celestial canaries...the orca team very much enjoyed spending time with guests on board the saga...

Charity No: 1141728 www.orcaweb.org.uk

Celestial Canaries March 14th – March 28th 2019

DAY 1 - Thursday 14th March 2019

Sea State: 4

Sky: Overcast, showers Temperature: MAX 11°C

Saga Sapphire Sets Sail Dover 18:00

The ORCA team very much enjoyed spending time with guests on board the Saga Sapphire during the Celestial Canaries

Cruise in spring 2019. We especially appreciated hearing about your wildlife encounters whilst simultaneously spotting

and identifying cetaceans and birds with you out on deck. We are also thankful to Saga Cruises for inviting our ORCA

on board. This provided us the opportunity to perform deck watches with guests as well as being able to collect

important cetacean data, vital to ORCA’s conservation efforts. The charity ORCA is dedicated to the long- term

protection of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) in British and a- joining waters.

The ORCA team (top to bottom): Hannah Ramsey- Smith

(Team Leader), Maria Freel, Kathleen Neri and Shenaz Khimji (Wildlife

Officer)


During the Celestial Canaries cruise the ORCA team recorded a total number of 245 cetaceans, which included 6

species including: fin whale, Minke whale, short- beaked common dolphins, striped dolphins, short- finned pilot

whales and Risso’s dolphins. We surveyed 3 sea regions: English Channel, Bay of Biscay and North Atlantic Ocean and

over 3,659 nautical miles (6 full sea days). We kept both a cetacean and bird list, contributed to by guests on board

(please see the end of the report for a map and list of cetaceans and birds).

DAY 2 - Friday 15th March 2019

Sea State: 7- 8

Sky: Overcast Temperature: MAX 13°C

SEA DAY

The decks were closed today as the sea conditions in the English Channel and Western Approaches were a sea state

6- 7, with a swell height of 3-4 metres for a good part of the day. Our Wildlife Officer, Shenaz, presented a short lecture

in the Britannia Lounge in the afternoon highlighting possible cetacean species to be encountered during the voyage.

This talk was well attended by many guests.

On this day also, numerous Northern gannets (Morus bassanus) were spotted darting in and out of view of the ships’

windows un phased by the rough seas. Northern gannets are narrow- winged seabirds with cigar shaped bodies and

long tapering bills which end in a point. The external nostrils are closed as an adaptation for plunge- diving and

secondary nostrils above the gape are automatically closed by a flap of skin on entering the water. They swim well and

are excellent flyers. The gannet is the largest seabird in the North Sea with a wingspan of around 2m.

Shenaz presenting in the Britannia Lounge We saw numerous Gannets during our day at sea


DAY 3 - Saturday 16th March 2019

Sea State: 4- 7

Sky: Overcast with showers Temperature: MAX 12°C

SEA DAY

The ORCA team started the day full of enthusiasm for recording the rich

diversity of species found in the Bay of Biscay, despite not having ideal sea

surveying conditions for spotting cetaceans. The sea state fluctuated

between a 4 and a 7 with a swell height measuring around 2m for most of

the day. However, after conducting a 12- hour deck watch, the ORCA team

were delighted to have recorded two sunfish, Northern gannets, kittiwakes,

one great skua and two unidentified dolphins during the course of the day.

The ocean sunfish or common mola is one of the heaviest known bony fishes

in the world. Adults typically weigh between 247 and 1000kg. The species is

native to tropical and temperate waters around the globe. It resembles a

fish head with a tail, and its main body is flattened literally.

DAY 4 - Sunday 17th March 2019

Sea State: 2-4

Sky: Partly Cloudy Temperature: MAX 15°C

SEA DAY

Today was the best day of the cruise so far for cetacean sightings, in total five species were recorded including 27

animals. These were enjoyed by guests and the ORCA team alike on deck 12 during a very pleasant sea state travelling

off the West coast of Portugal in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Common dolphins seen at 17:50 on starboard side, note the yellow hourglass pattern, a key diagnostic feature of this

playful dolphin species

An adult Kittiwake

Photo taken by Shenaz Khimji

Sunfish (Molidae)


Striped dolphin travelling down starboard side at 17:20,

note the eye to anal stripe, a distinguishing feature of

this species which were feeding close to the Saga

Sapphire.

