What a great morning bridge watch the ORCA passengers had on Dan Sirena!  The hanging bridge provides excellent views over the sea. The current high pressure system and gentle SE winds also provided us with a lovely flat sea.  First a porpoise was spotted riding the bow wave under the bridge and we watched it head away from the ship from the window on the port side.  Next a whale rolled over near to the boat with a length of approx 10 metres and a small dorsal fin this was probably a Minke whale.  Passengers also saw a small pod of dolphins out to sea and from the desciption they were likely to be Bottlenose dolphins.  To top off the hour we watched a Grey seal  porpoising alongside the ship.

All was not quiet on the bird front out to sea or on the boat.  Little auks have been seen on the last 2 trips.  They are an Arctic breeding species usually seen in the Atlantic in Winter but they can be pushed into the North Sea by Autumn gales.  Big rafts of Razor bills were lifting off the sea along with a few of their close relatives the Guillemots. 

There were great views of a migrating Great northern diver (Loon), heading south.  They are often solitary in Winter passage and can have a sea food as well as a fresh water diet. 

At breakfast passengers eating their breakfast watched a Woodcock flying round and occasionally resting on the ship.  This large wader is a relative of the snipe.  Their cryptic orangey brown and black pattern provides them with excellent camouflage in their woodland habitat.  As a crepuscular bird they are less often seen out at sea mid morning!

A few smaller birds may have had a detour east on their southwards passage-as listed on board with us going into Denmark was a Redwing, Greenfinch, and a Blackbird.  Although these species are not full migrants some individuals may still head South.

Lots of waders and Brent Geese could be viewed feeding on the inter-tidal mudflats as we entered the Harbour at Esbjerg.  But only adult 1 Common harbour seal was seen on the haul out with  one more in the harbour.  On the next trip ORCA passengers will head to Sonderho on Fano to investigate the other seal Colony at the South of the island.

The trip back to Harwich carried some more stowaways heading South-West including a female Blackbird, a Song thrush and a Robin.  As one of the few ships out at sea we also had a number of Herring and Greater black backed Gulls following us all the way into Harwich port.

Another fantastic wildlife mini cruise on board the Dana Sirena was had by ORCA passengers on the October 21st trip out from Harwich to Denmark.

The early morning deck watch saw a Skylark heading west.  The eastern populations of Skylarks are more migratory with others just moving down to lowland wintering areas.  As an open heathland and farmland passerine they are under pressure due to habitat loss and changes in farming practises.  The force 6-7 easterly were not ideal conditions for the smaller migrants to fly, but the Common Scoters (sea-going ducks) seemed to have no problems travelling out in mid-ocean.

During the bridge watch we spotted a few groups of Razorbills flying through.  Members of the Auk family they are seen on our coasts nesting in the Summer but are very much oceanic birds the rest of the year.  Razorbills have been recorded diving down to over 100 ms in the pursuit of their fish prey.  Luckily considering  the weather  conditions they are also the stronger fliers of this group!  The other highlight was to spot a group of Manx shearwaters shearing close over the peaks of the waves.  These are the most common of the shearwaters seen here but few take the Southern North sea route. 

Coming into the harbour of Esbjerg only 5 Common seals were seen on the sand bar that regularly has a mixed seal haul-out numbering up to 200 Greys and Commons.   A  common (Harbour) seal did pop up in the harbour at the back of the ferry where the props mix up the sea-bed providing it with an ideal foraging opportunity.

Arriving in Denmark the ORCA passengers and I headed over to the Island of Fano and were rewarded with crows mobbing a raptor near the quay.   Crows mob these predatory birds out of instinct as competitors for food and space.   The eagle-like-buzzard bird was identified as a Rough legged buzzard  The crows continued to mob this Northern Europe visitor everywhere it went.  The raptor’s regular hovering action and broader wings and black terminal tail band distinguishes it from the common buzzard.  If you get a close look you may also see its feathered legs- an adaption to colder habitats.

