With activities adapted to our own abilities, this is a great opportunity to have a diving experience. Orca, one of europes leading whale and dolphin conservation charities, work with brittany ferries, to help passengers travelling to spain on board the cap finistere and pontaven vessels, get the most out of their journey by experiencing the amazing wildlife that lives in the bay of biscay. What youll see on a whale and dolphin cruise brittany. Of the 8 or 9 times i have sailed across the bay of biscay id say the first was by the far the worst and we werent really crossing, rather we were leaving the bay having picked up the boat, a 50ft jeanneau from saint. Trevor day counted more than 300 off france and spain. The whale most famously associated with the bay of biscay is cuvier s beaked whale, seen so frequently in the area that its regarded as the premier location for sightings of this species, worldwide. Large storms occur in the bay, especially during the winter months. You dont have to venture far to see some of the worlds largest marine mammals. A conservation charity has warned of rising numbers of ship strikes after a dead whale was caught on the front of a cargo vessel. Would like to stay in spain for a month so passage weather obviously priority but would like it to be pleasant but not too hot at the other end. Of all the sea crossings around the british isles, this is considered one of the roughest. Wspa news spring 20 by world animal protection issuu. This site uses cookies to improve your experience, to enhance site security and to show you personalized advertising.
Orca has been surveying the bay for many years, so passengers will have the very best experts on hand, making sure that they get the most out of their wildlife experience. Given an average travel speed of 25 knots and the large size of the ship, the mv pontaven ferry is. Scuba diving in the waters of bay of biscay oarsoaldea. The first person to run whalewatching tours in the bay of biscay, he has now crossed biscay. Organised whale watching occurs principally in the south of the spanish mainland tarifa and malaga and all seven of the canary islands, and to a lesser extent in the bay of biscay cantabrian sea. The bay of biscay is a gulf of the northeast atlantic ocean located south of the celtic sea. The 2night minicruise will begin in plymouth, crossing the bay of biscay to santander, the. Our route takes us through the english channel and down along the edge of the continental shelf, a rich feeding ground where dolphins and pilot whales can often be found. During our return trip we voyage across the english channel and deep waters of the bay of biscay. Orca partner with brittany ferries to offer our unforgettable sea safari trips each summer, taking lucky groups of passengers across to santander to showcase some of the wonders of the ocean that can be seen right on our doorstep. Scuba diving in the waters of bay of biscay buceo donosti offers the best way to discover the underwater landscape and habitat of this area without being an expert diver.
Supernumerary teeth observed in a live trues beaked whale. Rare giant basking shark tracked by satellites after. On the pride of bilbao on which we travelled, there was a dedicated team of whale recorders who were sponsored by the line. Brittany ferries wildlife officer programme bringing you. Nigel marven was a special guest on our trip and it was great to. Chris packham and nigel marven help ispy whales in the. The bay of biscay is one of the best places in europe to see whales and dolphins. Im in the bay of biscay, that large swell of water off the west coast of france and directly above spain. This record presents new details on this data deficient species, their appearance and behaviour. We saw numerous dolphins and a fin whale the second largest whale after the blue whale.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This is the first conclusive trues beaked whale sighting in the northeast atlantic and builds upon previous mesoplodon sightings that are likely to have been trues beaked whales in the bay of biscay. Parts of the continental shelf extend far into the bay, resulting in fairly shallow waters in many areas and thus the rough seas for which the region is known. It measures between 62 and 76 feet in length females are generally larger, with the longest recorded animal spanning 85 feet long. Mid summer, july into september, is the best time for seeing the bigger cetaceans like fin and sei whales, when they come into the bay to feed.
Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. By clicking on or navigating the site, you agree to our use of cookies. June to september is the regions whale watching season. There are an estimated 9,000 fin whales in the northeast atlantic and many of these are found in biscay, particularly in august and september. Sperm whale sperm whales are capable of holding their breath for more than two hours. Pdf a dynamic model of the bay of biscay pelagic fleet. Fin whales are one of the most numerous of large cetaceans, having recovered from the ravages of commercial. Cast your line into the deep sea and kick back while you wait for something to take your bait, or fish overside while the boat motors on. Distribution of the three most sighted species fin whale, common and striped.
So what is it like to sail across the bay of biscay or. Portsmouth santander plymouth bay of biscay cruise. Commercial car ferries crossing the bay of biscay from britain and ireland to spain and france often pass by enormous blue whales and much smaller harbor porpoise. Our cruises take you through the bay of biscay, a world hot spot for marine wildlife and birdlife, with 31 of the worlds 85 whale.
Some 77 basking sharks were spotted in 2017 from february to september, with most seen in the bay of biscay and around 24 spotted in the mediterranean. Whale and dolphin watching in the bay of biscay youtube. Over a third of the worlds whale and dolphin species can be found in the bay of biscay as well as many bird species. Position, swimming direction and group size of fin whales. As of 2017, a total of 76 tour operators with 106 vessels of different carrying capacities offer tours throughout spains territorial waters. The first person to run whale watching tours in the bay of biscay, he has now crossed biscay and the english channel more than 200 times. The bay of biscay is really nice in terms of whale watching.