Risso’s dolphins were recorded at 15:57, as featured in the photo below left. This species is a large, distinctive,

beakless dolphin with a blunt grooved head (shown in illustration below right) and tall falcate dorsal fin, the body is

often light greyish with a white head seen in the centre of the photograph below where the animal is spy- hopping

(vertically poking it’s head out of the water).

An amazing number (7!) of fin whales were also seen blowing throughout the afternoon near the horizon, followed

by a Minke whale which surfaced just ahead of the ship before sunset. Throughout the day, migrating terns from

Africa were seen in large swirling flocks close to the oceans’ surface.

Fin whale blowing at 18:25, the world’s second largest animal measuring a maximum size of 27m, fastest swimming

great whale reaching 24 knots, feeds on krill, fish and squid.

Common dolphins taken by Shenaz Khimji on deck 12

Striped dolphin taken by Shenaz Khimji

Risso’s dolphins taken by Shenaz Khimji Illustration of Risso’s dolphin head


A minke whale was seen surfacing at the bow (left) and later at the stern of the ship at 18:35. Note the fin shape on

the left and double blow hole in the right photo

DAY 5 - Monday 18th March 2019

Sea State: 3-4

Sky: Partly Cloudy Temperature: 16 °C

ARRIVE FUNCHAL, MADEIRA 14:00

DEPART: 20:00

TOTAL: 6 patterned dolphins

Today we arrived in Funchal, Madeira. During the morning survey and on the

approach to Madeira the ORCA team recorded 6 patterned dolphins (common

or striped), Cory’s shearwaters in big numbers, yellow- legged gulls.

Whilst exploring Madeira, the ORCA team were lucky enough to spot a kestrel

and a number of species of fish in the harbour.

Photo above: Fin Whale taken by Shenaz Khimji

Yellow – legged gull

Minke whale surfacing by Hannah Ramsey- Smith


Cory’s Shearwater are very commonly seen flying around Madeira. Pictured above is a large greyish-brown shearwater

with whitish underparts and yellow bill. Lacks collar and has narrow white band on the rump.

Shearwaters are long-winged, slender- bodied highly pelagic seabirds. They are nocturnal at the breeding colonies

which are often vast. Most species are great wanderers and several are transequatorial migrants. They have slender,

tubenose bills with a pronounced hook. The similarity of many species presents a number of taxonomic and

identification problems. Flight action is important; the larger species tend to have an undulating flight, gliding on stiff

wings interspersed with periods of rapid wingbeats. The smaller species tend to have a more fluttering flight on

shorter, more rounded wings.

Cory’s shearwaters resting and in flight

Young male kestrel perched on street light in Funchal, Madeira, photo above taken by Shenaz Khimji


The ORCA team ventured on a boat trip in madeira and were treated to close views of short- finned pilot whales. Note

the close proximity of the animals to the shore, which shows how deep the waters are around Madeira. In the image

you can see a young animal next to a bull, which has a very wide base to its dorsal fin, note the difference between

the bull and juvenile or female shown in the bottom image.

Photos taken by Shenaz Khimji in Madeira


A guest photo, taken by Jacqui Palmer of a Boettger’s lizard

(Gallotia caesaris). It is a lacertid (wall lizard) endemic to two

of the Western Canary Islands, El Hierro and La Gomera. In

Tenerife and La Palma it is replaced by its close relative

Gallotia galloti. On the Portuguese island of Madeira, it has

been introduced by man.

A guest photo, depicts a little egret (Egretta garzetta), taken by Dave Jones


DAY 6

Tuesday 19th March 2019

Sea State: 4-5

Sky: Partly cloudy Temperature: 19 °C

TOTAL: 19

Striped dolphins 15

Patterned dolphins 3

Minke 1

ARRIVE SANTA CRUZ, LA PALMA 13:00

We arrived at our first Canary Island, the island of La Palma today. The Canary Islands are amongst the most popular

whale watching destinations in the world. This is for two reasons, it’s on a migration route for many great whale

species travelling to and from wintering feeding grounds. Secondly, the Madeiran Archipelago is volcanic in origin, and

due to the lack of a continental shelf, depths drop to as much as 5,000m just 5km from shore, see bathymetric map

below. Consequently, cetaceans that inhabit deep waters and are typically oceanic, such as sperm whales and beaked

whales are relatively easily observed quite close to the shore.

