A glut of dolphins

Accepting that climate change has seemed to bring them north, but are there actually more, I overall numbers than there were before?
 
Muddy32 said:
Accepting that climate change has seemed to bring them north, but are there actually more, I overall numbers than there were before?
Click to expand...
Probably not. I remember seeing them in numbers off the Western Welsh coast as a boy in the 1940's /50's. But nobody bothered too much. They were fun, but that's all, nobody bothered to record or.report them. There's a lot more people out at sea now, and a great deal more interest in wildlife. Also the internet enables us to discuss and report sitings much more widely. It's reports that are increasing rather than populations.

If anything I would expect populations to be falling, like fish stock generally with the numbers being killed by commercial bulk fishing operations. I saw a pair in the E Solent even. - just once!
 
The biggest pod I ever came across was when I was crossing the Bristol Channel bringing a boat from Southampton to the Clyde by myself. There were at least many 10s of them. I wasn't having the best of days because my autopilot had chucked it when leaving Padstow and I ended up spending 12 hours single handed on the helm of a boat that was none too keen to go in a straight line. I started getting annoyed with the dolphins as they kept nudging against the bow, and wishing they would leave me alone to steer the boat... whereas I should just have heaved to, put the kettle on and enjoyed my time with them. Its funny how you can get stressed about nothing when you are tired and fed up.
 
While sailing slowly just north of Ryde Sands in the Solent, 5 x Common Dolphins passed me swimming going west. They did not care about my yacht, maybe busy feeding. First time I have seen them in the actual Solent. A friend mine mentioned yesterday how warm the water was in the bays off the Needles. Could be connected.
 
johnalison said:
I’ve seen superpods on David Attenborough programmes but never had more than about a dozen round the boat, which was exciting enough. The tricky bit was getting a photo including the nose with a single-shot camera. Even harder in early digital ones with a noticeable shutter lag.
Click to expand...
Motor drive on high speed, take 20 pictures or more, pointing at the spot you hope he’ll emerge from. We have some good ones, but my wife has some fantastic video of them playing in the wake.
 
Chiara’s slave said:
Motor drive on high speed, take 20 pictures or more, pointing at the spot you hope he’ll emerge from. We have some good ones, but my wife has some fantastic video of them playing in the wake.
Click to expand...
Basic digital cameras didn’t have motor drive when I last had a chance to photograph dolphins, though I did get some video. Nowadays I’d use a pre-burst facility and get much better shots.
 
johnalison said:
Basic digital cameras didn’t have motor drive when I last had a chance to photograph dolphins, though I did get some video. Nowadays I’d use a pre-burst facility and get much better shots.
Click to expand...
No, I guess not. It’s a great option with digital, with zero cost per frame. With 35mm I barely used the drive due to the cost. Now it’s on semi permanently.
 
I wouldn’t say zero cost, the time to sort through a thousand images felt very high after the Manx TT 🤣

The Sound of Jura is teaming with dolphins today
 
We got zillions of Dolphin pictures. Hard to miss in the Straits of Gibraltar and Gib Bay.

Mrs S used to work for a dive school/ tourist boat rides business. Would often go out as crew for a break from the office. She knows tons about them.

Business must be good, our friends who own it have just delivered their third boat from UK to Gib. Got a lot of fotos of them on the trip too!

Edit. All 3 boats are catamarans, nice and stable for the punters and the dolphins love to zig zag between the hulls. Seen this a lot myself when delivering cats.

Was out on a small motorboat yesterday and saw some flying fish, season has started. That means dolphins will be around too.
 
About 14 years ago I was going south down Kylerhea when an excited voice over the vhf said there were hundreds going north. I could certainly see a lot of splashing but was too far away to count them.
 
Today 15-17nm off Falmouth we had Harbour Porpoise, more Common Dolphins than you can shake a stick at, a mixed group of about a dozen long finned Pilot Whales and 2 dozen Risso’s Dolphins then 4 Fin whales, a group of 3 with 2 being very large adults and the other somewhat smaller then another about mid size 2nm further west. Awesome day!
 
This year, Oban area and associated waters, I have had dolphins swimming around the boat nearly every time I have been out unlike other years. There is definitely an increase in numbers. The sea temperatures on average around August and September in this area is about 15 celsius. This year the water temperature in July and August has been around 18 celsius. Perhaps the warmer waters are encouraging pods to our waters, or maybe they are trying to thank us for all the fish, before they leave.
 
Lucky lot. In all the years Ive sailed Ive seen not a single one. Did have a very sporty encounter with a seal couple of weeks ago in the harbour...Crashed against the side of the boat chasing his supper which he then chomped into head out of water just 50 yrds away....Twas quite a commotion and just a smidge unnerving.
 
Never been lucky enough to see dolphins from my boat, but many years ago I was on a dive and a large pod of dolphins went pass me, they parted to go either side of me, it was such a great experience.
 
winch2 said:
Lucky lot. In all the years Ive sailed Ive seen not a single one. Did have a very sporty encounter with a seal couple of weeks ago in the harbour...Crashed against the side of the boat chasing his supper which he then chomped into head out of water just 50 yrds away....Twas quite a commotion and just a smidge unnerving.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry the hear that. I think it was quite a while before we saw them, so keep your eyes open. I have seen dolphins off Chichester as well as elsewhere along the South coast and Channel, so your luck is bound to change.
 
Big pod around the boat today off Findhorn. For maybe half an hour. First time I've seen them jumping.
 
Some years ago I was sailing South not far offshore of the Spanish Med Coast, when I heard a whistling hissing sound a bit like the air brakes on an HGV. I was below at the time and stuck my head out of the hatch to see three big Whales just off the starboard bow. I dived for the camera and just managed this photo of the last one on the surface as they dived just ahead of my boat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top