There are still a good number of Eiders and Shelducks in the harbour travelling down from colder regions.  Out on the mudflats we had great views of the Brent Geese feeding after their migration from their breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra.

With only a couple of trips left this Autumn for ORCA passengers we are looking out for some more great wildlife encounters in the North Sea.

Kathryn ORCA Wildlife Officer

'man meets the sea' sculpture

Back on board the Dana Sirena for my very last trip of the year. On the voyage across to Esbjerg I conduct an early morning deck-watch checking for any birds which may have alighted on deck during the night. I spot fulmar and gannets and a guillemot at sea. Later that morning I gave my PowerPoint presentation in the Lighthouse cafe. The talk we give on the work of my organisation ORCA (Organisation Cetacea) and our partnership with DFDS Seaways is vitally important. It allows us a platform to convey to the wider public the problems that the marine environment faces in our modern day. There are signs that climate change and over fishing are affecting the marine eco-system and the behaviour of animals that depend on it for survival. Our work allows us to interact and educate young people whom are the ‘next generation’ who will be the future decision makers and ‘managers’ of our Planet. We try to enthuse children about science. We endeavour to encourage people to take an interest in issues affecting the marine environment be it from over fishing to pollution whether its from marine litter or noise pollution. We ask people to take actions in their daily lives, however small, to reduce waste, recycle and re-use materials. We give people facts about whales, dolphins and porpoise to inspire them to develop an interest in this fascinating group of animals. Its all very important to us in our work as wildlife officers.

 

On arriving in Esbjerg there are many things that you can do of interest. As wildlife officers we generally take people on the short crossing to the delightful island of Fano for a nature walk and a visit to the quaint little town of Nordby. A local attraction in Esbjerg which is well worth a visit is the ‘Fisheries and Maritime Museum’ ( in Danish its ‘Fiskeri-og-Sofartsmuseet’) which is situated just a couple of kilometres on the outskirts of town. Here you can learn about the nature and human history of the region and the importance of the intertidal mudflats of the Wadden Sea (Vadehaveet in Danish) for shorebirds and wildfowl. The aquarium is fascinating and you can even ‘touch’ live fish. There is also an outside pool containing a number of harbour seals and a grey seal and these are fed daily at 2.30pm. There is an excellent shop for souvenir’s and a cafe if you wish to dine. The centre is open daily between 10am-5pm (1st Sept-30th June) or 10am-6pm (1st July-31st August). The entrance fee is 85 kr in low season or 100 kr (kroner) in high season. The entry is ‘free’ for young people ‘under 18′. please follow the link to the museum’s website :- www.fimus.dk

Whilst there and just a short distance away you can also visit the large white sculpture of the 4 men. These 9 metre tall statues are called ‘Man meets the sea’ and they are a prominent feature as you enter the port of Esbjerg. They are visible from the sea up to 10 kilometres away. The sculpture  was designed by Svend Wiig Hansen and they portray the ‘meeting between pure, unspoilt mankind and nature’ or you may indeed have a different perspective of the sculpture in your own mind!

To get to the Fisheries & Maritime museum and the sculpture I took the bus no. 5 from outside the port terminal to the main bus station and then you can either take the no.6 or no.10 bus to the museum. I understand that you can also catch buses 1, 3 or 8 but please check with the bus driver.

Why not just chill out in the many cafes and bars in the town. Whatever you do in Esbjerg have a good time!