This morning, as the ship entered Santa Cruz, La Palma, the ORCA team and passengers were treated to two lovely

sightings of common and striped dolphin pods which were attracted to the ship before the sighting of the day; a

blowing minke whale just ahead of the bow. This was quite a long encounter, lasting about 7 minutes, which many

guests on deck 12 sighted, along with the ORCA team.

A bathometry map of the Canary Islands


Lots of Cory’s shearwaters were seen in flight and resting on the sea as we came into Santa Cruz, La Palma. Whilst

onshore in Santa Cruz, Maria spotted peregrine falcons with chicks, collared doves, choughs, black birds and a

Portuguese man o’war on the beach; Kathleen enjoyed great views of monarch butterflies.

Striped dolphins attracted to the Saga Sapphire. Photo taken by Shenaz Khimji on deck 12

Minke whale swimming away from the Saga Sapphire. Photo by Shenaz Khimji


A Portuguese man o’war is a marine hydrozoan found in the Atlantic which despite its appearance is not a true

jellyfish but a siphonophore, a colonial organism made up of specialised individual animals

Minke whale blowing. Photo by Shenaz Khimji

Portuguese man o’war. Photo by Maria Freel


The Monarch butterfly (pictured left) is threatened with near

extinction. The monarch butterfly cannot exist without

milkweed (Asclepia) whose leaves are the butterfly’s unique

source of food for which La Palma offers excellent climatic

conditions.

Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

DAY 7

Wednesday 20th March 2019

Sea State: 4-5

Sky: Sunny Temperature: 16 °C

ARRIVE SAN SEBASTIAN, LA GOMERA 8:00

DEPARTED 19:00

La Gomera is 400 km off the West African mainland, and

surrounded by waters up to 4000m deep (2,000m just a few

kilometres from shore), and is home to an extraordinary rich

diversity of cetaceans. No fewer than 23 species have been

recorded off the South- West coast, giving this relatively

small area one of the highest species diversities in Europe.

Whilst exploring on shore the ORCA team drew upon Maria’s

vast knowledge of fish which were seen in the marina. The

most spectacular of these was a trumpet fish (Aulostomus

strigosus) a species in the family Syngnathidae of the bony

fish with an anatomy featuring a tweezer like mouth.

Climbing up to viewpoint on the island the team found a

fantastic garden with a view of the sea featuring more

common bird species on the island including collared doves,

Bolle’s pigeons, plain swifts, raven, Spanish sparrow and

canary birds. Plain swifts breed in Madeira and the Canary

Islands. It looks very like a swift but is slightly smaller and

slimmer with narrower- wings. The tail is proportionately

somewhat longer with a narrower base. They have a pale

throat patch smaller, not so bright and lower edge to upper

breast less clearly demarcated.

Unlike house sparrows, Spanish sparrows breed in tall

Shrubbery as shown here. Photo by Shenaz Khimji

Plain swift


The Atlantic trumpet fish (Aulostomus strigosus), are long bodied fish with an upward facing mouth at the end of a

long tubular snout. It has the ability to change colour, either to communicate their excitement or to camouflage. The

most frequent colours recorded are brown, blue, green or orange tones. Atlantic trumpet fish can display a pattern of

pale vertical and or horizonal lines or a dark mottling on the body. The dorsal and anal fins are semi-transparent with

a black dot in front of it. Typically, trumpet fish have a pattern of four white spots on the body, between the dorsal

and anal fins three white vertical lines in the long caudal penduncle and a black, submarginal, in each margin of the

caudal fin dot.

