September 16, embarked on Santurtzi seventy-four enthusiasts looking for a new marine adventure. We also accompanied a team as formidable witnesses Digital + TV. This time the weather forecasts were not very hopeful. A "Cold Drop" to put on orange alert in northern peninsular and the incessant rain that fell last night made us fear a last journey by water. However, paradoxically, as we drove north, we ran of water-laden clouds and even enjoy the first day sun.
This good weather with light winds materialized NW F2-3 did we had a sea devoid of the characteristic "lambs" that hinder the location of cetaceans. And that we checked, the average time to go, with a group of a dozen bottlenose dolphins.
At the edge of our cliffs, to the vicinity of the abyssal depths of over 4,000 meters, appeared, as they have throughout the summer, the ubiquitous Cuvier beaked whales. We got to see and enjoy three copies. Also, in these ocean waters, we passed with mixed groups of common and striped dolphins was jumping in the distance a beaked whale weighing several tons.
Cuvier's beaked whales
Dolphins list
However, among the staff of ornithologists the greatest enjoyment came with pelagic birds among which stood out for their good comments, capirotada shearwaters and Sabine Gulls. He once observed a pair of skuas parasite attack as many of these American gulls. Also saw the first season dwarf gulls and how powerful a Kestrel flew southbound and sixty miles still to go nautical.
Shearwater capirotada
This day we had an interesting respite from the wind until five in the afternoon, when veered to NE F5-6 and saw that it was the prelude to what awaited us the next day in the Canal. But before the evening we visited the ship a pair of gray flycatchers, white washers and even robins that seemed to presage the arrival of a small water front and the sea wind decorated with a collage of yellow-gray preceding the sunset.
The next day we woke up shortly before turning O'uessant Breton Island. The NE wind was blowing hard and came forward. But the sea "wind" that raised waves over a meter barely moved the boat. Although this wind if it hurt us when watching wildlife channel ... especially cetaceans, we failed to locate. However
Pain if they kept us entertained. We saw more than a hundred copies and were able to identify common and abundant Leachs dozen. Also highlighted, by number, the larger skuas and kittiwakes, as well as some common murres and fulmars. This day we went at sunset to Portsmouth. As we approached the entrance channel we passed a cruise that from a distance looked like the "Queen Mary" but that turned out to be something similar in size to the "Bloody Mary".
After reaching land and take a few pints in a local near the terminal, boarded again an hour before midnight, when we start back to the sea. The wind, this time the stern, and the current took us in "flying" all night dawn five hours before leaving the Canal ... The third day, as usual, never disappoints. It was literally unbelievable. They were only nine species of cetaceans during the day.
observers began to go up on deck quarter minutes before sunrise. The first surprise of the day we get along on the upper deck. Seeing the light resting under two dozen outbreaks of three species of land birds, Yellow Wagtail, White Wagtail and Wheatear.
Robin
The NE wind was abating gradually until disappearing completely. Both sailboats even had to dip into the motor to navigate. Before leaving the Canal we were entertained with the spectacular gannet fishing with a group of bottlenose dolphins, a minke whale to step aside and be showcased with a jump out of the water and the elusive ... porpoises with their small size went unnoticed for more than one.
Alcatraz
minke
seabirds however did not disappoint. Leach's storm-petrels and common good were to be seen with telescopes, and a pair of Wilson were delighted when, with characteristic cruising, betrayed their presence. Also the powerful flight of the fulmar, Pomarine skuas, Manx shearwater and dark, kittiwakes and great skuas abundant.
But where the madness began O'uessant navy was at the turn and get into the Bay of Biscay. The journey of the boat to surf Santurtzi makes the rich waters of the French platform and go along for several hours the sea cliffs, outcrops the many nutrients that these waters come to life. And what if "hallucinations."
At two hours of leaving the Canal ... we started seeing small groups of porpoises. The sea was calm, like a plate that did not move or wave, favored to easily find a score of these small cetaceans.
porpoises
Numerous groups of bottlenose dolphins and long-finned pilot whales and a small herd of 8 gray whales made us run around the deck to the stern flocked to see their dorsal fins high and dark, Sabine's gulls and the incessant charges of common dolphins we had great fun until you get to the deep marine canyons.