Elfyn Pugh

Volunteer Wildlife Officer

It’s early October and I’m back on board the Dana Sirena as a volunteer wildlife officer. I was helping out Dylan Walker of the eco-tour company ‘Planet Whale’ who had 22 guests on a joint DFDS Seaways/Planet Whale ‘Miracle of Migration’ mini-cruise. Kathryn Driscoll the ‘official’ on-board wildlife officer was also part of the guiding team. We had a great time on board on our crossing from Harwich to Esbjerg spotting oceanic seabirds and some migrating land birds at sea. However the highlight of this trip was a full day we spent birding on the glorious island of Fano using the services of the local bird expert Kim Fischer. His identification skills were absolutely awesome. We took the short ferry ride to the island at the crack of dawn and witnessed the sun rising above the horizon it was fantastic. This is the peak period for bird migration with birds moving from their breeding grounds in northern or eastern Europe to warmer climes or where there is better food availability. Whilst on the island we saw a phenomenal migration of land birds mainly passerine (perching) birds of the finch and thrush family. On our voyage across the north sea we had some birds alight on the deck of the ship which included a blackcap, a meadow pipit and even a grey heron! These movements across open areas of water pose a hazard to migrating birds and many perish in the process so they welcome a temporary rest on board a moving ship. During our ‘Miracle of Migration’ cruise we recorded no less than 98 species of birds which is exceptionally good. We also saw harbour and grey seals and some of the group had a brief view of a porpoise.   

Elfyn Pugh

Volunteer Wildlife Officer

The calm seas have brought with it some great sightings of porpoise recently from the Dana Sierna with a group of 3-4 animals moving close to the boat on the last 2 departures from Esbjerg port.  The Ferry is an ideal high  platform for viewing and we could even see the white on the porpoise bellies!

The warm weather has lead us to venture further into the wildlife habitats of the Island Fano which we visit each trip with orca passengers.  Fano the most northern Finsish island in the Wadden Sea is due to become part of the National Park in 2010.

With one group we saw a spotted flycatcher, a common lizard, a sparrowhawk and lots of Fritilliary butterflies including the High Brown which is large with a spotty pattern.

More butterflies followed the next hot walk over the dune system of Fano with migrant Painted ladies and  Red admirals still on the wing alongside the resident Small tortoiseshell and Brimstones.

The last trip we took the longest walk yet and were rewarded with a close encouter with two doe Roe deer.  These animals still had there summer red backs and with the rut just ending a stag may have been nearby.

The numbers of Northern migrants passing through the Southern North Sea are increasing with up to 10 Eiders spotted near the island, bartailed Godwits and other visiting wading birds flocking to the mud flats to feed.

The most exciting event for me is by far being a witness to the East-West and North-South Migrations.  The first flocks of Brent geese are viewed flying high over the Ferry and small migrants including a grey wagtail, meadow pipet and a garden flycatcher hitching a ride on board for our East to West voyage!  Having the opportunity to watch these birds land on the top deck early in the mornings, probably tired from their journey, often taken in the darkness for safety from day predators.  And then to see them take off with their first sense of land on the other side towards  the South is a very special sight to see.

The migration season continues with mid and late migrants due to start their journey.  ORCA are marking this event with a special 2 day trip to Fano at the beginning of October to witness the passage of these birds and learn more about their migrations.

Beth – M.s. King of Scandinavia

Well what can I say, now the season has come to a close! The time ORCA has spent onboard M.s King of Scandinavia seems to have gone so fast.  We have achieved a lot in the six months we were onboard.  The Big Fish Project (encouraging people to buy fish from sustainable sources) was a hit with fabulous feedback from passengers that have pledged to take part.  We had some memorable sightings of the incredible wildlife that can be seen in the North Sea, we met some wonderful passengers and made some firm friendships with crew as well as changing even some of the most challenging of opinions.  I lost count of the number of times I was told that we would never see anything of interest sailing across the North Sea, well I think we definitely disproved that theory during the course of the summer!

As this is my final blog I would like to take this opportunity to thank all at DFDS Seaways for the unwavering support that ORCA has received.  This includes the staff that work ashore who never got to see us ‘in action’ but still plugged away on our behalf.  The crew onboard deserve our thanks too for putting up with two rather quirky WO’s.  Although I am sure some crew never got used to us either rushing out of the mess hall, binoculars in hand if anything remotely interesting happened to fly past the window, the fact we would be up at a ridiculous time in the morning to stare out at water and who were also dressed for winter no matter what the weather was like.

