Two ORCA supporters, father and son Tony Dell and Stevo Lucas, undertook something of a busman’s holiday recently, joining a cruise as paying guests on board Ambassador’s Ambition around the Canary Islands. However with Stevo being a qualified OceanWatcher (80% pass score!) they quickly signed up to join the on-board ORCA Ocean Conservationists (OC) spotting whales and dolphins on deck.
OC’s Claire and Taryn asked the pair about their love of cetaceans and how the ORCA experience has helped further that.
So how did it all begin?
We were on holiday in South Africa, in Hermanus Bay which is about 70 miles East of Cape Town. We were sitting down for dinner, looking out over the ocean and a group of southern right whales swam past. They were the first whales I’d ever seen, and there they were - right in front of us and very close. It sparked a passion and interest in cetaceans which has been with us ever since.
We asked if they had such a thing as a “favourite” whale species.
The pair excitedly recalled being on a small boat in the Irish sea surrounded by five fin whale, but Stevo admitted that his was the blue whale, even though he hadn’t yet been fortunate enough to spot one., He was keeping his fingers crossed that a future holiday to Sri Lanka might change that.
And Tony? “I think I would go for Humpbacks actually. They have a playfulness about them that's infectious, And you can believe that they are waving to you with their fins.”
So how has completing the ORCA Oceanwatchers course prepared you for being on board a ship and putting the theory into practice?
The course was great. I learned so much about cetacean habitat and the oceans, but it was a fun and enjoyable learning experience too. Being able to put all that into practice now is just fantastic. When we cruised past Tenerife, I was hoping to record some dolphins, and I was so excited to see spotted and striped dolphins and pilot whales.
The pair both felt that the cruise was made doubly special because of the ORCA OCs on board.
Tony said“There were so many activities going on around the ship but it was lovely to know that there was the opportunity to come out on deck and watch for the wildlife and complete a survey with us. No matter if the whale was close or far away, it brought excitement.
Stevo’s favourite moment of the trip was spotting fin whales. “We could see their strong blows and it was such a special moment watching them take a couple breaths before diving back down.“
Dad was able to see some common dolphins quite close to the ship. Even though he didn’t truly get to see a whale on this trip he says that “It’s always exciting just knowing that there’s something there”!
There's no better way to enjoy the summer sunshine by heading to the coast, and that gives you the perfect opportunity to do some whale and dolphin conservation work at the same time! The great news is that it's easier than ever before to begin your citizen science journey - our brand new e-learning courses mean that you can train to be an OceanWatcher from the comfort of your own home so that the next time you head to the seaside you will be ready to collect data and help us monitoring whales and dolphins on our doorstep.