I was pleased to meet Chris and Sue down on the quay in Sagres, as we made our way in to Marilimitado's office for our short safety briefing. As a change today, we were not embarking the 'rib' but a larger cruiser and climbed onto the upper deck which gave excellent all-round views. Increasing speed on clearing the harbour, the skipper contacted the vessel traffic services in an attempt to locate any passing trawlers, fishing the continental shelf. Here we might find seabirds feeding on discarded fish. On our way out to the nearest trawler, a single Balearic Shearwater passed across our bows. It was a beautiful morning with a slight swell and before long, we were met by shoals of Bottle-nosed Dolphins. They must like performing for our benefit as they threw themselves into the air - far too quickly for my reactions, but you get the idea! The next shot was long distance but more dolphins were seen speeding towards us like racehorses over the waves. Nearer the trawler, the birds were mostly Yellow legged and Lesser Black-backed Gulls. A single Great Skua approached briefly and Gannets were in the vicinity most of the time. While continuing to work this sea area, we made contact with our first European Storm Petrels and a little 'chum' over the stern encouraged some more. Seen only on these maritime trips, these small seabirds are fascinating to watch. They can fly quickly and are difficult to follow if the waves have any height, sometimes they will hover with legs dangling and give really good views. The Storm Petrel is small and shows white on the underwing, together with a completely white rump extending onto the sides. It was difficult to estimate how many Storm Petrels approached us, around a dozen perhaps. At least one Wilson's Storm Petrel came close to the boat, larger than European and showing dark underwings, pale bars on the upperwings and much longer legs. After watching these petrels and a considerable time wallowing in the swell (ahem!!), we set a course towards the Cape. It was on this passage that a Great Shearwater was seen crossing ahead of us. A large shearwater with a dark cap and white neck collar made it unmistakable, even at distance. A Cory's Shearwater then passed considerably nearer. Just for interest, I'm not sure whether my preferred vessel for these trips would be the rib or the cruiser. The rib is fast, getting you out to sea quickly, though in a choppy sea the strain on back and knees can be considerable. The cruiser was very comfortable with cushioned seats and I found the additional height lessened the chance of birds rearing into the sky and losing focus on the camera. With engines stopped I felt both vessels rolled in a fairly similar manner.
Whatever your choice, the trip is always spectacular and I'm looking forward to my next one. Comments are closed.
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