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L2627 – Scenic Coastlines of British Isles

pmh0606617
Aug 29
8 min read

Click on an image to view a large version. All images were taken on the cruise.


19 August – Sail away from Newcastle

The OWE team—Mark Newsome, Victoria Newsome, Paul Hill and Julia Mottishaw—gathered at the rear of Deck 7 on Balmoral for sail-away.  The rear deck is usually the best spot on the ship for watching cetaceans and seabirds; undoubtedly the best place for showing wildlife to larger numbers of passengers, on this occasion it was full of passengers for the sail-away party. Unlike Bolette and Borealis, Balmoral has no forward viewing area, and its promenade is much narrower.

The OWE Team for the cruise (from left to right) Victoria, Mark, Paul and Julia © Philip Sedgwick
The OWE Team for the cruise (from left to right) Victoria, Mark, Paul and Julia © Philip Sedgwick

Before we had even set sail, we watched Common and Arctic Terns fishing from the quayside and encouraging their young to join them. Herring, Lesser Black-backed and Great Black-backed Gulls were also present, and we recorded our first sea mammal of the trip: a Grey Seal.


As we left port (to the strains of “Fog on the Tyne all mine all mine”), Balmoral was escorted by one of the port’s fire vessels, its hoses spraying in celebration of 20 years of cruise operations from Newcastle.

Water Escort as we left the port © Paul Hill / OWE
Water Escort as we left the port © Paul Hill / OWE

Sea conditions were slight, with a light north-easterly wind and occasional drizzle as we departed. Gannets and Fulmars soon began to appear, along with more Common Terns.


20 August – North Sea 

At dawn we were off the Aberdeenshire coast, continuing northwards towards Orkney. A Force 4 northerly wind and moderate seas, with waves just over 1.2 metres, made conditions pleasant but not ideal.


Seabirds dominated the day, with many Fulmar and Gannet flying around the ship. Small groups of male Guillemot were also evident, their chicks calling to them for food. After the female Guillemot lays her single egg, she leaves most of the care to her mate. When the chicks are about three weeks old, they leap from the nest ledge into the sea below and join their father, who then looks after them until they can fend for themselves and fledge.


21 August – Stornoway

Our first port day still allowed time for some viewing as we approached the cruise terminal. This gave us our first cetacean sightings: a small pod of Common Dolphins and two Minke Whales. We also saw Manx and Sooty Shearwaters, though only in single figures, added three Storm Petrel to the trip list, and noted a few Red-throated Diver.

Minke Whale on the approach to Stornoway © Mark Newsome / OWE
Minke Whale on the approach to Stornoway © Mark Newsome / OWE
Balmoral berthed at Stornoway © Paul Hill / OWE
Balmoral berthed at Stornoway © Paul Hill / OWE

The OWE team then went ashore, where a walk around the harbour produced several Grey Seal, Hooded Crow and Great Black-backed Gull. We watched a young Great Black-backed Gull pecking at the bright red spot on one of its parents’ bills, prompting the adult to regurgitate food. The return walk along the coastal path, through Lews Castle woodland and nearby moorland, added several woodland birds to the list, including Robin, Wren, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Redpoll. In the afternoon, a lone White-tailed Eagle drifted over Stornoway.


22 August – Scenic Cruising - Sound of Mull, Dutchman’s Cap and Fingal’s Cave.

Conditions were excellent for cetaceans and seabirds, with a light westerly wind and an almost calm sea. A pre-breakfast watch from the rear of Deck 7 produced several groups of Common Dolphin in the ship’s wake, but the highlight was a flock of around 250 Storm Petrel feeding and pattering across the water’s surface.


After breakfast, the OWE team returned to Deck 7 for the scenic cruise through the Sound of Mull, then on to Dutchman’s Cap and Fingal’s Cave. As expected, many passengers were out on deck, and we were soon showing the crowd seabirds and cetaceans.

Deck Watch whilst cruising through the Sound of Mull © Karin Sedgwick
Deck Watch whilst cruising through the Sound of Mull © Karin Sedgwick

Manx Shearwaters were present throughout the day, with more than 5,000 recorded. Other seabirds included around 300 Gannet, 250 Shag and 75 Common Tern. Birds of prey seen over land as we sailed through the Sound of Mull included three White-tailed Eagle, four Common Buzzard and a Peregrine. Several Harbour Seal were hauled out on rocks along the sound, and five Grey Seal were also noted.