Atlantic trumpet fish (Aulostomus strigosus)

Fish seen around the shore of La Gomera. Photo by Shenaz Khimji


A number of fish were seen together around the shore, species included: white sea bream, saddled sea bream,

mullet, blue finned damselfish, ornate wrasse, porgy, sergeant major and grouper

DAY 8

Thursday 21st March 2019

Sea State: 2

Sky: Partly cloudy Temperature: 16 °C

ARRIVE SANTA CRUZ, TENERIFE 8:00

DEPARTED 22:00

On approaching Santa Cruz, Tenerife the ORCA team saw a grey heron and a little egret in flight. Upon exploring the

island of Tenerife a little further, the team were delighted to chance upon a number of Macaronesian sharpnose puffer

fish (Canthigaster capistrata) in Puerto Colon de Adeje as well as parrot fish (Sparisoma euscarus cretense).

DAY 9

Friday 22nd March 2019

Sea State: 3- 4

Sky: Cloudy Temperature: 18 °C

ARRIVED LAS PALMAS, GRAN CANARIA 8:00

DEPARTED 19:00

Today was a day in port, Maria went snorkelling and saw a beautiful zebra sea bream (Diplodus cervinus), pictured

below right, and comber fish. Kathleen spotted African blue tits (Canistes teneriffae) pictured below left.

The African blue tit is similar to the blue tit but smaller and darker with a partly different vocalisation. The crown is

dark, blackish blue, and white supercilium and band across hindcrown narrow. The back is greyish- blue, lacking a

green element of blue tit. The wings are a deeper ultramarine, and adults of the populations of Canary Islands lack


white wing bar and a uniform underwing. The voice recall great tit and others crested tit.

Zebra sea bream has a high compressed lateral body with a pointed snout and thick lips. It is a medium sized fish which

can reach a maximum length of 55cm with an average length of 35cm. Its background colour is silvered with dark

vertical bands, on the first five one vertical band runs across the body from the caudal penduncle to the pectoral fins,

another characteristic is a dark band across the space between the eyes.

DAY 10

Saturday 23rd March 2019

Sea State: 5 Sky: Overcast Temperature: 20 °C

ARRIVED ARRECIFE, LANZAROTE 7:00

DEPARTED 17:00

Today was another lovely day on shore. The species of the day, reported to the

ORCA team by many guests, was the Southern form of the great grey shrike

(Lanius koenigi). Many waders were also seen including ringed plover (Charadrius

hiaticula), common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), whimbrel (Numenius

phaeopus), black- tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica), sanderling (Calidris alba),

Kentish plover (Charadrius lexandrinus) and little ringed plover (Charadrius

dubius) in mud flats within a mile of the where the Saga Sapphire was berthed in

Arrecife.

The great grey shrike is a large songbird species in the shrike family (Laniidae). The subspecies koenigi is exclusive to

the Canary Islands and is mainly a sedentary bird. However, some populations show occasional short distance

movements. It is believed that a small number migrate to North Africa via the Strait of Gibraltar. Only rarely is it seen

in Central France or North Western Europe.

The Southern grey shrike eats large insects,

rodents, reptiles and small birds. Most of its

time is spent scanning its surrounding area

from a perch in search of prey, with frequent

changes of perch. Once a large prey item has

been captured, Southern great grey shrike

usually impales it upon stumps, thorns or

barbed wire due to its inability to hold it for

long periods of time. This system is known as

a ‘larder’.

Illustration of great grey shrikes

Southern grey strike


DAY 11

Sunday 24th March 2019

Sea State: 2-5

Weather: Showers Temperature: 17 °C- 19°C

SEA DAY

TOTAL: 78

3 Patterned Dolphins

(common and striped dolphins)

68 Common Dolphins

6 Striped Dolphins

1 Unidentified Medium Cetacean

Today the ORCA team observed common and striped dolphins in the largest pods recorded so far, attracted to the

ship and bow riding. A number of guests saw these charismatic animals alongside the ship on port side where there

were most animals sighted. Cory’s shearwaters, below right, showed well throughout the day as well.

Common dolphins coming into bow (right) and Cory’s shearwaters. Photos by Shenaz Khimji

Breaching common dolphins. Photo by Shenaz Khimji taken from port side of the Saga Sapphire


DAY 12

Monday 25th March 2019

Sea State: 3- 4 Weather: Sunny: 19 °C- 22°C

ARRIVED LISBON, PORTUGAL 12:00

DEPARTED 19:00

TOTAL: 32

3 Common Dolphins

3 Striped Dolphins

26 Unidentified Dolphin

This morning the ORCA team recorded 32 dolphins including common and striped dolphins. They also saw lots of

Mediterranean gulls and glossy ibis on entering the port of Lisbon. Many guests were delighted with close views of the

dolphins from deck 12.

