Adventure to the North Cape 24 June July 2018

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Adventure to the North Cape 24 June 2018 9 July 2018 ORCA team: Imogen Cavadino, Jayne Dobner, Karen Francis and Carolyn Waddell 24 June 2018 Dover (England) ORCA's Marine Mammal Surveyors met at

Shortly after embarkation, we quickly acquainted ourselves with the ship; for Jayne it was like coming home as she met old friends, for the rest of us, being our first cruise, there was a lot to take

1 Adventure to the North Cape 24 June July 2018 ORCA team: Imogen Cavadino, Jayne Dobner, Karen Francis and Carolyn Waddell 24 June 2018 Dover (England) ORCA's Marine Mammal Surveyors met at Dover Cruise Terminal full of excitement and eager to board SAGA Sapphire. Shortly after embarkation, we quickly acquainted ourselves with the ship; for Jayne it was like coming home as she met old friends, for the rest of us, being our first cruise, there was a lot to take in. Not long after departing Dover, Jayne gave an introductory presentation about ORCA, its wonderful work in partnership with SAGA and the wildlife we hoped to see during the cruise. With a 50m tape, Carolyn and Imogen demonstrated the size of a couple of large cetaceans we hoped to encounter, so that our guests could appreciate the sheer size of these amazing mammals; it was great to see so many guests attend and give us such a warm welcome. After we had introduced ourselves to new passengers and encouraged them to join us out on deck to share our wildlife encounters, we finished our cruise formalities and settled ourselves into life aboard ship in readiness for our first full day at sea. 25 June 2018 North Sea en-route Lerwick (Shetland) Our first day at sea. We started our survey at 06:00 am and were soon joined by a few guests; all eager to see the wildlife the North Sea has to offer. Before breakfast, we had sightings of an unidentified dolphin and a Minke Whale. After breakfast, the ORCA team went to the bridge to meet Captain Stuart; he and his crew gave us an exceptionally warm welcome and invited us to provide a daily wildlife update from the bridge on sea days. By 09:00 am we were back to surveying and oh boy the North Sea did not disappoint: throughout the first day we had sightings of Minke Whale, pilot whale (possible), grey seal, white-beaked dolphin and harbour porpoise. Minke Whales are the smallest baleen whale (filter feeders) found in UK waters, with an estimated population of approximately 12,000 animals. They have white bands or 'mittens' on the outer margins of their pectoral fins, which surveyors use as a unique identification mark for this whale. We nickname this whale stinky minke due to the pungent smell it leaves behind when it expels air. Shetland Wildlife Group had reported two pods of Orca (Killer Whale) heading west of the Mainland, so we hoped they would change direction so that we could see them on our approach to Lerwick in the morning. Minke Whale

26 June 2018 Lerwick (Shetland) We awoke early in order to survey before docking in Lerwick. Although it was overcast, the sea was calm and the Shetland Islands looked beautiful and inviting.

Although we did not see any Orca (Killer Whale), we were still hopeful for a sighting as we continued our cruise towards Norway.

2 26 June 2018 Lerwick (Shetland) We awoke early in order to survey before docking in Lerwick. Although it was overcast, the sea was calm and the Shetland Islands looked beautiful and inviting. After a short while, we had a brief glimpse of three fast-swimming unidentified dolphins, obviously on a mission to get somewhere, followed by a Minke Whale. Although we did not see any Orca (Killer Whale), we were still hopeful for a sighting as we continued our cruise towards Norway. Mousa Broch Photo credit: Jayne (ORCA) Whilst in port, we helped out on Tour Escort duties, which took us through Lerwick, Shetland s capital. Along the route, we negotiated Britain s most northerly roundabout, before following the coast road passing Shetland ponies and Shetland sheep grazing in the meadows. Imogen, Karen and Jayne escorted the Mousa Ferry trip. Mousa Island has the best-preserved Iron Age tower (broch) in existence and is also home to important breeding colonies of seals and seabirds, including the extraordinary Storm Petrel. From the ferry we saw an array of seabirds, a grey seal playing in the seaweed and a Minke Whale in the distance; guests on other tours saw harbour seals. In addition, locals confirmed that a Bearded Seal has taken up residence in the harbour. During the day, it leaves the harbour confines and returns early evening; one guest was lucky to see this Arctic visitor as they returned to the SAGA Sapphire. During our sail away and evening survey, no more cetaceans were seen. Bearded seals live in the Arctic and tend to forage for food in shallow waters. Adult Bearded Seals mainly stay in bays where the water is shallower, but juveniles may venture into deeper open ocean waters where they dive as deep as 450 metres. They live for approx. 25 years in the wild. Bearded Seal

