'All in one' Pelagic Expedition - June 2018

Amazing pelagic expedition with the aimed species observed very well and the four seasons felt! Although the wind kept calming down through the days we got very close views of the Petrels and Storm-petrels! Cory’s shearwater Calonectris borealis, Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii and in much fewer numbers Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus were seen everyday.

20th June 2018 - Northern wind up to 15 knots with waves coming from same direction up to 1.5 meters.
2 Pterodroma sp. - on the way up to the chumming position but too far to ID
6 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 1 on the way up
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
5 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca
7 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

3 Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta

21st June 2018 - North wind up to 12 knots and NE waves up to 1 meter.
2 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus - on the way up
3 Pterodroma sp. - 2 on the way up to the chumming position but, again, too far to ID
Great Skua Stercorarius skua
3 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
5 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
5 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - on the way back to Machico harbour, flew quite close to the rhib

Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus
Short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus
Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta
Blue shark Prionace glauca - a small one bitting the chum block

22nd June 2018 - WNW wind blowing up to 12 knots and decreasing to 6 knots by the evening. Northern waves up to 0.7 meters
3 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
5 Great Skua Stercorarius skua - 2 together on the way back
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca
Probable Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - did not fly close enough for a definite ID
2 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
8 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus
Short-beaked Common dolphin Delphinus delphis