Bay of Biscay Whale, Dolphin & Bird Watching
There are few locations in the world that offer such an extraordinary diversity of marine life as the Bay of Biscay. We are therefore proud to present another series of superb whale and wildlife watching mini-cruises from Portsmouth to northern Spain throughout the spring, summer and autumn of 2009. With the Company of Whales you will travel onboard the cruise-ferry Pride of Bilbao, through the rich, deep waters of the Bay of Biscay in search of whales, dolphins, seabirds and sharks.
With an abundance of marine life from Basking Sharks to Blue Whales and Striped Dolphins to Sooty Shearwaters, it is surprising that the Bay has remained such a well kept secret for so long! Located in warm temperate waters with a fantastic range of water depth and habitat type, the Bay supports almost every whale and dolphin species in the North Atlantic. Both the number and density of cetaceans (the collective name given to whales, dolphins and porpoises) is quite amazing and because these waters are tempting for rarities from the tropical south and the sub-polar north, we continue to discover more new species for the region.
It is the unpredictability and majestic behaviour of all whales and dolphins that makes each trip so exciting and full of new experiences - for everybody!
ITINERARY
PLEASE NOTE - when booking your holiday with the Company of Whales you will have: privileged and exclusive access to our dedicated whale-watching platform, exclusive pre-boarding facilities at Portsmouth and exclusive access to our on-board lectures on whale and dolphin identification and ecology. These privileges have been awarded to us under special contract from P&O Ferries and have not been afforded to any company other than The Company of Whales. Our services and guides are offered only to those who have booked through The Company of Whales and are thus not available to the general public or indeed other travel companies who offer whale-watching holidays on Pride of Bilbao.
Day 1 - Departure
Following our 1845 hrs meeting at Portsmouth Continental Ferryport and subsequent departure at 2115 hrs, our naturalist guides will give an introductory talk and a short guided tour of the vessel. Guests will then be free to get to know the ship or to meet for a drink in one of the bars and mingle with other guests and guides who will be available to discuss the exciting days ahead.
Day 2 - Shallow Waters & Hidden Cliffs
We round the Brittany coast and spend the rest of the day heading south through the Bay of Biscay. During the morning we will be in relatively unproductive waters so we utilise this time by presenting an illustrated lecture on the wildlife of the Bay of Biscay. At lunchtime we will be approaching the edge of the continental shelf so we head to our exclusive viewing platform situated directly above the bridge to start watch. Harbour Porpoise, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Minke Whale are all possible in the shallower waters but as we head in to deeper and more productive seas we hope to encounter Common and Striped Dolphins, Long-finned Pilot Whales and good numbers of seabirds such as Great Skuas, Great & Cory's Shearwaters and diminutive Storm Petrels. We should also meet the strange Ocean Sunfish. Our excellent relationship with P&O ferries combined with their dedication in assisting our research has meant that we often cruise along pre-set transects, allowing us to gather valuable data and increase our chances of encountering cetaceans.
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Day 3 - A Taste of Spain and Grand Canyons
After a day surrounded by the great blue Atlantic Ocean, a morning on Spanish soil provides a welcome change of scenery. We arrive at the fishing town of Santurtzi, nestled in the Spanish foothills. From here we take a short walk into the surrounding foothills in search of the birds, butterflies and wild flowers, which are special to the area. Our leisurely walk meanders through a surprisingly green and fertile landscape of grazing pastures, hay meadows and wooded pastures. Traditional farming is still practised on the steeper gradients providing a haven for wildlife. The foothills are very attractive to birds including Red-backed Shrike, Fan-tailed Warbler, Sardinian Warbler and Serin. We walk to a viewpoint over Santurtzi, which often provides us with sightings of Booted Eagle, Griffon Vulture and Black Kite. A close inspection of the hedgerows reveals unexpected treasures such as Chicory, Stick Insect, Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Stag Beetle, Wall Lizard and Slow-worm. Finally we have time to explore some open heathland for butterflies such as Long-tailed Blue, Swallowtail, Marbled White, Cleopatra and Clouded Yellow. We return to the ship keeping an eye out for the recently colonised Geranium Bronze, which can often be found around the flowerpots in the centre of town!
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Should you not wish to join us on our walk there are several options. The ship offers coach tours to the remarkable Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao old town or along the Cantabrian coast to Castro Urdiales - all at the reasonable price of around £15 per person. Or you could enjoy a morning shopping in the centre of Santurtzi just five minutes from the ferry terminal.
Following lunch back aboard we return to our viewing platform for another whale watching session. The possibilities for the afternoon and evening ahead are extremely exciting as we sail over three types of underwater habitat. Firstly, we sail over what we regard as the Pyrenees under water! Far below our vessel lie huge canyons and trenches, over 3000 metres deep, which are favoured by members of the rare and poorly know beaked whale family. In recent years we have encountered both Cuvier's and Northern Bottlenose Whales in this region along with Striped Dolphins and Long-finned Pilot Whales. We may also encounter huge shoals of Tuna. By the middle of the afternoon we will be crossing the abyssal plain - the equivalent of an underwater desert and around 4000 metres deep. One can never predict this region! Some sailings have been relatively unproductive but others have recorded excellent numbers of Fin Whales, Sperm Whales and Striped Dolphins along with rare seabirds like Little Shearwaters. By the late afternoon we will be approaching the continental shelf and some very productive waters. Common and Striped Dolphins along with Long-finned Pilot Whales are likely and this is where we have recorded several Killer Whales in years gone by. To end what will hopefully have been a superb day, we may be treated to a wonderful sunset.
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Day 4 - The 'Bask' Country - searching for sharks in the shallows
During the morning we will be travelling through the Southwest Approaches in to the English Channel - one of the most important regions in Europe for Basking Sharks, the second largest shark in the world! In calm conditions we often encounter several individuals. Regular cetaceans in this section of the Channel include Minke Whale, Bottle-nosed Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise. Seabirds are also present in good numbers and should include Storm Petrels, Great Skuas, Fulmars and Gannets. As we steam closer towards the south coast of England, we enter shallow and relatively unproductive waters. We finish our watch prior to lunch - a chance to relax and take advantage of all that the ship has to offer! You may wish to visit the onboard shops, wallow in the jacuzzi or steam in the sauna! After lunch we present a detailed analysis of our sightings from the data we have collected and call through the checklists. As we approach Portsmouth, we gather on deck for group photos and fair weather prevailing, we disembark the ship at around 1715 hrs.
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PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A SUMMARY OF WILDLIFE WE'VE SEEN MONTH-BY-MONTH SINCE 1996.
Holiday Information
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Holiday Information Costs |
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The above prices are per person and based on sharing a standard inside twin cabin. Should you wish to have sole occupancy of a cabin, a £50.00 single supplement is payable. Most of our travellers prefer to upgrade to a more spacious outside window cabin for a one-off cost of £40 per cabin (not per person) but please book early, as a limited number of cabins are available. Many of our travellers choose to combine two holidays 'back-to-back'. In this instance we offer an exclusive 15% discount off the cost of the second trip (not including single supplements or cabin upgrade costs).
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR OUR TRAVELLERS' FACT FILE (What's included, what's not included, meeting point, weather, etc.)
* Please note that the minimum age for trip participation is 10 yrs at time of travel. Child prices are based on children being aged between 10 and 15 at the actual time of travel.
2009 Operating Dates
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Holiday Information 2009 Operating Dates |
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2008 Highlights
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