Anyway thanks guys, the King of Scandinavia proved to be a lovely home for us for the summer.

Beth – King of Scandinavia

A little glimpse of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park

Sometimes it’s nice to get ashore and stretch ship bound legs and I most certainly did that today.  Wanting to make the most of the late September sunshine I packed a picnic, grabbed my binoculars and camera and went off to the National Park Zuid-Kennemerland.  What a delightful (although leg aching) day.

As the leaves begin to fall it becomes easier to spot the birds flying through the thinning canopy and sitting on the barer branches.  I had my best view of a great spotted woodpecker and it made a change looking at woodland birds as opposed to the seabirds that we see on a daily basis.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

So close to the path!

We also came across the herd of shaggy, big horned cattle that roam the park; they were sitting right next to the path – fantastic.

On the ship I identify birds by sight as I rarely get to hear the seabirds call but being in the forest reminded me of how important it is to get to know the sounds of the various species.  The forest can be a very noisy place and by listening to the different cheeps, chirrups and chirps it is possible to work out what bird is in the area and where.  Thankfully I had someone with me who was far better at identifying by sound than I was which meant that overall I got to see a lot more.

After stopping for a picnic and a well-earned rest we made our way back to ship stopping only once for an ice cream.  Deservedly so, we did walk for over 5 hours and I am determined to drag out every last summer’s day.

The strong winds continued and turned westerly so ORCA passengers Jane, Toby Erin and Fin joined us for a rolling crossing from Harwich over to Esbjerg.  I was very pleased to have Cait from ORCA joining me as a fellow Wildlife Officer on this trip.  Cait is passionate about seeing cetaceans and carries out lots of beach cleans in her home town.  We need to all try and cut down on all the marine litter we produce such as plastic bags, and other disposable items like cotton buds, cigarette butts, tooth brushes etc etc etc.  Seabirds are often found dead with their stomachs full of plastic items and little else!

Cait and I were joined by Toby on deck in the early morning to watch the sea birds;  including artic terns, young fulmars and some adult gannets that were loosely circling ahead- when Cait spotted a blow.  Unfortunately we did not see what made the blow but the most likely animal is a Minke whale. 

Later on the bridge the next morning we were watching the young gannets, (always worth doing as an excellent indicator of what lies beneath!) – when one hoovered and investigated something moving away from the ships wake.  At a closer look we saw a dark small triangle shaped fin- of a porpoise!  I have seen harbour porpoise many times as I am leaving or arriving into ports, but never out in the ocean.  The North sea being an unusually shallow 50-60 metres max, provides a similar habitat to that found in coastal seas.  Gannets do seem to be interested in what other species are doing such as the porpoise-who hunt for dimersal fish; but its not until the larger dolphin pods are bringing the bait balls to the surface -that they really start gathering, circling above and frantically diving.

Going into the Port of Esbjerg a 100s of Common scoters flew by in groups of 6-50  and a flock of Brent Geese flew high overhead.

Our trip to fano was memorable for the storm waters flooding the pavements and the fields.  It was here that we had are most unusual sighting of Moon jellyfish in a field.  They had been pushed over the sea wall by the combination of strong westerlys, spring tides and the storm.  Moon jellies are common all along the coasts of Europe (although not in fields!).  They are round with a purple rim and 4 reproductive organs in the middle- in the water they absorb UV light and make a nice illumination.

On the return journey we counted 75 seals on the sandbank- with such a different range of sizes seen between the Greys and Commons; as well as the males, females juvenilles and pups.  Species that have harems have a big size dimorpism; as the males have to compete for females to breed with, and to hold their territories.  We refer to this as “beach master activity” and it is seen during the breeding season at Grey seal haul outs.

Another harbour porpoise was spotted out to sea during the bridge watch making this a very successful trip for cetaceans even in sea state 4-5! 

