Hi, I’m Marie. Since mid-April, I’ve been sailing aboard the Seven Sisters and the Côte d’Albâtre as an Ocean Conservationist, crossing the English Channel more times than I can count without using my fingers.
This is my very first onboard experience – and honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would people care about whales and dolphins when they’ve got a bar, duty-free shopping, and a seagull trying to steal their crisps? Well… YES. Yes, they would. And that’s where the surprise began.
The crew have been nothing short of amazing – and I’m not just saying that because they gave me a walkie-talkie (which instantly made me feel like a marine secret agent). They’ve gone above and beyond to highlight the cetaceans’ cause: announcing my presence on board, providing great spots for presentations, and even calling me when someone on the bridge spots a fin in the distance.
This season has been filled with surprising encounters and long, passionate chats about whales, dolphins, and the threats they face in the Channel. What strikes me the most is how this topic brings people together, no matter who they are or where they come from. It somehow speaks to something we all share – a deep curiosity, maybe even a quiet sense of responsibility for the life around us.
I’ve had incredible conversations with:
a storyteller of Antarctica’s history
an indie rock band
a firefighter
an elephant conservationist from Kenya
a video game developer
a wildlife photographer
a bike mechanic
a retired woman
and a small girl who had just finished primary school and wanted to save all the dolphins
All gathered around a single cause: protecting cetaceans in the English Channel.
Honestly? That’s the kind of crew I want to sail with every day.
So here I am – binoculars around my neck, wind in my hair, and a head full of whale facts – ready to spot, share, and hopefully inspire.
If you ever wonder what marine life hides beneath the choppy waters of the English Channel, let me share some of my favorite sightings. Two stars of the show are the harbour porpoise and the bottlenose dolphin - both frequently crossing my path on trips around these waters.
The harbour porpoise is like the shy neighbor of the sea - small, quiet, and often spotted only briefly before disappearing. Bottlenose dolphins, on the other hand, are the charismatic show-offs, popping up to say hello.
But the real highlight happened one sunny day as we approached the port of Dieppe. A whole pod of bottlenose dolphins appeared, most with adorable calves in tow! Seeing a group with so many youngsters was pure magic - a real-life dolphin family reunion.
Why are bottlenose dolphins hanging out near Dieppe more often? This area is part of a growing coastal hotspot stretching from Mont-Saint-Michel to the Seine-Maritime coast. These dolphins hunt in shallow waters by herding fish like a pack of wolves, making the most of the rich fishing grounds.
So next time you visit the English Channel, keep your eyes peeled—you never know when a dolphin family might wave hello!
ORCA's work to protect whales and dolphins has never been more important and to help safeguard these amazing animals for the future we need your help. Please support our work by donating to help us create oceans alive with whales and dolphins