3 27 June 2018 North Atlantic Ocean en-route to Norway We awoke to sea state 2, with moderate swell and looking forward to our next two days at sea. The ORCA team were hopeful for some good sightings, as this area has been quite productive on previous SAGA cruises to the North Cape. Sea state is the term used to describe the wave formation created by the wind and the ORCA team use the Beaufort scale which ranges from 0 9. A sea state of three or less, when the waves have few or no white caps is generally considered to be most conducive to observing cetaceans; anything higher makes observations more difficult. Although our morning got off to a good start with sightings of Minke Whale, our encounters with other cetaceans were few and far between, with a distant whale blow, two distant medium-sized cetaceans and a harbour porpoise. 28 June 2018 North Atlantic Ocean en-route to Norway We were on deck from 05:30 am and greeted with intermittent fog and rain, which made spotting cetaceans difficult. Within an hour, Jayne suspended the survey because conditions had deteriorated. We headed for an early breakfast and hoped the weather would break: The North Atlantic Ocean varies in depth as the ocean-floor topography and deep-water canyons provide nutrient-rich areas that large cetaceans prefer; we didn't want to miss this part of the survey. Luck was on our side: as the weather started to improve within 20 minutes of re-starting our survey, small blows were spotted on the portside and we then saw huge black dorsal fins WOW! A pod of 5 orca (Killer Whale), one of which was a juvenile swimming close alongside its mother. An excellent start to the day. A number of guests managed to watch these majestic mammals with us and words cannot describe the atmosphere out on deck. Orca (juvenile) with its mother Photo credit: Mr K Barwell Saga guest Captain Stuart informed us that we were travelling along a continental shelf, with a depth of just 200m of water to the starboard side (right) but 3000m of water to the port side (left). Whilst travelling along the continental shelf, we were hopeful for more sightings, although sadly this was not to be. Our day ended with two large rorqual sightings that were too distant to see any distinguishing markings (rorquals are largest of the baleen whales and are filter feeders).

Although their ranges can often overlap it appears they rarely interact and they don t interbreed.

4 Orca (Killer Whale) is not actually a whale; it s the largest of the dolphin species. There are several ecotypes of Orca and those most commonly referred to are the resident, transient and offshore types. Each ecotype has their own unique diet, behaviour, social structure and habitat. Although their ranges can often overlap it appears they rarely interact and they don t interbreed. Orca Photo credit: Mrs P Turner Saga guest 29 June 2018 Tromso (Norway) Captain Stuart and his crew met the pilot boat at approx. 03:00 am. We had already entered the fjord as we started our survey at am and what beautiful scenery. We had high hopes for seeing harbour porpoise in the fjord, alas, they escaped us, though we did spot a seal swimming close to the ship. Although we had no cetacean sightings, the bird life did not disappoint as we watched eider, herring gull, oystercatcher, kittiwake, great skua, arctic skua and red-throated diver going about their daily business. Our day in port gave the team an opportunity to rest and catch up on paperwork, fully refreshed for sail away. Unfortunately, our evening survey was cut short due to fog. Oystercatcher in flight Photo credit: Mr M Matthias Saga guest 30 June 2018 Honningsvag (Norway) On our way into Honningsvag we had a single sighting of Long-finned Pilot Whale. We were scheduled to leave Honningsvag at 20:30 pm, so the team had plenty of time to catch up on data entry and take a leisurely stroll around the City. We visited the museum, learning about the devastation from World War II, the fishing industry and the 17thcentury witch trials. After a visit to the church, we just had to visit the ice bar and see it for ourselves after all, we were in Norway! After an early evening dinner, we were out on deck again; ready to start our survey immediately as we sailed away. The weather had been overcast all day with no sign of improvement for the guests' midnight sun party. Many people joined us on deck, but as we got further out to sea the weather deteriorated and we ended up concluding our survey with no further sightings of cetaceans or the elusive midnight sun!