The sea birding highlights of this trip were  Arctic and Sandwich Terns, Arctic skuas, an auk spp. and possible Leches storm-petrel-a rare bird in the North Sea.
The waders seen on Fano include bar tailed godwit, greenshank, redshank, ringed plover, turnstone, oyster catchers, curlews, sandpiper curlew, whimbrels.  With  20 swallow and a few swifts still flying along the shoreline of Fano you have to admit we had some good sightings!

Hello my name is Kathryn and I am one of the Wildlife Officers on the Harwich-Esbjerg route this Autumn. 

My first trip out from the Channel across the North Sea to Denmark has been a great experience.  I was lucky to have really enthuastic ORCA passengers, as well as Mathew and Rachel from the  ORCA survey team, on board with me.  Leaving Harwich harbour Common terns were feeding very close to the ship.  Later on during the deck watch we spotted the different gulls and watched as the juvenilles  followed behind still begging their parents for food. 

During a deck watch we had a fantastic a view of 50+ Common and Grey seals on the sand banks approaching Esbjerg. 

The weather has certainly been challenging this trip,  around force 8-9; but the Gannets, flocks of sea ducks (Common scoters), Artic terns (longest migrants) and a few migrating waders were fantastic to see.  Mathew ORCA volunteer surveyor from his position high up on the ships bridge saw an Artic skua carrying a fish and later he saw a close up Great skua.   

The ORCA passengers took the little ferry over to the Island of Fano where the starlings had begun flocking, creating spectacular patterns in the sky, as more and more small flocks joined up.  Starlings come together to roost after the breeding season-finding the best places to feed and spend the night-to have  safety in numbers.  In between squalls and showers we watched a very close Cormorant on a rock drying its wings ready to dive for fish again.  Cormorants have less oil on their feathers compared to other seabirds and are often seen on rocks  spreading their wings to dry. 

The return journey from Esbjerg took us back past the seals with 25 of them still out of the water digesting their food and resting.  We hit a storm further out to sea with very strong SW winds slowing the ship down by 3 hours! The 6 metre swell had the oil and gas platforms bobbed up and down as the boat pitched and fell.   

The sunshine in the morning brought us out on deck  for some more seawatching.  Gary the youngest ORCA passenger (10 years old) managed to spot a manx shearwater and was also a wiz on the Gannets ages now. 

The strangest wildlife pointed out by a number of the passengers on the Dana Sirena were the large amounts of ladybirds (5 & 7 spotted) that we had on board the ferry.  I  had read about their population explosions in places such as Norfolk so are these the furthest migrants from there, or is the same thing happening in Denmark now?

I would like to thank the ORCA team, Gary, Pat, Jon and Christine; and the other Dana Sierna passengers, for sharing all their wildlife experiences with me-making this a very memorable and enjoyable first trip.

Minke whale

The season is starting to come to an end for me on M.s. King of 
Scandinavia but the North Sea never seems to let me down I have had 
some fantastic sightings over the past 6 months from big pods of 
Common dolphins to fantastic views of Puffins and Gannets.

But I have to say my favourite of all is when I spotted the Minke whale 
It is such an elusive species making it such a joy when you get the 
chance to view one.

I was in the ORCA centre on the 6th of September, I was talking to a 
couple of passengers who I had previously met on departure on the 
Observation deck at the front of the ship. We were wishfully looking out the window talking about the Cetaceans 
of the North Sea and the impact of fishing and our Big Fish Project 
(information can be found on the ORCA website) when all of a sudden 
one of the passengers said “what’s that?” We only got a brief view and 
at a guess I had a feeling it was a Minke by the shape of the dorsal 
fin, luckily though it came up again, where we had the best view I had 
all season. The best thing about it though is the passengers have 
never seen a whale before and the lady said it brought a tear to her eye. I 
know how she feels I get a rush of excitement every time I have an 
encounter with a cetacean they are such amazing animals.

Rosie
Wildlife officer