A first-of-its-kind interactive wildlife map has been created to help ferry passengers spot birds and marine life while on deck when travelling in British and European waters. The map has been built by Discover Ferries using data from marine conservation charity ORCA.
The easy-to-use, free-to-access map shows the wildlife that can be seen in the waters around the UK and helps travellers plan trips as well as identify sightings on the go, so ferry passengers can enjoy additional onboard entertainment for free. ORCA surveyors are stationed on several UK ferry routes to survey the number of cetaceans – dolphins, whales and porpoises.
This year, between March and October, the surveyors sighted 7,398 marine mammals from ships operated by Brittany Ferries, Caledonian MacBrayne, DFDS and Isles of Scilly Travel. The findings inform government conservation policy and the protection of marine habitats. As well as monitoring the numbers and species visible from deck, the Conservationists run guided deck watches and give talks on marine ecosystems to educate and enrich passenger journeys.
The partnership with ORCA is one of the many initiatives the ferry industry undertakes to promote ocean health and biodiversity. Supporting organisations including MARINElife, Irish Whale & Dolphin Group, Ocean Conservation Trust’s Blue Meadows project, Blue Marine Foundation’s Solent Oyster Restoration Project and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
Abby Penlington, Director at Discover Ferries, said: “Maintaining the marine environment is not only important for the long-term sustainability of our planet but also for the future of our industry. Cetaceans are good indicators of ocean health and can also be easily spotted from deck due to their size, which enables us to share the joy of wildlife spotting with passengers.
“ORCA deck watches and onboard wildlife lectures continue to be incredibly popular with passengers. As interest in green tourism experiences, the environment and our natural world continues to grow, we expect more travellers to participate next season. While ORCA Conservationists are only stationed on selected routes during the summer season; the map encourages travellers of all ages, on all UK ferry routes, to participate in wildlife spotting year-round. What better start to a trip away than seeing some of nature’s most majestic animals?”
In the 2022 season, there were almost 5,000 marine life sightings in waters to the South of England, The Western Channel to France and the Channel Islands, and the Bay of Biscay. Species including Sperm and Minke whales; Bottlenose, Common and Risso’s dolphins; Harbour porpoises and even Sunfish –the world’s heaviest fish, which hail from the Equator – were spotted. The Marine Mammal Surveyors also recorded rare sightings of Pilot whales south of Plymouth in August, and a Fin whale was spotted in the Isles of Scilly – it is highly unusual for this species, the second largest animal on the planet, to visit this area.
In the North Sea Harbour porpoises and Bottlenose, Common or White-beaked dolphins were most sighted. Surveyors also noted 102 seals and 70 Minke whales. On Scotland’s west coast, ORCA Conservationists recorded more than 600 dolphin and porpoise sightings as well as four sightings of Killer whales (Orcas).
Steve Jones, from ORCA, said: “Ferries are a fantastic viewing platform for wildlife spotting, giving passengers and citizen scientists great views across the seas. While binoculars and telescopes can help, these animals can also be seen by the naked eye – after all, some of them can reach 33m long! Regular crossings along the same routes help us to build up a picture of the numbers and distribution of marine species; the data can be compared to previous years, and this is where the UK ferry network gives such a huge boost to our research.
“Monitoring the health of our waters is an incredibly important part of marine conservation and the ferry industry has been a long-standing partner with ORCA to support this vital research. Our amazing volunteer citizen scientists are so passionate about the ocean and love the thrill of spotting these gentle giants. We hope this amazing new map will ignite the same passion in more people, whether they are inspired to volunteer themselves, learn more about protecting our coastal ecosystems or simply want to indulge in the pleasure of dolphin and whale watching during their journey.”
The interactive map is accessible from www.discoverferries.com
