1.5 hour survey, Start time 14.34
Weather conditions: sea state 0-1, visibility >10km, light swell
A female Atlantic grey seal was seen hauled out on a rock just West of Birds rock. A second female grey seal was seen further West around the coast from here in the water and another further round the coast again after this. A harbour porpoise was seen offshore in a Westerly direction from birds rock, travelling East.
2hr survey, start time 09:00
Weather conditions: Sunny; sea state 1; wind N
In the first 30 minutes of the survey two bottlenose dolphins were seen, one was near the fish factory and the other was near the cardinal buoy. The two dolphins were seen travelling towards each other and when they reached the same area they headed offshore. At 10am a male Atlantic grey seal was sighted swimming very close along the harbour wall and shortly after two separate groups of dolphins were seen near the fish factory, a group of two who were travelling West and a group of three who were engaging in some leaping and tail slapping before travelling West also.
2hr survey, Start time 11:00
Weather conditions: sunny; sea state 1; wind N/NE
From the beginning of the survey two separate bottlenose dolphins were sighted travelling towards each between the cardinal buoy and the fish factory; they reached each other and began travelling in a South-Westerly direction. From 11.30 until 12.15, one dolphin was seen staying near the fish factory.
2hr survey, start time 13:00
Weather conditions: sunny, sea state 1; wind NE/NW
One harbour porpoise was seen in the last 30 minutes of the survey staying just East of the fish factory.
2hr survey, start time 15:00
Weather conditions: sunny; sea state 1; wind N/NW
No sightings
2hr survey, start time 09:00
Weather conditions: sunny; sea state 1; wind NW/N
Four bottlenose dolphins including one calf
A bottlenose dolphin mother and a calf were seen foraging at depth very close to the fish factory in the first half hour of the survey. At 10:00 another two dolphins were sighted briefly. They were found milling and circling at the surface and travelling east towards bird’s rock.
2hr survey, Start time 11:00
Weather conditions: sunny; sea state 1; wind NW/W
Twelve bottlenose dolphins
Eight bottlenose dolphins were spotted at the very start of the survey travelling east in the offshore zone, performing leaps and tail slaps occasionally. Another group of four dolphins was seen between the pier and the offshore zone. The groups were very spread out at first and began to split into 3 groups, leaping and lunging at the surface. The three groups were last seen drawing closer together staying around the offshore zone with one group travelling northwest. Between 12:15 and 13:00, six dolphins could still be seen far away outside the survey zone.
2hr survey, start time 13:00
Weather conditions: sunny; sea state 1; wind W
No sightings
2hr survey, start time 15:00
Weather conditions: sunny; sea state 1-2; wind NW/N
Eleven bottlenose dolphins including 2 calves
Towards the end of the survey six bottlenose dolphins including two calves were travelling southeast from behind the fish factory just west from the buoy zone. At 12:45 the group began to split up into two groups of three with one group displaying leaping and lunging behaviour and the other travelling west towards a new group of four dolphins arriving from the northwest. An additional dolphin was sighted near the harbour wall diving and foraging at depth. It is thought that all twelve dolphins were part of the same large group.
2hr survey, start time 09:00
Weather conditions: sunny; sea state 2-3; wind N/NNE/NE
No sightings
2hr survey, Start time 11:00
Weather conditions: sunny; sea state 2-3; wind N
No sightings
2hr survey, start time 13:00
Weather conditions: sunny; sea state 2; wind NW
No sightings
2hr survey, start time 15:00
Weather conditions: sunny; sea state 3; wind N/NNW
One harbour porpoise was seen in the late afternoon by the fish factory. It was very small, possibly a juvenile and was traveling along the coast away from New Quay.
2hr survey, start time 09:00
Weather conditions: dull and overcast; sea state 2-3; wind S
Dolphins were seen throughout the survey staying and taking long dives, thought to be foraging for food. There were a gannets to the north of the harbour wall diving indicating an abundance of fish in the area. Two pairs of mothers and calves were often sighted near the harbour wall. At any one time there was a maximum of 7 dolphins visible from the harbour wall.
2hr survey, Start time 11:00
Weather conditions: dull and overcast; sea state 2; wind SW
Dolphins were seen during the start of the survey and in the last 45 minutes of the survey. Staying and taking long dives at the start of the survey and then returning to mill around near the surface. The majority of the dolphins spent their time between the harbour wall and the cardinal buoy. A solitary dolphin swam right around the harbour wall towards the shallows near the beach. There was a lot of bird activity towards the end of the survey.
2hr survey, start time 13:00
Weather conditions: dull and overcast; sea state 2; wind SW
Dolphins were seen throughout the survey. There were two pairs of mothers and calves joining and splitting up with the main group of dolphins and a solitary dolphins spending its time taking longer dives, thought to be foraging for food. At any one time there was a maximum of 6 dolphins present in the survey area.
