –
and puffins seeing us off the premises. one of the Marine Mammal
The nuts and bolts of camera assembly Observers (MMOs) on
took up most of the rest of the day until board – spotted a frenzy
at
over
metre
laden
ejected
dinner time, when we retreated to the mess of diving gannets over a kilometre awayaway moisture-laden air being ejected at over
air
moisture
being
with our new shipmates. No sooner had we on the port side. Food tends to be patchily 300kph before quickly condensing when
sat down to eat when the call of “Commons!” distributed throughout the world’s oceans, it hits the cooler air. “That’s 100 per cent
crackled through on the ship’s radio. Racing meaning diving seabirds frequently represent humpback,” Will shouted.
up to the bridge roof with our binoculars and the most visible tip of a ‘feeding iceberg’ Even from great distances, the shapes of
filming gear, we were treated to terrific views lurking just below the surface. these blows can be distinctive enough to
of these extrovert, enchanting dolphins as a Sure enough, in addition to splashes from identify the heavy breathers. Will went on
small pod rode our bow wave. the plunging seabirds, we picked out flashes to explain that dense, mushroom-shaped
The most abundant of all cetaceans in the of common dolphins as they tucked into what blows are usually diagnostic for humpbacks.
north-east Atlantic, the common dolphin was obviously a large shoal of fish. Next, a Unfortunately, our sighting was too far from
makes up for its diminutive stature with huge blow from a whale erupted in the the ship to persuade the captain to change
astonishing agility, frequently leaping clear middle of the meleé. The exhalation course for filming purposes. We returned to
of the water. No other cetaceans in British or of a whale as it surfaces to empty our now-cold dinner, happy in the knowledge
Irish waters are as adept at showing off their its lungs is a wonderful that there would be more to come.
characteristic features, which in this case are sight, and consists of
pale flanks, a dark back and a hooked dorsal 5 JULY: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
fin. In essence, these dolphins are First order of the day after breakfast
2m-long show-offs! was an interview in the crow’s nest
As the Celtic Explorer steamed towards r with ‘Humpback Will’, where he
the setting sun and deeper water, we revealed the tricks of his
should have reminded ourselves that Mike jumps cetacean-spotting trade. At
watching wildlife can sometimes be behind the lens 18m above sea level, the
for a change while
on board the ship.
40 BBC Wildlife February 2018