Volunteer Blog
And now i hand over to our very capable volunteers who have compiled todays blog.......!!!
It was the third day of surveying aboard the Gemini Explorer for this years WDCS moray firth survey work. Unlike the first two days the weather wasn’t quite as cheerful as the volunteers. The rain didn’t dampen our spirits, too much. It also didn’t bother the cetaceans as we saw both minke whales and a harbour porpoise. We couldn’t stay out for the full survey period as the weather deteriorated still further, forcing us to head for home early. Probably a good thing as even the wildlife was beginning to get hostile, one of the volunteers was accosted by a kittiwake whilst on cetacean watch.
Claire on watch port-side!
While the day lasted it was eventful with a few sightings. There weren’t many birds out and about although the weather may have accounted for that. The swell picked up and the bow watch position became a considerably wetter place to be. Dodging the waves became a more and more difficult task until at last we were forced to abandon the bow watch post. Even with all the rolling and bouncing there was still time to catch a quick nap in between shifts, probably for the best as we prepare for a sunrise start tomorrow. We’ll be braving the weather but maybe more importantly 4 am, for another chance to get on the water and make the best of the time we have.
Nicola on bow-watch - before the weather turned...and not being attacked by a kittiwake!
It’s certainly been a hard first week with a number of important lessons for the sea life volunteers learned, not least the best place to feed the fishes from. Hopefully though we’ve all adapted to life on the open seas now, meaning that the fish might be hungry but the sightings have definitely been on the up. Tragically though we are running low on ginger biscuits and the team aren’t sure how we will cope without them.
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But kudos to the people who did their best to save him.