Whale and Dolphin Spotting on our Santander Service

Once again, Brittany Ferries have teamed up with one of Europe's leading whale and dolphin conservation charities, ORCA, to give our passengers the life-changing opportunity to see a whale or dolphin in the wild from the comfort of the Cap Finistère.

ORCA seeks a world of safer seas for whales and dolphins. Our mission is to safeguard the future of our UK and European whales, dolphins and porpoises through inspirational community science. By enabling passengers to learn more about these fascinating animals, ORCA hopes to not only raise awareness about the need for conservation but to inspire passengers to spot whales and dolphins. By spotting whales and dolphins passengers will be helping ORCA protect these magnificent marine mammals.

ORCA has Wildlife Officers on-board the Cap Finistère who deliver engaging and informative presentations about the whales and dolphins that passengers are likely to see on their journey. They also carry out deck watches to help passengers spot whales and dolphins and are on hand to give advice and answer questions about marine mammals. ORCA's Wildlife Officers are on-board all summer to enthuse and educate passengers about the wildlife in the Bay of Biscay. They also share their news of what they've seen en-route by keeping a blog, so if you would like a taste of what you might see, it can be viewed here:

UK and European waters are home to over a 1/3 of the world's whale, dolphin and porpoise species - collectively known as cetaceans. Over 23 different species ranging from the smallest - the tiny harbour porpoise to the enigmatic shy Cuvier's Beaked whales to the very flamboyant aerobatic Striped Dolphin have been sighted in and around UK waters. Even the largest animal ever to have lived, the Blue Whale visits our European waters. ORCA's Wildlife Officers regularly see many different types of dolphins and whales and have been lucky enough to spot the second biggest animal on the planet- the mighty Fin Whale.

The Bay of Biscay is a great location for seeing whales and dolphins. Reaching depths of 4000m, the Bay provides habitats for a range of different species. If you're lucky enough to cross the Bay on a calm day, you're almost guaranteed to see a whale or dolphin. Here are some of the animals that you are more likely to see:

Dolphins

Common Dolphins are the most numerous species likely to be seen with their yellowish figure of eight side markings, followed by Striped Dolphins, a similarly sized but a more active animal with grey/ blue striping. Bottlenose dolphins also frequent the Bay and our Wildlife Officers have also seen some Risso's Dolphins this year.

Whales

Pilot Whales are regularly seen, appearing black, slow moving and with a distinctive rounded dorsal fin. During the mid-summer period larger whales can often be seen, for instance Fin, Sei and Minke Whales. Beaked whales are frequently seen in the southern Bay of Biscay area - Cuvier's Beaked Whales are the most common.

If you are interested in identifying the whales and dolphins you see from the Cap Finistère, ORCA's Wildlife Officers will be happy to help. There is also an excellent identification book - "Whales and Dolphins of the European Atlantic". You can buy a copy of this from the Wildlife Officer on-board.

What does ORCA do?

ORCA is a truly inclusive organisation. In addition to our Wildlife Education Programme on-board the Cap Finistère, ORCA seeks to involve as many people from all walks of life to become involved in cetacean science and have a direct impact on protecting whales and dolphins in our local waters. For the last ten years ORCA has been training volunteers to become qualified marine mammal surveyors who are monitoring whale and dolphin populations across the oceans of Europe.

This kind of public science approach is incredibly effective in engaging people and helping them understand the true value of the oceans and the marine mammals which live here. Our compassionate citizen science programme ensures that the information we collect has a direct conservation benefit for whales and dolphins. Simply put, members of the public, via ORCA can play a key role in the future protection of whales and dolphins.

Brittany Ferries Commitment to ORCA's Aims

Brittany Ferries support ORCA's whale and dolphin surveys and particularly the Plymouth to Santander survey which has been operating for over eleven years. The information collected from ORCA Surveys is combined with other UK ferry based surveys under the heading, Atlantic Research Coalition, with the data being available to conservation organisations and Government bodies.