2hr start time: 10:04

Weather Conditions: sea state 1-3, visibility 1-10km, swell light

This was a busy sightings trip with all three of Cardigan Bay’s big marine mammals being spotted. The first sighting of the trip was at 10.07 just after leaving the harbour, two bottlenose dolphins were foraging around the headland within sight of the harbour wall itself. We managed to get some hydrophone recordings of their echolocation as the sea was so calm and there were very few boats around at the time. This data is currently being used by an undergraduate for their dissertation project. The second sighting of the day was of three harbour porpoise just after Cwmtydu. These animals were seen foraging just off the shoreline, harbour porpoise are very shy creatures and rarely come into contact with boats in the area so this sighting was a great opportunity to get a good look at this mammal species. The next sighting was of a Atlantic grey seal in the waters just off from Trwyn Crou at 11.17am. The female seals are heavily pregnant at this time of year and are due to give birth in September to a single pup, so we have had a large influx of females at this time. The final sighting of the trip was of another bottlenose dolphin at 11.56am just south of New Quay headland. The animal was seen foraging, and didn’t seem to mind us being there as it continued to forage while we were nearby. After this sighting we returned to the harbour.

2hr start time: 12:08

Weather Conditions: sea state 0-2, visibility >10km, swell light

Only the one sighting on this trip, it was of a female Atlantic grey seal in the water just south of Cwmtydu. The seal was not bothered by our presence as she was seen bottling, this is a relaxed behaviour that seals perform when they put their noses in the air and float around at the surface looking like a bottle. Unfortunately no other sightings on this trip.

2hr start time: 14:22

Weather Conditions: sea state 1, visibility >10km, swell light

There were no sightings on this trip other than of a Lion’s mane jellyfish around the headland from New Quay.