 

Across the day, we had good views of at least three Minke Whale, several pods of Common Dolphin totalling more than 100 individuals, four Risso’s Dolphin and a single Harbour Porpoise.


23 August – At sea – Irish and Celtic Sea

Another sea day began with the OWE team back on deck at daybreak, around 06:00. Although the sky was slightly overcast, a light north-easterly wind and very calm sea made conditions ideal for cetacean watching. The team and other early risers were rewarded with two Harbour Porpoise and the first of many Common Dolphin seen that day. The Celtic Sea can be highly productive for dolphins, and during the watch we saw several pods, although some were quite distant. Manx Shearwaters were again present in large numbers, with an estimated 10,000 recorded. This is the UK’s most common breeding seabird, with several hundred thousand pairs representing almost 90% of the world population. Around 450,000 pairs nest on Skomer and Skokholm off the Pembrokeshire coast, so their prominence during the day was no surprise. Manx Shearwaters nest in burrows and return after dusk to feed their chicks, helping them avoid predators. Throughout the day, we regularly heard young Guillemots “peeping” to their fathers for food. More than 1,000 Guillemot were seen (including some of the "bridled" form), along with 30 Razorbill and a single Puffin.  Lion’s mane jellyfish were seen on this day and many others.


 

After the evening meal, Paul and Julia went to the front of Deck 7 and were soon joined by regular watchers as Common Dolphin continued to approach the bow, occasionally bow-riding. Looking a photographs later, a Bottlenose Dolphin was amongst the Common Dolphins.

Bottlenose Dolphin © Paul Hill / OWE
Bottlenose Dolphin © Paul Hill / OWE

By the end of the day, 180 Common Dolphin, a single Bottlenose Dolphin and a single Minke Whale had been recorded.


24 August – St Mary’s Isles of Scilly

A sunny day brought an easterly Force 5 wind and a moderate 1.2 metre swell. The OWE team made the most of the approach to the Isles of Scilly, heading on deck around dawn. Although no cetaceans were seen, the early risers enjoyed views of Manx, Cory’s and Great Shearwaters, allowing useful comparisons between the larger Cory’s and Great Shearwaters and the smaller Manx Shearwater. Six Sooty Shearwater were also recorded. The surprise find was a large Convolvulus Hawkmoth on deck, a scarce but annual visitor to UK shores from farther south.


St Mary’s is a tender port, so Balmoral anchored offshore and passengers were taken ashore by the Isles of Scilly boatmen. The swell made boarding interesting, as passengers had to time their step carefully when moving from Balmoral to the waiting boat.


Balmoral at anchor off St. Mary's © Paul Hill / OWE
Balmoral at anchor off St. Mary's © Paul Hill / OWE

We spent the day on St Mary’s around Hugh Town and The Garrison. The Isles of Scilly are famous for autumn birdwatching, when wayward migrants arrive, but August was a little early for much migrant activity. Even so, flowering ivy attracted hundreds of Red Admiral and Peacock butterflies, while two Clouded Yellow and many Holly Blue were also seen.

 

With sail-away at 17:30, we spent some time on deck before our evening meal. More shearwaters passed by, along with several Lesser Black-backed Gulls Gannets, Fulmars and Shags. Before dusk, 30 Common Dolphin came into the ship’s bow as we continued towards the Channel Islands.


25 August – Guernsey

Our pre-breakfast watch produced more than 180 Balearic Shearwater and a smaller number of Manx Shearwater as we approached St Peter Port in a light south-easterly wind and slight sea. Three Mediterranean Gull were also seen.


St Peter Port was another tender port, but the calmer sea made boarding and leaving the tenders much easier. Paul and Julia headed south along the coastal path from the port, while Mark and Victoria stayed around the harbour area with Mark’s family and a friend who were also on the cruise. Mark still managed some birdwatching, hearing a Firecrest. Before starting their walk, Paul and Julia checked the fish dock, where two obliging Turnstones were feeding on fish scraps and a shag dived for fish in dock. Nearby roosting gulls included a Mediterranean Gull, whilst on the beach Herring Gulls fed on Limpets and a Rock Pipit was feeding close by on Sea Slaters.