Mediterranean gull between 1st and 2nd winter stages. Photo

by Shenaz Khimji

Above and below (left) striped dolphin with a juvenile. Note the diagnostic stripe running along the centre of the body

Mediterranean gull between 1st and 2nd winter stages, photos taken by Shenaz Khimji


DAY 13 Tuesday 26th March 2019

Sea State: 3- 4

Sky: Sunny: 14 °C- 16°C

SEA DAY

TOTAL: 10

1 Patterned Dolphin


2 Common Dolphins

2 (Poss.) Pilot whales

2 Unidentified Dolphins

1 Unidentified Whale

1 Beaked whale, 1 Shark

On the penultimate sea day, the ORCA team recorded 10 animals in the Bay of Biscay including: common dolphins,

possible pilot whales, a dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) and some dolphins they were not able to identify as well

as a whale blow and an unidentified beaked whale.

DAY 14


Sea State: 3- 4

Weather: Sunny Temperature: 10°C- 12°C

SEA DAY

TOTAL: 42

37 Patterned Dolphins


3 Common Dolphins

1 Unidentified Whale

1 Other

Today we were delighted to see many of you at the round up talk in the Britannia Lounge presented by Shenaz, who

summarised some of the key wildlife highlights from the cruise including offshore and on-shore species. Just minutes

before the talk, the ORCA team had a number of sightings during their deck watch including: patterned dolphins

(common or striped), common dolphins, whale blow despite a consistent sea state 4.


DAY 15


Sea State: 3- 4

Weather: Partly cloudy Temperature: 15 °C

ARRIVED SOUTHAMPTON 12:00

The ORCA team would like to thank all guests for their company whilst on board the Saga Sapphire and look forward

to seeing you again. We are also grateful for the support we received from Captain Stuart Horne, his officers, staff

and crew – thank you for making us feel so welcome on board.

For a map and list of all the marine wildlife seen and recorded during this cruise please see the next page.

The ORCA team (left to right): Hannah Ramsey-Smith (Team Leader), Kathleen Neri, Maria Freel and Shenaz Khimji (Wildlife Officer)


Birds seen at Sea Birds seen on Land

-Northern Gannet

(Morus bassanus)

-Kittiwake

(Rissa tridactyla)

-Great Skua/ Bonxie (Stercorarius skua)

-Cory’s Shearwater

(Calonectris diomedea borealis)

-Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus)

-Comic Tern (Sterna sp.)

-Yellow- legged gull (Larus michahellis)

Madeiran spp and S. Europe spp.

-Bulwer’s petrel (Bulweria bulwerii)

-Mediterranean gull (Larus

melanocephalus)

-Roseate tern (Sterna dougalliii)

-Lesser black backed gull (Larus fuscus)

-Black- headed gull (Chroicocephalus

ridibundus)

-Racing pigeon (on ship)

-Swallow (on ship)

-Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

-Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)

-Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

-Blackbird (Turdus merula)

-Collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

-Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis)

-Canary (Serinus canarius)

-Plain swift (Apus unicolor)

-Pallid swift (Apus pallidus )

-Bolle’s pigeon (Columba bollii)

-Raven (Corvus corax)

-Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)

-Little egret (Egretta garzetta)

-African blue tit (Cyanistes teneriffae)

-Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

-Common buzzard (Buteo buteo)

-Canary island chiffchaff (Phylloscopus canariensis)

-Ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula)

-Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

-Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

-Black- tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica)

-Berthelots’s Pipit (Anthus berthelottii)

-Great grey shrike Southern pop. (Lanius koenigi)

-Sanderling (Calidris alba)

-Kentish plover (Charadrius lexandrinus)

-Little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius)

-Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

-Glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

-Serin (Serinus serinus)

-Sardinian warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)

-Chaffinch Canaries ssp (Fringilla africana)

-Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

-Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

-Rock dove (Columba livia)

-Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

-White stork (Ciconia ciconia)

-Black winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

celestial canaries...the orca team very much enjoyed spending time with guests on board the saga...

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