2hr survey, start time 15:00
Weather conditions: dull and overcast/rain; sea state 2-3; wind S/SW
At least five dolphins were present in the first half of the survey but after 16:00 only one dolphin was seen. The dolphins were staying towards the cardinal buoy and taking longer dives, thought to be foraging for food.
2hr survey, start time 09:00
Weather conditions: Fair; sea state 4; wind NW
No sightings
2hr survey, Start time 11:00
Weather conditions: Sunny; sea state 4; wind NNW
No sightings
2hr survey, start time 13:00
Weather conditions: Sunny; sea state 3; wind NW
No sightings
2hr survey, start time 15:00
Weather conditions: Sunny; sea state 3; wind NW/SW
One grey seal
One Atlantic Grey Seal was spotted during the first 15 minutes of the survey, near the harbour wall.
2hr survey, Start time 09:00
Weather conditions: Overcast/dull and fair; sea state 1; wind S
No sightings
2hr survey, Start time 11:00
Weather conditions: Fair, overcast/dull and mist; sea state 1; wind S
Two bottlenose dolphins
Two bottlenose dolphins were sighted together 30 minutes into the survey foraging east of the fish factory. After this they moved further offshore into the buoy zone but travelled back and forth from these two areas throughout the survey, keeping together usually with at least one foraging and performing long dives while the other surfaced irregularly, searching for prey. During the second half of the survey one of the dolphins left the area and travelled eastwards while the other remained visible in the buoy zone until 12:30.
2hr survey, Start time 13:00
Weather conditions: Rain and mist; sea state 1-3; wind SW/W/NW
No sightings
2hr survey, Start time 15:00
Weather conditions: Mist, rain and overcast/dull; sea state 2; wind S/NW
No sightings
2hr survey, Start time: 09.00
Weather conditions: Rain or overcast/dull; sea state 1; wind SW
No sightings.
2hr survey, Start time 11:00
Weather conditions: Overcast/dull or rain; sea state 1; wind SSW/SW
No sightings.
2hr survey, Start time 13:00
Weather conditions: Overcast/dull or rain; sea state 1; wind SW
Two bottlenose dolphins
One bottlenose dolphin was sighted 45 minutes into the survey just offshore the fish factory travelling east surfacing regularly, then the dolphin started making deep dives and surfacing less frequently. Minutes later another dolphin was sighted closer to the harbour wall travelling also east surfacing regularly. One of the two dolphins stayed in the bay for another 30 minutes making long dives.
2hr survey, Start time 15:00
Weather conditions: rain or overcast/dull or fair; sea state 1-2; wind SW/SSW
No sightings.
2hr survey, Start time: 09.00
Weather conditions: Fair; sea state 2; wind SW
Two bottlenose dolphins were seen in the first hour of the survey, travelling and staying in a North Easterly direction offshore from the harbour wall. In the second hour of the survey one bottlenose dolphin was seen travelling and staying in the same area.
2hr survey, Start time 11:00
Weather conditions: Fair, sunny and overcast; sea state 2; wind SSW/SW
30 minutes into the survey, two bottlenose dolphins were sighted just offshore from the fish factory, one was staying in the area and the other was travelling in an Easterly direction. For the next hour one bottlenose dolphin was sighted staying in the area, but gradually travelling Easterly. In the last 15 minutes, a second dolphin was sighted in the same area as the other dolphin.
2hr survey, Start time 13:00
Weather conditions: Fair; sea state 1; wind NW/W
One bottlenose dolphin was sighted from beginning of the survey, in a Northerly direction offshore from the reef, performing long dives and gradually travelling North-westerly for the first hour of the survey. At 14.00 four bottlenose dolphins were sighted in an Easterly direction offshore from the fish factory, in slightly separate areas, staying and travelling West.
2hr survey, Start time 15:00
Weather conditions: Sunny; sea state 1-2, wind NW/SW
Two Atlantic grey seals were seen, one was seen at 15.30 near the fish factory and the other, a male, was seen just North of the harbour wall.
2hr survey, Start time: 09.00
Weather conditions: Fair and Overcast/Dull; sea state 2-3; wind SW/S.
Two Bottlenose dolphins
A single bottlenose dolphin was spotted early on in the survey, between 9:00 and 9.30, leaping was observed alongside foraging at depth with travel predominantly in a northern direction. Around 10:00 a second bottlenose dolphin was spotted travelling towards the fish factory. Both dolphins were observed between 10:00 and 10:15 but soon disappeared.
2hr survey, Start time 11:00
Weather conditions: Overcast/Dull; sea state 2; wind SW/S.
No sightings.
2hr survey, Start time 13:00
Weather conditions: Overcast/Dull and Rain; sea state 1-2; wind SW.
No sightings.
2hr survey, Start time 15:00
Weather conditions: Overcast/Dull; sea state 2-3; wind W/SW
No sightings.
