The End of the Line

ANNOUNCEMENT - Marinelife supporting 'The End of the Line' documentary film


Marinelife is proud to support The End of the Line, the first major feature documentary film revealing the impact of overfishing on our oceans. Filmed over two years, we see firsthand the effects of our global love affair with fish as food. The film examines the imminent extinction of bluefin tuna, brought on by increasing western demand for sushi; the impact on marine life resulting in huge overpopulation of jellyfish; and the profound implications of a future world with no fish that would bring certain mass starvation.

Please show your support by buying your advanced ticket now at http://endoftheline.com/things_to_do/screenings for preview cinema screenings across the UK at over 50 cinemas on 8 June - World Oceans Day.

And you will be in good company - Mr. Stephen Fry himself is a fan of The End of the Line! Here is what he wrote on his Twitter page last week about the film 'Prob'y most important issue facing world future brilliantly treated in The End of the Line. Great book, now film www.endoftheline.com'

Marinelife representatives will be hosting some of the regional screenings and we are delighted to have an opportunity to highlight some of the issues covered in the documentary such as bycatch and overfishing in a short Q&A session after the screening. Please watch this space for details of which screenings we will be attending.

2009 Whale & Dolphin Theme Cruises Now Available for Booking

2009 Whale & Dolphin Theme Cruises Now Available for Booking

DON'T MISS OUT - BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT!

We are delighted to announce that the 2009 Whale and Dolphin Theme Cruises are now available for booking through P&O Ferries:

* 7 - 10 July 2009
* 10 - 13 July 2009
* 17 - 20 September 2009
* 20 - 23 September 2009

Following the success of the 2008 Cetacean & Seabird public cruises with over 3,300 cetaceans of 13 species seen over 4 trips, we are eagerly anticipating the 2009 programme of Whale & Dolphin Theme Cruises. Species seen can include Fin Whale, Sperm Whale, Northern Bottlenose Whale, Cuvier's Beaked Whale, Sowerby's Beaked Whale, Long-Finned Pilot Whale, Bottlenose Dolphin, Striped Dolphin, Common Dolphin, Minke Whale and Harbour Porpoise.

Prices are from £99, inclusive of cabin (based on 2 people sharing an inside ensuite 2 berth cabin).

These are fantastic value and include:

* Expert tour guides from Biscay Dolphin Research Programme
* Daily guided deck watches
* Dedicated wildlife presentations

For reservations please call 08716 64 64 64 & quote “Whale and Dolphin Minicruise 83680”

Please do be advised that P&O does not release all cabins for these theme cruises at the same time. If you do try and book and are told the cruise is sold out, please do keep trying as more cabins are released on a regular basis.

The End of a Special Trip

Well we have reached the final day of the research survey aboard the Minerva, our home for many weeks and I will be very sad to leave. It has been a remarkable trip aboard a superb platform for wildlife observation and we have recorded many species of marine mammal, including whales, dolphins, porpoises and pinnipeds together with a variety of seabirds.

The final day has seen us traveling over very shallow waters which have not generated any cetacean sightings; however the bird life has certainly kept us busy!

The passengers have taken a keen interest in the many species of birds we have encountered over the course of the trip and today was no exception with further new species being observed for the first time today. These included Fairy Prion, Thin-Billed Prion, Cape Petrel and a Pale-Faced Sheathbill which spent much of the day on the ship – certainly peaking the passengers interest! It then left later in the day, probably in search of penguin droppings for dinner…

I hope you have enjoyed the blog and sharing in some of the sightings we have encountered during the trip, perhaps inspiring you to go on a similar cruise yourself. We have been able to survey a huge area of ocean through our work with Swan Hellenic and we extend our thanks to them and the crew on board the Minerva for their help and hospitality whilst on board.

Birds Everywhere!!!

Today, having passed the Peninsula Valdes, we encountered a choppy sea state and a force 5 wind speed at first light – not the best for spotting cetaceans, but it proved to be ideal for the birds!

As we headed south, I began to pick out distant birds on the horizon, as we got closer, the numbers of birds seemed to multiply before my eyes – 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 – a truly amazing spectacle.

The birds were of several species, the majority being Black-Browed Albatross (in excess of 600), but also hundreds of Little and Great Shearwaters, as well as Great-Winged and White-Chinned Petrels. The area was obviously a rich feeding ground, with a number of South American Sea Lions and Magellanic Penguins also in association.

We didn’t encounter such numbers of birds over the course of the rest of the day.

Playful penguins

Every wildlife researcher’s dream weather conditions greeted us today – the sea state never exceeded a 1! Even the slightest movement in the water could be picked out at considerable distance.

A South American Sea Lions was once again to be seen around the ship, taking quick glimpses at us as we cruised past – this one captivated our attention more than most as it surfaced holding a fish in its mouth, much to our delight.

The sea state also provided great viewing conditions for the more aquatic birds – in particular Magellanic Penguins, which provided some close views. The passengers love it when we point out penguins to them - whether they be sitting on the surface or disappearing a vast speed below the surface in search of food.

We also had some good sightings of Southern Giant-Petrels and the daily sightings of magnificent Black-Browed Albatross.

Heading for Peninsula Valdez

After a brief visit to the fantastic city of Buenos Aires, today we set sail with much better weather conditions - a gentle breeze following the ship. We cruised back up the silty waters of the Rio de la Plata and out into the shallow coastal waters on our route south.

As the morning progressed, again I watched closely for Franciscana, thus far no success with this species, but I did catch a glimpse of a very distinctive dorsal fin – instantly recognisable as that of a Spectacled Porpoise. Like many porpoises, the sighting was brief, with just surfacing twice before the animal went for a dive.

Again, we encountered more playful South American Sea Lions, Black-Browed Albatross and Great-Winged Petrels with a scattering of Kelp Gulls.

As we go further south, we will be passing very close to Peninsular Valdez, but during the hours of darkness…..

Into the Rio de la Plata

The weather was ghastly on the 3rd! We were traveling south in very shallow water towards Argentina. The wind was a force 6 (hitting us on the beam) which in combination with the shallow waters ensured the sea remained a muddy brown colour.

We had our first sightings of South American Sea Lions today. These marine mammals are very entertaining to watch – surfacing to look at passers-by, before ducking below the surface as the ship approached.

We also continued to see Black-Browed Albatross, as well as various species of petrel, including White-Chinned and Great-Winged species and Antarctic terns.

The 4th December brought us into the Rio de la Plata (in Spanish, Silver River – in English, the River Plate) – a huge estuary between Uruguay and Argentina. Although wide, the shipping channel was very narrow, meaning we got very close views of the other shipping traffic. Estuaries worldwide are often very diverse in their wildlife and in particular I kept my eyes peeled for elusive Franciscana’s which are known to periodically enter this estuary – but as yet, no sightings of these elusive dolphins which inhabit the coastal waters from Brazil down to Argentina.

We will be arrived into Buenos Aires and as the ship docked, I and a number of passengers noticed a stricken pigeon that had somehow become exhausted and ended up in the water beside the ship. With calls to a guard patrol boat from all those concerned for the birds welfare on the ship, we were able to bring about a rescue – with cheers and applause, the rescuer on the patrol boat took a bow….