Manx Whale & Dolphin Watch Online Diary - June Report

June is often a difficult month; it always rains and blows for Glastonbury, the mud is an essential tradition. Wimbledon too gets washed away and I’ve even know it snow for the Chelsea Flower Show – so I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised by the June we have just had.

Still, it’s just the start of the season, but we did see some amazing animals – lots of Risso’s dolphins as well as a big surprise as the sea erupted right by our boat and a huge sea monster appeared – there’s a picture later to prove it.

We did get a number of days surveys completed, 5 in fact, rather than the 10 we had hoped to do – here is a flavour of a typical day’s survey.

Bright and early, we assemble at the Battery pier in Douglas outer harbour. We’re watching Robin-the-boat fill ‘Hot Totty’ with the day’s diesel.

Once we’re aboard, it’s a safety training session for that day’s new crew of observers

Two Primary Observers on the flybridge

Throughout the whole day, two observers man the flybridge. These are the Primary Observers and they record everything they see, whales, dolphins, porpoises, seal, basking sharks and if they are really lucky, sunfish and leatherback turtles.

Independent Observer

In order to calibrate the ‘efficiency and performance’ of the Primary Observers we use an Independent Observer who scans and surveys the sea at the same time. The Primary Observers cannot see the Independent Observer nor can one tell what the other has seen. After the Independent Observer has made and recorded a sighting the Independent Observer asks the Primary Observers what, if anything, they have seen. If they have, what, where and when – and so any sightings can then be cross referenced.

New helmsman…..?

‘Robin-the-boat’ not impressed by his new driver

There are 4 people on watch at all times, the two Primaries, the Independent and the Effort Recorder. Here is Nick between spells of recording the Effort.

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The Effort Recorder is responsible for maintaining the record of the Survey Effort, type of Effort and other relevant data.

Every 15 minutes, environmental conditions are recorded, sea state etc, as well as the boat’s position, course and speed. We also record any other boats or ships in our forward vision.

As the survey progresses, each new leg begins a new record. At the start and end of each of the Line Transect legs we record the Sea Surface Temperature – SST, using a calibrated thermometer.

Lunch break for those off watch while Eleanor scans the sea.

I spy Whale!

Minke surfaces by the boat

Suddenly, within metres of the boat a Minke whale surfaces – hard to tell who’s more surprised. We slow down and stop, getting just a few glimpses of the whale as it surfaces to breathe – and then it’s gone.

Minkes can swim at speeds up to about 35 km per hour ~ 10 metres per second or more. They can appear and then disappear – just like that.

The surveys cover all the waters around the Isle of Man and reach out as far as the 12 mile limit. For much of the time we are way off shore, but as we track along our Transect Lines we approach all the various parts of our coast.

Here we are near the Chicken rock, looking at the Calf and the disused lighthouses.

The old lighthouses - now disused - on the Calf

June has been a difficult month for surveying, but we have had just over 100 sightings on the trips, an indication of the wealth of whales and dolphins around the Isle of Man.

You must remember that we are not frequenting the known hot spots where we could spend hours watching lots of different cetaceans. This is a scientific survey that covers all the waters equally – and there’s a lot of sea out there.

All these cetaceans are very rare and endangered species, any encounter is a privilege and to see so many animals scattered throughout the waters of Mann is really exciting.

The Cetacean Survey spends one day in each of the 8 Survey Boxes in turn. After completing one circuit of all 8 Boxes, we begin again on the next circuit. Each day’s survey takes 8 to 10 hours and during that time we cover over 100 nautical miles.

If we manage to complete all 40 surveys and all the alternative routes in each box, we will, in theory, have sailed within 750 metres of every inch of Manx waters out to the 12 mile limit.

Approaching Peel Castle during a survey of Box 7

Some survey routes get pretty close to the shore

All the surveys finish back in Douglas from where they started. ‘Hot Totty’ takes just over an hour to return from Peel – a fast and useful feature that allows us to get home quickly if the weather suddenly turns.

Back in Douglas, the end of another survey – tired and happy. Here is Robin thanking us for joining him on ‘Totty Tours’ - as the surveys are beginning to be called.

Goodbye and thank you for sailing with "Totty Tours"