Pilot Whales live in family groups (pods) so seeing a lone animal is unusual. Their family size varies from a few individuals up to several hundred animals.

The family group is led by one of the older females who acts as the leader, or 'pilot' of the group - this behaviour gives this species its name.

5 Pilot Whales live in family groups (pods) so seeing a lone animal is unusual. Their family size varies from a few individuals up to several hundred animals. Pilot Whales are not technically whales; they are the second largest dolphin species. The family group is led by one of the older females who acts as the leader, or 'pilot' of the group - this behaviour gives this species its name. 1 July 2018 Hammerfest (Norway) A pod of pilot whales After a few hours sleep, we were back on survey. The wind had increased during the night, so for our safety we moved our observations to deck 12 (stern). We only had one sighting of a harbour porpoise and the bird life was similarly quiet. Harbour porpoise are the smallest cetacean we have in UK/European waters. They prefer coastal/shallower waters and are less approachable than their dolphin cousins. They have small spade-shaped teeth, which they use to grab their prey, which is swallowed whole. Harbour Porpoise Photo credit: Carolyn ORCA 2 July 2018 Cruising the North Cape/Scenic Cruising (Norway) In the previous 24 hours, we d had a variety of weather conditions. Today, the weather was more than favourable as we cruised through Norway s inside passage. The scenery was absolutely stunning; the sea was the most beautiful turquoise with golden sandy beaches. With temperatures, reaching 21ºc it felt we were cruising through a tropical paradise. We cruised under a spectacular bridge, with very little clearance for the Sapphire's masts. Everyone held their breath and let out a cheer as we passed through the atmosphere was fabulous. The birds were plentiful, we were fortunate to see a white-tailed eagle riding the thermals above the cliffs and four Bean Goose.

6 A Eurasian Otter was sighted swimming close to the shore, probably foraging for crustaceans (shellfish). The protected waters of the fjord did not disappoint: we had multiple sightings of harbour porpoise many appeared in small pods (groups) quite close to the ship giving guests a closer look at our smallest cetacean. After dinner, the team returned for a leisurely stroll on deck and would you believe it we were greeted by a huge whale blow which appeared several times on the starboard side. The height of the blow and being able to see it clearly without binoculars suggest that it was most likely the world s second largest rorqual whale Fin whale. Guests had also seen a similar blow one hour before, and a brief sighting of a pilot whale swimming under the bow of the Sapphire was reported. Otters found along the UK/European coast are not true sea otters, they are Eurasian Otters (European river otters) that have adapted to living by the coast and need access to fresh water to clean their fur. They are strongly territorial, living alone for the most part; their average territory is approximately 18 km. 3 July 2018 Bodo (Norway) Scenic inside passage Photo credit: Jayne ORCA Due to poor visibility, we were not able to conduct our wildlife survey on this day, though we put our time to good use by entering data and catching up on other administration duties. 4 July 2018 At Sea en-route to Iceland We awoke to thick fog so were not able to commence our survey until after breakfast. The weather soon improved and we ended up having a fantastic sea state for whale watching. We'd hoped that this part of the cruise would be productive and 'oh boy! it did not disappoint... We had two humpback whales breaching, pectoral fin slapping and creating huge splashes. Guests were able to observe this typical humpback whale behaviour from many kilometres away and the atmosphere on deck was electric. Shortly afterwards, we spotted two sperm whales logging. This is a behaviour that whales exhibit when at rest and appear like 'logs' at the surface. It is defined as lying without forward movement on the surface of the water, with the dorsal fin or part of the back exposed. The Sperm Whale is the largest toothed whale on our planet; it has a distinct blow on the left-hand side, which angles forward at 45.

It uses spermaceti (the oil in its head) when it dives: the spermaceti solidifies on descent and liquefies upon ascent to the surface such a privilege to observe this magnificent creature in our seas.

Occasionally, we have stow-a-ways on ship and today we found a white-tailed bumblebee, this little bee is very common, it emerges in early spring and can be seen through to the autumn.

