June 8th is World Ocean Day

The Safari really hopes that perpetrators of the despicable deeds in Ireland we featured yesterday get their come-uppance today...or at least very soon! Human greed is a terrible thing and those seal murdering fishermen might perhaps look to their own previous fishing exploits to explain the lack of fish they’re experiencing now – do they not realise one net-full is probably more fish than a couple of seals could eat in a lifetime?

Apparently a fisherman in that area recently brought in 80 boxes (not sure how what weight of fish is in a box and there must have been some horrific by-catch using a bottom trawl for all those fish) of Monkfish, many had been ‘damaged’ by seals. Hang on a mo isn’t Monkfish on the MSC list as barely sustainable.  No problem that we strip the seas clear of life then fill it back up with plastic, sewage, radioactive particles and chemicals – out of sight out of mind and we can always blame some innocent species or other.

Maybe there is a little hope as today is World Oceans Day, which you all knew – right? Hopefully(?) it will raise awareness of the state of the worlds seas and the creatures that live in and depend on them and that includes us.

Before we go on to today’s news yesterday’s mystery seaweed was identified as Channelled Wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata), so called because the fronds curl up and show a groove along them which we noted under a magnifying glass this morning. Another species not officially recorded from our stretch of coastline. Must have a check to see if we can find it growing in situ on the seawall as a new colonist if not it’ll have been washed in from somewhere else.

This morning we drove down the hill and on reaching the prom saw that the sea was like a mirror with a dark and brooding clouds hanging low across the horizon suggesting near to middle visibility was going to be A1 but towards the horizon it would fade to a grey-out. We could hardly wait to get to work and get the scope out. On the way we passed R’ouzel Puddle where a new species for the ‘site’ was poking around the litter – a Black Headed Gull, interesting as there aren’t too many of them being seen at the moment as they are on their breeding grounds; not far away but obviously far enough hence the recent dearth of sightings on the beach.

Nice to start with a ‘new’ species but better was to come...

The sea was glassy and as flat as an ice-rink, a Great Black Backed Gull sat at least two miles away never once disappeared behind a wavelet or swell. Visibility was as perfect as predicted. We scanned and saw very very little...somewhat disappointing. Scanning again we first found one Grey Seal then another...not bad.

A few Cormorants fished close behind the low water surf but we didn’t see yesterday’s Great Crested Grebe and there were no terns.

We continued to scan and from the very edge of the field of view saw a dark shape and a bit of a splash in the distance that didn’t look at all Cormoranty. Nothing came up as we concentrated on the spot so we scanned a little left and right and JACKPOT a dorsal fin of a Bottle Nosed Dolphin broke the surface then another..and another...ohhhh boyyyyyyyyyy what a ressssuuullllttttttt on World Oceans Day too!!!

We watched as long as we could and finally decided there were at least six of them. They fished actively breaching on several occasions – this was a GOOD morning. They moved southwards and scanning in front of them we caught sight of a Harbour Porpoise fin rolling in to the shallow depths...two cetacean species in one day – someone somewhere was smiling on us!

A few gulls congregated over the feeding dolphins and eventually some Sandwich Terns came by but bird of the session was a winter plumaged Red Throated Diver going north.

Realising the dolphins were probably going to stick around we dashed back to the office for the camera...

We watched in awe for as long as we could but eventually had to tear ourselves away and go back to the office :-(

Lunchtime obviously couldn’t come round fast enough but would they still be about??? The stars of the show were nowhere to be seen when we got out but a brisk onshore wind had picked up with the rising tide and it was now quite choppy out there.

We soon picked up a flock of Manx Shearwaters and couple of minutes later another small flock...the tally for the watch ended at 81 north and five (double counted?) south. In between Manxie flocks were single Gannets, ten in all all going north. Two distant Swifts were an unusual find way out to sea, whereas a pair of Eiders going south were far less unusual.

Close inshore about eight Sandwich Terns and four Common Terns plunged in to the shallows over what was the beach earlier this morning – we never saw one come out of the water with a fish though.

Our final sighting of the watch was an auk sp; we had resolved to stay out until we’d got 100 Manxies in the notebook but they seem to dry up after the five southbound ones had gone through.

So nothing over –exciting at lunchtime but we can’t grumble, not after the earlier safari!

Where to next? A trip to the wilds of the far north of Safari-land may be on the cards tomorrow – not wildlifing but supporting our Rob on one of his cross country runs...no doubt there’ll be something of interest provided the weather holds out.

In the meantime let us know what’s got the juices flowing in your outback.

Might be back in a bit with a bit of video if we can suss out how to edit a few short clips together...