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 April, Diane, Sunita, Cath and Jane boarded the Spirit of Adventure for what proved to be an exceptional few weeks sailing to Scandinavia. Wildlife Guide, Cath, shares the team’s experience:
Although having met on Zoom and chatted on WhatsApp, our team met in person for the first time in the Portsmouth International Terminal, all eager to survey for whales, dolphins and porpoises in Scandinavia. Once on board we met the Cruise Director and Entertainment Manager, and completed the required safety drills. We then set off to explore the ship and the locations we would be conducting our data collection. Then it was time to plan our schedules for the next few days, go for dinner in The Grill and then to bed with our alarms set for 5am.
Two sea days followed. On the first day we awoke to a clear calm day as the Spirit of Adventure headed into the southern part of the North Sea, passing several sizable wind farms along the coasts of Belgium, Holland and the UK. That afternoon, the team supported Sunita in the Theatre as she delivered the ORCA Introductory Presentation to guests, letting them know what we were likely to see and where, this was well attended by guests. After a quick cup of tea, it was back on deck 14 to conduct the last survey of the day.
The second sea day was going to be extra exciting as it was the first day we would be conducting distance sampling surveys from the bridge of the ship. As arranged Diane, Jane and I were welcomed on the Bridge at 9am for a three hour survey. Sunita remained on deck 14 running a wildlife watch for guests who joined her. During our bridge survey, Jane had a sighing of five unidentified dolphins, and Sunita reported that the guests joining her on deck had seen them as well. After a break for lunch, we were back up to the bridge for another survey, but this time I remained out on deck 14 and Sunita went up to the bridge. I was joined by knowledgeable bird watchers, and we spotted gannets, guillemots and a puffin. We finished our day at 7pm and headed for dinner.
The next morning we were up on deck at 6am for a couple of hours surveying as we approached Oslo. The team enjoyed a walk around Oslo while we were in port, and were back up on deck for sail away at 5pm for another few hours of surveying.
The next two days followed the same schedules as we visited Gothenburg and Aarhus. During our survey on departure from Aarhus, the team spotted two harbour porpoise. The following day was a sea day, and there was great excitement amongst the team and guests as the Spirit of Adventure approached the very very long road bridge between the Danish islands. We then had three more port stops at Ronne, Denmark and Warnemunde, before we arrived in Copenhagen for our last port of the trip. Throughout the trip we recorded minke whales, dolphins, porpoises and seals, and we thoroughly enjoyed engaging with all of the guests on board.
Thank you ORCA for giving us this opportunity, we were a fantastic team who worked as one. Our sincere thanks also go to the bridge crew of the Spirit of Adventure, who were so welcoming and accommodating to us all for our vital data collection. Many thanks to Saga for supporting ORCA’s work and for making these surveys possible.