Porpoise in Harwich Harbour

Leighb

Leighb

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Coming back in to Harwich yesterday around 13-00 on the Haven Hornbill I spotted a porpoise heading out to sea near the N Shelf, first time I have seen one locally.

Anyone else seen one in the Stour/Orwell?
 
Leighb said:
Coming back in to Harwich yesterday around 13-00 on the Haven Hornbill I spotted a porpoise heading out to sea near the N Shelf, first time I have seen one locally.

Anyone else seen one in the Stour/Orwell?
Click to expand...

Not in the rivers but we were followed by one for a while North of Felixstowe last year
 
Hi,

Yes I think there is a group of at least three of them in Harwich harbour. I got very excited when we spotted them on at least four occasions last week over as many different days. They tend to be feeding close to the ships. Last Tuesday we spent about 20 mins watching them and I finally managed to get some little bit of video on my iphone but I am so excited I talk all over it. They look like little black specks. Incredible to watch and at one point all three of them came out of the water at the same time.

On on the Bank Holiday Monday we spotted one at Clacton on our way back from Mersea. We wonder what has bought them in to Harwich. A friend of ours who has been sailing this area for many many years and spends more time on the water than land told us he has never seen them in Harwich.

Please everyone be careful. We were a bit worried on the Monday as there were motorboats shooting about all over the place.

Hope they stay with us for a while. As you can tell I am a bit of a fan.
All the best.
 
I am glad to hear that it was not just a one-off. Perhaps they may stay sometime, presumably the fishing must be good?
 
We saw one in Swire Hole (Blackwater heading into Raysand) on Tuesday. We very rarely see them off the East Coast - maybe once or twice per year. It is usually in very calm weather, and you see them surface 3 times and then they disappear, or perhaps they travel in 3's and it's just one breath each!
 
For some reason Porpoises seem to be getting a lot more common around the East coast. In the last month or so I've spotted them in the Blackwater, off Harwich and even up the Thames. Last weekend we saw them several times between Fords and up as far as the dome. In fact we actually saw a pair of them around Blackwall point. Unfortunately unable to get a photo though.
 
They are seen very often in the Thames, I reckon to spot some about every other time I go out. We even had one get into Gravesend Canal Basin (Embankment Marina) a week or so back - had to be let out the lock at 4.30 in the morning! Saw 2 off Gravesend Sailing Club last week, only about 50 yards offshore and in about 10 feet of water.
 
I have been watching a pair on the Humber above the Bridge this winter

when the tide is low and the river braids around the mud banks they are very visible just after low tide


they wait in about two feet of water - holding station

then when a fish comes around the corner with the current they burst into action

they pair up for life - about 15 years

great to watch when they work the shallow water when working as a pair

sadly you deep keel depth challenged wallahs will seldom see the real action

such joyful things to watch

D
 
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We have had dolphin spotters travel with us once a month Harwich to Hoek for the last 8 years, they always see something.
2 weeks ago was the best number so far this year: they recorded just over 70 dolphins on the 6 hr crossing.
Most are spotted offshore, rare to see them in harbour.
Fishing must have been good last week!
 
A few times recently, including yesterday, we've seen a group of harbour porpoises in the Medway near the entrance of Stangate Creek. They are hard to spot - blink and you miss them!
 
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