Last week saw the final ORCA Sea Safari of 2025 depart from Plymouth for a trip across the Bay of Biscay in search of whales and dolphins! From June to October ORCA Wildlife Guides have been on board the Brittany Ferries Pont-Aven, Salamanca and Santoña for 13 return sailings (from Plymouth to Santander on the Pont-Aven, from Rosslare to Bilbao on the Salamanca and from Portsmouth to Santander on the Santoña) showing over 400 Sea Safari guests the wonderful wildlife of the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay.
The Bay of Biscay offers Sea Safari guests the chance to see over one-third of the world’s whale and dolphin species, and the English Channel is a fantastic area to see harbour porpoise, dolphins and tuna (sometimes in huge feeding frenzies!). ORCA has been surveying for whales and dolphins in these areas for many years, and the ORCA Wildlife Guides on board this year's Sea Safaris couldn’t wait to get out to sea to share their knowledge and help guests spot and identify the wildlife they saw.
During each of this year’s Sea Safaris guests gathered for a presentation about the whales and dolphins they were most likely to see during the trip, delivered by ORCA’s on board Ocean Conservationists. The rest of the time was spent out on deck, with ORCA’s Wildlife Guides conducting deck watches and delivering mini presentations on the animals seen.
Common dolphins were the most seen species and were recorded on every trip this year. Huge pods of feeding common dolphins and tuna were seen in the English Channel and off the north coast of France. Harbour porpoise were also recorded in the coastal areas near Plymouth and when approaching the north coast of France on a number of this year's Sea Safaris.
Striped dolphins and elusive beaked whales were seen in the Bay of Biscay, and some guests were lucky enough to see lunge feeding fin whales in the English Channel! During the September Sea Safari from Portsmouth, an added bonus of low pressures from the Atlantic prior to sailing provided sightings of large numbers of seabirds such as Manx, Cory’s and great shearwaters - a real treat for any keen birders! ORCA Wildlife Guides and guests were also treated to some fabulous sea conditions and sunsets.
A quick stop in Santander gave everyone a few hours to explore, just enough time for a bit of sightseeing and an ice cream. The ship docks in the centre of Santander within walking distance of a number of restaurants, bars and cafes, as well as a lovely park where hummingbird hawk moths were regularly seen - a great opportunity for everyone to practice their photography skills!
The map below shows all of the ORCA marine wildlife sightings during the 2025 Sea Safaris. There were 14 different marine species recorded this year with a total of 2,626 individual animals seen during the trips!
A massive thank you to all of this year’s Sea Safari Wildlife Guides and guests who made all of these trips so memorable! We would also like to thank Brittany Ferries, their wonderful crew and staff, for everything they have done to make the 2025 Sea Safaris a success. Information about the 2026 Sea Safaris will be available in the coming months, keep an eye on our website for more details.
The best way to really appreciate how amazing whales and dolphins are is to see them in the wild where they belong - and you can do that from right on your doorstep by joining one of our Sea Safaris! Visit www.orca.org.uk/watch to check out the upcoming dates and take your first step on your very own whale and dolphin adventure!