7 It uses spermaceti (the oil in its head) when it dives: the spermaceti solidifies on descent and liquefies upon ascent to the surface such a privilege to observe this magnificent creature in our seas. Two Sperm Whales - logging Photo credit: Mr K Barwell Saga guest Throughout the day, we had more encounters with fin whale and Minke whale and a number of large whale blows were seen in the distance. Occasionally, we have stow-a-ways on ship and today we found a white-tailed bumblebee, this little bee is very common, it emerges in early spring and can be seen through to the autumn. 5 July 2018 Seydisfjordur (Iceland) Wow, the wind was fierce this morning and made it quite difficult for us to survey. We persevered because the fjord next to Seydisfjordur offer blue whale-watching trips in June and July and we did not want to miss out on any opportunity to see the largest mammal on our planet although sadly it was not to be. The weather continued to deteriorate throughout the day and Captain Stuart decided it was not safe to leave the safety of our berth so we had an overnight stay in port. 6 9 July 2018 At Sea en-route to Dover (England) Captain Stuart left Seydisfjordur in the early hours of the morning and we were out on watch just before we reached the exit of the fjord. Once again, we were scanning for the massive blow of a blue whale again, this was not meant to be, although we remained excited to be spending three days at sea. Once again, our journey through the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea did not disappoint; our days were long though our efforts paid off. With good sea states for the three days, we had numerous encounters with Minke Whale, a large pod of energetic Atlantic White-sided Dolphin, breaching White-beaked Dolphin, harbour porpoise and Grey Seal. Atlantic White-sided Dolphins Photo credit: Imogen - ORCA

8 Our time in the North Sea seemed to come to an end all too quickly and it was soon time for Jayne to deliver the final ORCA presentation. This was extremely well attended by passionate guests, many of whom had joined the ORCA team on deck thank you all. It was an absolute pleasure to showcase photographs taken by SAGA guests - Mrs P Turner, Mr K Barwell and Mr M Matthias. On behalf of ORCA, the team would like to thank Captain Stuart and his crew for allowing us to conduct our surveys and to share our passion for cetaceans and other wildlife with SAGA guests. Thank you to all the guests for your amazing support, we hope to cruise with you again in the near future. The ORCA team: from left to right Jayne, Karen, Carolyn (Caz) and Imogen For a map of all the marine sightings and the birds seen during this voyage please see the pages below. There is also a gallery of some fantastic photos taken by Saga guests.

10 Throughout our cruise to the North Cape, we observed an abundance of bird life, which included gannets, gulls and fulmars. A full bird list is provided below, along with other wildlife seen. Bird species seen at Sea/or on Land: Number of days seen: Gannet 9 Fulmar 10 Shag 3 Greater Black-backed Gull 4 Lesser Black-backed Gull 3 Herring Gull 4 Common Gull 3 Arctic Tern 4 Common Tern 1 Great Skua 7 Arctic Skua 4 Dark Morph Arctic skua (variant) 1 Kittiwake 11 Razorbill 4 Black Guillemot 1 Guillemot 6 Puffin 7 Manx Shearwater 1 Greylag Goose 1 Bean Goose 1 Snipe 1 Oystercatcher 2 Collared Dove (stow-a-way) 2 Hooded Crow 2 Red-throated Diver 1 Eider 1 Long-tailed Duck 1 White-tailed Eagle 3 Wheatear 1 House Sparrow 1 Swift 1 Other wildlife on the ship (stow-a- way): Number of days seen: White-tailed bumblebee 1 Silver Y (moth) 1 Painted lady butterfly 1 Bluebottle 1 Other wildlife seen at sea: Number of days seen: Eurasian Otter 1 Grey Seal 3 Harbour Seal 1 Lion's Mane jellyfish 2 Barrel jellyfish 1 Compass jellyfish 1

11 Guest Gallery Grey Seals Photo credit: Mrs P Turner Saga guest Harbour Seals (Common Seal) Photo credit: Mr M Matthias Saga guest Dunlin Photo credit: Mr K Barwell Saga guest Black Guillemot Photo credit: Mr M Matthias Saga guest Gannet Photo credit: Mrs P Turner Saga guest White-beaked Dolphins Photo credit: Mr K Barwell Saga guest

Arctic Norway & Svalbard on Balmoral - Sightings Record Robin Petch -

Arctic Norway & Svalbard on Balmoral - Sightings Record Robin Petch - www.thewhaleanddolphinman.co.uk Thank you for joining me on Deck 7 throughout the cruise and helping to spot and record whales, dolphins,