Tuna friendly dolphins!

pettal · 29 March 2005, 10:09

Only kidding!

We tried to go out on Friday morning and were held back by thick fog and decided that the pub was probably a better spent use of our time rather than sitting and watching the white stuff. Unfortuantely too many beers later and the sun came out and the fog lifted......b*gger!

We went out again on Saturday morning for a dive, again surrounded by fog...although not as thick as the previous day. Pretty uneventful dive and bl**dy cold if I do say so, but on our exit from the water we were surrounded by around 20 dolphins who appeared to be in a very playful mood and soaked one of the girls who was boat handling at the time!

They stayed around us for about 30mins, but we had to get back in for the tide and the footy.

So what was a pretty dire day.........thanks to a bunch of enthusiastic dolphins turned out to be a top morning in the fog!

I have never seen so many in one place at one time and they have apparently been buzzing the Sarnia Harbour work boat for the past few weeks. Anyone know anything about dolphins and whether they are likely to stay or if they are just passin' through???

Squirrel · 31 March 2005, 09:38

Probably the same ones I saw round the back of Herm a couple of weeks ago. Don't know if they hang around or not, I guess it depends on fish availability!

Judging by my lack of success on Monday afternoon, the've eaten them all....

alanc chapman · 31 March 2005, 12:26

Still not seen any ****!!!1!!! dolphins. I was out On Friday afternoon so could have only just missed them.

Are you sure the pair of you are not just trying to wind me up ? If you are its working!!!!

Squirrel · 31 March 2005, 13:22

No not winding you up, I know a few people who've seen them too.

Looking a bit fairer for the weekend, best you clock up a few more engine hours and you might get lucky!!!

pettal · 31 March 2005, 14:28

Sorry Alan!

We watched them for quite a while and looked quite content to play around only a few meters from the rib.

They seem to have been kicking around for ages so would suspect that you'll see them one day!!

Weather looks good for the weekend although I'll be in Bolton.....out on the lash and then watching the Bolton vs. Liverpool game at Anfield....and then out on the lash again.......hopefully to celebrate Boltons victory.....although not holding my breath!!!

Have a good one this weekend!!!!!

alanc chapman · 01 April 2005, 07:14

Will be out 25 hours tomorrow!

Thanks guys. Will be out over the weekend continuing the fruitless search for the invisible dolphins......

Alan

Would like to arrange an outing to Carteret within the next month. Could be a return on the tide job and bring your friends etc.

Would you like to pencil in a weekend during April ?

Squirrel · 01 April 2005, 12:10

Just took mine round to the Crown at lunchtime. Going to Herm for tea tonight if you can get you boat out you're welcome to join us.

alanc chapman · 01 April 2005, 12:21

Thanks but have to go out for a drink tonight.

Will be in Herm tomorrow for Lunch with a full boat. Search for the Dolphins first. Will be going out at about 11am.

Alan

Squirrel · 01 April 2005, 12:37

Yeah, funny how when the sun comes out, everyone's e-mailing with <hint>"doing anything tonight" </hint> messages! We're full tonight too.

Graham's got the boat tomorrow, you might see him in Herm.

I'll be out on Sunday, hopefulyl wakeboarding, jippy shoulder allowing.

Good luck with the dolphins!

CJL · 06 April 2005, 10:24

Dolphins are very cool.

I was in Plymouth Sound and one jumped across the bow of the boat at 15 knots, scared the hell out of me. I thought it was a submarine spike of something!

Its worth noting that you sound never touch them! The oil in your fingers damages their skin in the wild. (Plus the teeth do look a bit vicious!)

Best one so far was a Basking Shark. Went right under the 3.10 Avon I was in. Scared the bejesus out of me. It was massive compared to the toy I was sitting in! It moved its tail so slowly but was actually fairly shifting through the water.

Seen a couple of Seals down in Falmouth as well. I think that one is "native" to falmouth though!

Chris

gingercoastie · 06 April 2005, 11:52

The seals in Falmouth are residents.

On low tide you can usually see them sunbathing on Black Rock.

Shaggy · 06 April 2005, 17:27

I Remember seeing lots of Dolphins whilst surfing at Gwithian Cornwall, I have even been lucky to share a wave with three of them

a fantastic moment.

But over the last 3 years their numbers had declined and all I ever see in the Cornishman and West Briton is reports of yet more dead Dolphins washed up on the beaches of Penwith, a whole family was found dead last year in Mounts Bay and that was truly heart wrenching.

The reason for the marked increase is being sited as "Pair trawling for Sea Bass".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/3694280.stm

However the dolphins don’t recognise a 12-mile limit and the carnage continues.

One way we can all help is next time you order Sea Bass make sure its “Line caught” and not trawled, if the staff don’t know, don’t eat it!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/outdoors/...sea_bass.shtml

Not only will you help save our native marine wildlife you will help preserve a traditional way of life for local fishermen.

Cheers Shaggy

pettal · 08 April 2005, 23:20

Hi All,

CJL - Swam with them in Mexico a few years back and will be going again to Cancun.....for erm...work.....yup that's it.....work. Lucky enough to be going all expenses paid with works sales trip this year. How sweet is that!

