Another rough pelagic expedition but very successful as we observed all the aimed species! We even took a break of 1 day to try to get some lighter wind but it insisted in increasing for the end of the day... As usual, Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis were our company during the evenings at sea.
16th May 2024
Left the marina with very light wind and flat sea which allowed us for some whale watching. When we started chumming the wind picked up to 12 knots and waves of 0.5 meters from same direction. On the way back the wind was 15 knots and 1 meter waves.
Up to 20 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus in a few flocks of >100 Cory's shearwater
2 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Common tern Sterna hirundo
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
2 European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
Desertas/Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
Short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus
Atlantic Spotted dolphins Stenella frontalis
15th May 2024 - NNE wind up to 13 knots with waves from NE up to 1.2 meters
Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
3 European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
2 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
3 Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
4 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
13th May 2024 - Left the marina with 17 to 18 knots of wind but as we sailed offshore it decreased to 10 to 13 knots from NNW. There was a North swell up to 1.7 meter and 1 meter waves from NNE - choppy!
3 Common tern Sterna hirundo - on the way up
4 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
7 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus - 4 on the way down
9 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Possible Desertas/Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - flew by too quickly for a positive ID
Barolo’s shearwater Puffinus baroli - on the way back
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