It lies along the western coast of france from brest south to the spanish border, and the northern coast of spain west to cape ortegal, and is named in english after the province of biscay, in the spanish basque country. An accomplished author, photographer, and tour guide, walker now works for whale and dolphin conservation charity orca, and coowns ethical ecotourism business planet whale. Voyages across the bay of biscay, and on to the canaries, offer great opportunities for whale and dolphin sightings, as well as seabirds of course. The bay of biscay is home to some of the atlantic oceans fiercest weather. Last year a special whale watching mini cruise run by brittany ferries in conjunction with the cetacean charity orca delivered a once in a lifetime moment with the sighting of a blue whale, the largest creature on our planet. In winter, fin whales are not present in the bay of biscay as they migrate to more southern locations. Since 1995, over 21 species have been recorded in these waters more than a quarter of the worlds total, including rissos and bottlenose dolphins as well as various species of whale. The bay of biscay is not for the fainthearted, so it was with some trepidation that i boarded the pride of bilbao boat on a threeday return cruise from portsmouth to bilbao in northern spain. The fin whale is the second largest whale in existence weighing between 45 and 75 tons. Norway is the heart of killer whale watching in europe. Spend a full day bobbing on the bay of biscay in beautiful basque country with this deepsea fishing or whale watching excursion from bilbao. Twenty four species have been reliably recorded, either at sea or stranded on shore in this area, which is more than a quarter of all of the worlds species, making these waters some of the most important in the world for cetaceans. The greatest tours for whale watching throughout europe. Little known fact about the crossing and one they dont advertise for obvious reasons, is that the bay of biscay is home to lots of dolphins and whales.
The bay of biscay has been found to be the centre of highest cetacean diversity in the northeast atlantic. The response to the closure of the european anchovy engraulis encrasicolus fishery in 2005. The bay of biscay, off spains northern coast, offers superb whale watching opportunities, with the magnificent scenic delights an added bonus. Im on a ferry boat, standing on its top deck in a windproof jacket, thick fleece, waterproof shoes. Did the afternoon whale watching trip with seasmoke. He spent the next ten years conducting research and raising awareness about the conservation priorities for the region. Anyone who joins a whale watching trip will never forget it. In between dives, they may lie on the surface as they catch their breath.
Pdf spatial distribution of cetaceans in the bay of biscay and. In august, the dolphins will move further north and will be replaced by the worlds second largest fin whale. Whale and dolphin watching cruises with orca brittany ferries. Whale watching works heres your weekly update from myself, andy, and heather your wildlife officers on the brittany ferries flagship, the pontaven. Brittany ferries now operate 2 sailings weekly although i have never been a particularly good sailor, the promotional literature suggests the pride of bilbao is a smooth, fully stabilised vessel and one of the most luxurious ships in. Orca uses cruise liners, ferries and other vehicles as whalewatching platforms. In biscay this late in the season, whales are fewer in number and tend to congregate more towards the south of the bay but we still had sightings of fin and possibly sperm and even a blue whale as. Dylan walker was the first person to run whale watching holidays in the bay of biscay and instantly fell in love with the place. Are there any whale watching trips offered along the basque coast. It was a pleasure to travel with these guys professional and friendly service from time of booking through to the time we arrived back and took off our dry suits. Whale watching works brittany ferries wildlife officer. Ferry passengers have been treated to bumper numbers, with regular ispy cruises reporting an increase of 54 percent in sightings, compared with the same number of trips last year from 2,065 to 3,186 animals.
Fin whales occur in all oceans of the world, and most populations are at least partially migratory, moving from warmer wintering grounds to cooler high latitude waters but usually below 60 0 such as the bay of biscay to feed in summer. Seasmoke whale watching alert bay 2020 all you need to. Commercial car ferries crossing the bay of biscay from britain and ireland to spain. A dynamic model of the bay of biscay pelagic fleet simulating fishing trip choice. Biscay whale watching with brittany ferries the online. Large whales of the bay of biscay and whale strike risk organisation cetacea charity registration no 1141728 3. As if spains natural beauty, cuisine and culture werent enough, it is also a wonderful whale watching destination. Ive read that the basque country, in the past, had a whaling industry. In biscay this late in the season, whales are fewer in number and tend to. Welcome to your spring edition of wspa news, the magazine for world society for the protection of animals wspa supporters. Success rates in finding whales or dolphins on these tours is generally high. Off the south coast of ireland, humpback whales and fin whales are regularly seen on organized whale watching trips between july and. Our triangular cruises take you through the bay of biscay, a world hot spot for marine wildlife and birdlife, with 31 of the worlds 85 whale and dolphin species having been recorded in the bay. Six days ago, as we crossed the northern continental shelf of the bay of biscay, heather and i came across a group of more than half a dozen beautiful, jet black, long finned pilot whales.
Biscay is also home to an abundant seabird population so youre sure to have a memorable trip we can never guarantee what youll see, but youre sure to see something. Visit france, take a whale watching vacation to france, and enjoy a whale watching trip in france. Whale and dolphin watching cruises with orca brittany. Whale watching in the bay of biscay tetrapod zoology. Why you dont need to venture far to see the giants of the deep blue sea. Its been a summer to remember for whale and dolphin spotters travelling through the bay of biscay. After a quick stop in gernika, where you will learn more about the basque history, we will pass the biosphere reserve of urdaibai, to reach mundaka, a charming little fishing village and one of the most famous surfing spots in europe. Download the report for full details of these and the many seabirds spotted during our.