Never heard that the oil on the skin can affect them as dived several times with them although admittedly always been wearing gloves!?

GC - Yeah we've apparently got a seal colony behind Herm, but never seen them despite several trips round there? Apparently seals to dive with are quite cool, but they can get the ar*e about them and play a bit rough! Mind those fingers now!!!

Shaggy - Our company sponsers the local cetacean society (as part of our doing our bit for the environment and the local community) and provide dolphin rescue facilities for them. We are also having a big debate about trawling for bass at the moment as the trawlers seem to be fishing one of the breeding grounds and decimating the stocks......bstrds!

Shaggy · 21 April 2005, 07:59

Pettal
How far out are they trawling? If its under 12 miles call Sea Fisheries Inspectorate and get etc photos with ship numbers.

Not sure how proactive they would be in enforcing the new law.

"Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) in 2001, produced compelling evidence of a significant bycatch problem in the bass fishery off South West England. The pair trawling teams monitored caught dolphins at a rate a little in excess of one every two hauls"

Target Species
BASS

No. of bycaught
dolphins
53

No. of hauls
116

No. of days at Sea
71

Depressing reading...............

Shaggy

Powerboat · 21 April 2005, 16:30

We have one who rarely fails to show for the Advanced Powerboat Courses that we run out of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay.

A few years ago while in one of the Army RIBs this dolphin stayed with us at 35 knots for 5 minutes....incredible speed and endurance.

He also comes over when we dive in the area..Very strange thing is that amongst the Army Boat Squad members, he would ignore some members and hang around with others on a day by day basis ? The Lynx factor?

Remember before you jump in with your drysuit on to " Swim with Dolphins" that while cute and beautiful that they are wild animals and are quite capable of killing or seriously injuring you.

The trick if you meet a dolphin is to drive in straight lines / steady course which makes it safe for you and the dolphins. He will generally formate on your boat for 5 or 10 mins alternating between riding your bow wave and travelling beside or behind the boat before he gets bored and heads off again.

Be careful before you engage gear from neutral that he is not near the prop....in other words treat him like a diver.

Linking with the Azore thread and whales, one of the best experiences of Trans Atlantic was the visit each sundown of between 100 and 200 common ( Black and White) dolphins who you could see approaching at high speed from a mile or more away. They would formate on the boat and stay with us hopping and skipping for 15 minutes before heading off in search of another lone boat on the ocean.

Best wishes,

Stuart

pettal · 22 April 2005, 11:16

Hi Shaggy

Sorry it's taken sooooo long to reply but they have me doing some work for a change!

We have very different fishing laws over here and basically no one apart from the French apparently

can fish within our 12 mile limit, however most of our commercial fishermen can fish anywhere as long as it's 3 miles from shore....I think........could be wrong, but I'm sure that's the local law.

Some of them actually trawl within 100 yards of the shore, but not sure if they have to get special permission to do it!?

To be honest our fishermen are a law unto themselves, but most of em are very big so you won't catch me saying that to their faces!

hannah · 22 April 2005, 14:03

Have swam with dolphins once in america very long time ago but would truly be a great experiace to see some while out ribbing for a change!
Perhaps anywhere around the isle of white , im not sure how close they come in though any one seen any around the isle of white

codprawn · 22 April 2005, 15:18

Whilst on the subject of dolphins and other such mammals a big school of pilot whales was spotted off mumbles the other day

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/4429963.stm

Also a yachtsman was "attacked by whales" - apparently they surrounded his boat and he was terrified - also they had really bad breath - maybe they need some listerine????

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4460099.stm

codprawn · 22 April 2005, 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Powerboat

We have one who rarely fails to show for the Advanced Powerboat Courses that we run out of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay.

A few years ago while in one of the Army RIBs this dolphin stayed with us at 35 knots for 5 minutes....incredible speed and endurance.

The trick if you meet a dolphin is to drive in straight lines / steady course which makes it safe for you and the dolphins. He will generally formate on your boat for 5 or 10 mins alternating between riding your bow wave and travelling beside or behind the boat before he gets bored and heads off again.

Be careful before you engage gear from neutral that he is not near the prop....in other words treat him like a diver.

Stuart

I would be worried about going too fast as they might get run over but I suppose they know what they are doing - got some great video footage of some directly under the bow of my Dad's Sunseeker when we were in Gib - only doing about 12kts though.

Cookee · 24 April 2005, 12:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Also a yachtsman was "attacked by whales" - apparently they surrounded his boat and he was terrified - also they had really bad breath - maybe they need some listerine????

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4460099.stm

I saw the pod in the mouth of the Estuary in Salcombe on Saturday - I was with some friends who were haveing a Medline 3 domonstrated to them, and they were going up and down around the South Sands area.

I was also in the pub on Monday night drinking with a couple of the lifeboat men when the shout went out - we all had a good laugh about being attacked by wales and thought it highly unlikely, and the guy probably panicked - thats all!