Since 2007, teams of dedicated volunteer ORCA Marine Mammal Surveyors have been invited on board Saga cruise ships to provide guests with incredible wildlife experiences through delivering presentations, running deck-watches, and generally being on hand to talk about any wildlife seen on the trips. ORCA Marine Mammal Surveyors collect vital data on the whales and dolphins they see during these trips, whilst also being out on deck to help guests to spot and identify the marine life they are seeing for themselves.
In August, Rebecca, Brian, Tom and Carol boarded the Spirit of Discovery for what proved to be an exceptional week sailing around the UK and Ireland. Wildlife Guide, Carol, shares her experience of her first Saga Cruise Survey with ORCA:
I had my first close encounter with whales and dolphins on a small boat trip down the coast of Baja California and into the Sea of Cortez in 2014. From that point I was hooked on cetaceans and joined ORCA in 2017 as a Marine Mammal Surveyor, I became a Team Leader in 2024. I’ve enjoyed several small boat holidays searching for cetaceans and didn’t see myself as a ‘big ship’ person. The largest vessel I’d surveyed from was a CalMac ferry! So it was with some trepidation that I travelled from my home on the Isle of Skye to Dover to join the Saga cruise ship ‘Spirit of Discovery’ as a wildlife guide on the ‘Celtic Explorer’ cruise.
The team, Becca (Team Leader), Brian (Wildlife Officer) along with Tom and myself as Wildlife Guides, had met online for a briefing with Ellie from the ORCA office a few weeks before the cruise. My face must have given me away when Ellie said that we were not to get up to survey from the deck before 5:00am. Now, I retired four years ago, so that time is no longer part of my day! Several ORCA surveyors had told me that I would really enjoy it – but they kept quiet about the early alarm calls!
I spent the days before my journey to Dover packing and repacking my bags and asking Becca naïve questions on our WhatsApp chat, which she answered patiently. I was also upfront about my dodgy knees as I wanted to pull my weight but also knew that I would need to sit at regular intervals.
After a long, uneventful, journey to Dover by train, I arrived at the Saga cruise terminal, where my suitcase was labelled and whisked away and I was shown where to check-in. The check-in process was very efficient and friendly and once the team assembled we made our way onto the ship, were escorted to our cabins and then found our lunch. It was rough in the Channel as we left Dover, so we used our remaining time that day to unpack and prepare for the next day.
The alarm went off at 5:30 and we were all on deck by 6:00 as the sun rose. Fortunately, the sea conditions had improved, and we had a great sighting of a fin whale along with tuna and common dolphins. Brian delivered his lecture about ORCAs work, the kind of mammals we were likely to see and where the team would be surveying each day to a packed theatre. We all went along to a briefing with the Cruise Director where I was made to feel extremely welcome as a novice team member. And the sightings continued as we spotted a tuna boil, common dolphins and a humpback whale as we had dinner.
Over the next three days we called in at Ringaskiddy, near Cork, Douglas on the Isle of Man and Belfast as we slowly made our way north through the Celtic and Irish Seas. But what made the deck watches special was the enthusiasm of the guests and the joy on their faces when they spotted a cetacean.
We were also treated to the Captain’s Welcome cocktails before our first formal dinner. I can barely remember the last time I put on a formal dress, but it was lovely to get dressed up and enjoy a wonderful meal.
The Captain had announced that as the weather forecast was good for the next day we would be ‘scenic cruising’ through the Sound of Mull rather than sailing between the Inner and Outer Hebrides. Deck 7 forward would be opened up for anyone who wanted a great view of the spectacular scenery. It was a little disconcerting, however, when we got up to the Observation Deck the following morning to discover that we were sailing west around Northern Ireland! But we soon changed course and made our way past Colonsay and along the Ross of Mull before turning into the Sound, where the ‘Spirit of Discovery’ dwarfed a CalMac ferry heading for Oban.
Tom had the role of staying on the deck with guests as Becca, Brian and I conducted a distance sampling survey from the bridge as we travelled through the Sound, with lots of common dolphin and harbour porpoise providing the entertainment. The bow-riding common dolphins had a few guests leaning precariously over the side! This was my ‘home’ territory and we had some of the best weather and sea conditions we had experienced on the West Coast all summer!
But the real surprise came after we had exited the Sound of Mull and were making our way slowly around the Small Isles. The four of us were on the Observation Deck with one guest (it was close to dinner time) when Becca spotted a large fin to our port side close to the Isle of Eigg. Yes – it was the killer whales, John Coe and soon Aquarius appeared close by. I think it’s fair to say that our excitement was not contained and we had the privilege of watching them for about 30 minutes as they milled around. Becca also got a great photo of John Coe clearly showing the dent in his dorsal fin. And to end the day the sunset over the Isle of Rum provided a perfect backdrop.
The now familiar 5:30 alarm woke us for a day in Ullapool and we were accompanied by bow-riding common dolphins as we approached the harbour. While we were in port, we treated ourselves to a rib trip to the Summer Isles alongside common dolphins, grey and common seals and spectacular views of the Assynt mountains (OK – I’m biased).
A day in Kirkwall followed with the weather remaining calm before we set sail for Aberdeen. Our luck ran out when we reached the East Coast with rain, rough seas and fog, but we still had sightings of Risso’s and white-beaked dolphins to round off our 10-day cruise. During the cruise we had chatted to many guests on the Observation Deck, acted as ‘table hosts’ for the solo travellers lunches, carried out several bridge surveys and recorded around 500 cetacean sightings.
Despite having around 1500 people on board, the ship never felt crowded and it was kept spotlessly clean by the crew, who worked so hard. I learned a lot during the trip – for example, always pack an insulated mug for that early morning coffee and how useful metal hooks are for hanging numerous coats.
I’d like to thank ORCA and Saga for giving me the opportunity to share my love of cetaceans with so many people, and huge thanks must go to Becca, Brian and Tom for accommodating my creaky knees and for being such great and knowledgeable company. Also, thanks to my fellow ORCA Team Leaders, Julia and Bill for encouraging me to apply for a Saga Cruise Survey. It’s something that I would definitely do again – although I’ll remember my coffee mug next time!
ORCA's vital conservation work is made possible by our incredible network of volunteer Marine Mammal Surveyors and OceanWatchers. Why not train to become an ORCA volunteer yourself?