Along the coastal path, the cliffs were full of Buddleia and ivy, attracting Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Large White and Holly Blue. More surprising was the number of Hummingbird Hawkmoths hovering around the Buddleia and feeding with their long tongues; more than 20 were seen. An elm tree with a sap run attracted several Red Admiral, a European Hornet and an invasive Asian Hornet. As the Asian Hornet is a recent colonist with the potential to damage Honey Bee colonies, the sighting was reported to the Guernsey Asian Hornet team.


 

 A later check of the roosting gulls near the port showed that Mediterranean Gull numbers had risen to 56, including a few first-year birds. A colour-ringed Herring Gull on the harbour wall was tracked down as being a resident bird, having been initially ringed on Guernsey in 2012 and never reported away from the island. It must enjoy the idyllic lifestyle!


For sail-away, the OWE team returned to the front of Deck 7. Common Dolphins soon appeared at the bow, although they were moving quickly and their breaches were short and low, with no high leaps. More than 30 Common Dolphins were seen, and the final sighting at sunset was of three Bluefin Tuna splashing along the port side.


26 August – Portland

Our final port day began with an early docking, leaving little time for a pre-breakfast watch, although around 600 large gulls were gathered just outside the harbour. Once alongside, Paul and Julia took the shuttle bus into Weymouth and walked to Radipole Lake, an RSPB reserve near the railway station, while Mark and Victoria headed to Chesil Beach. The two groups naturally recorded different birds: Mark and Victoria saw several waders along the Fleet, including Dunlin and Ringed Plover, plus a bonus Caspian Gull on the beach, while Paul and Julia saw or heard reedbed specialities such as Cetti’s Warbler, Bearded Reedling and Marsh Harrier. From the visitor centre café, they watched a Little Egret fishing and several Cormorants roosting on the perches. Dragonflies were abundant at Radipole, especially Migrant Hawker, with more than 100 seen hunting along the hedgerows and over the reedbeds, along with Common Darters. Butterflies included two Clouded Yellow among many Red Admiral and Painted Lady.


27 August – At Sea.  Kent to Humberside

Our final day of the cruise brought a light east to south-easterly wind and an almost calm sea. Despite the favourable conditions, only one Harbour Porpoise was seen, but[JM1]  light drizzle brought many migrant birds onto the deck for shelter. The day felt more like watching at a migration hotspot than being at sea.

The first bird seen was a Redstart heading towards the ship, which rested briefly on Deck 11. A Kestrel then approached but could not be relocated, followed by two Yellow Wagtail flying over and a Siskin. The biggest surprise was a bat seen flying over Deck 7 before heading towards the top of the ship. Although unidentified; it was probably a Nathusius’ Pipistrelle, a species often recorded on vessels and oil rigs in the North Sea. Small land birds continued to rest on the ship, including three Tree Pipit, a Reed Warbler, a Garden Warbler, six Willow Warbler, a Whinchat and a Wheatear. More Yellow Wagtails and another Siskin also passed over without landing. Waders approaching the ship included a Sanderling and a Green Sandpiper, while 10 Grey Heron flew south just off the starboard side. Add to this a Migrant Hawker dragonfly and numerous moths, butterflies and flying insects, it was quite a varied day!


Seabird highlights during the day included 25 Guillemots, 20 Kittiwakes, 25 Gannets and 20 Fulmars, and 100 Manx Shearwaters seen as dusk approached.


It was another excellent cruise in UK waters, shared with enthusiastic guests who joined us in enjoying the seabirds, whales and dolphins. Our final cetacean tally is shown below:


 

SPECIES

COUNT

Common Dolphin

334

Risso’s Dolphin

4

Harbour Porpoise

4

Minke Whale

6

Bottlenose Dolphin

1


Acknowledgements


The Ocean Wildlife Encounters team would like to thank Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the Captain and crew of MS Balmoral for their support and looking after us so well. We would also like to thank the cruise guests who joined us on deck watches, sharing the incredible wildlife and scenery of the UK. Hopefully we’ll see a few of you on forthcoming cruises with Fred. Olsen.

 
 
 

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