Long finned
common dolphins
most amazing thing was what happened just eleven minutes after and during six minutes. It's one of those behaviors that fascinate ethology and strangers. The life and death. The struggle for survival ...
A group of only a dozen copies of long-finned pilot whales swimming alone when the distance an impressive six-foot dorsal fin of an Orca high ... no doubt moving at great speed towards the whales. Swimming without diving with the fin protruding out of the water. Other shipmates were not only that, but saw another one that swam in the same way and more to the right.
We missed this performance because it is known that whales orcas face planted and are they are scared. But what was really happening is that there was a group of approximately ten or fifteen copies of bottlenose dolphin that swam among the two groups ... but surprised not to see them cut and run its fatal enemies. What they did was swim fast to the boat, the whales approached with whom they interact regularly.
wanted to keep separate Orcas. We saw two fins, there were probably more under the water doing other tasks ... like wolves when they prey on their prey. But dolphins probably chose not to flee, knowing that it was the death knell for the weakest of the group, opted to seek the protection of whales.
This behavior, never previously observed. The British saw the same thing but not seeing the dolphins flee thought there were orcas. But we were a few of our large group of those who saw the flap over two meters of a large male. And we test how smart are these beautiful creatures.
When emotions experienced after the day believed that it was ending the first big blows came from the second to be bigger there. The fin whale, but only saw the great spine of one of them. But they were half a dozen sperm whales which led the cheers on board when they took their square and huge queues at the stall to the depths.
Cachalots
But when we thought nothing could surprise us was to see the "sad" spectacle of the crowd, and at night, in the ship's disco. We were also faithful witness it. And to round sing the anthem ... a matter of Elton John that comes as a glove. " "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" (why you call us SAD).
So I can say only my love Yolanda Ozaeta, Jus Pérez, Unai Fuente, Oscar Llama ... I said you are triplets, Marco Escudero, sisters Amparo and Sandra Martinez, Mari Jose Marquez, Yasmina Annichiariararararico, Natalia Franco, Miguel Rey, Antonio Xend and the overgrown, Anxo Xend, Agustín Egaña, Mercedes Abad, Jose Maria Salazar, a good ornithologist and better painter Juana Vilches (... in the end fell), Milagros Rial, Montserrat Gorria, the machine Beatriz Ramos Carlos Gutierrez and ... oh! Andalusia and the climate, Maria Reyes Grau ... or Sonia?, Luis Aleixo Alaponteloszapatos, Andrew Requejo and their hormones, Jose Miguel Garcia, Francesc Giro (a pleasure and a luxury), Adolfo Cadin, Joseba Torre always remove, Concha Morena Jesus Ramos, Javier Ferreres in extremis, Javier Ardanaz, Alvaro Diaz, Antonio Lastra, Jesús Blázquez, Marina Alonso, Ramón Martín heartfelt thanks, Ignacio Ponton, Jose Miguel Martinez and go five, Carmen Freire, Javier Sinovas and this year was, Jose Antonio Lopez ... singing in the shower, Andrés Bermejo all for his girls, Fernando Sanchez-Biezma, Yolanda De La Sierra ... those big eyes!, Ibarguchi man, Gerard Stuckler, Maria Angela Pascual, Jesús Manuel Antón, Ana Jesús Baquero, Beatriz Martin, Oscar Echevarria Francisco Santamaría, Ruth Layana, Oscar Carazo Gallinule, Fernando Guerrero, Ricardo Perez, Perujo, Marika Zattoooooooni, Alessio Fariooooooooooooli, Marta Josa and photos of sad, Kalo and his creature, and Jose Agustin Narbaiza league win again, Jose Luis Rivas, Angela Garcia, Teresa Del Campo, Javier García-Oliva a pleasure, Jorge Fernandez frog, Enric Morera, Jaume Morera and Jaume Aldoma a real luxury three, Sonia and Manuel Fernández and "Birdbrain" Javier Gallego ... Señooooooooooores estoooooy very proud of you all.
Gorka Kind regards Leisure