Harsh seas, great petrels' show, 19th - 21st July 2022

This was the roughest pelagic so far. It started with quite tolerable wind and sea conditions but got worst as the days went by... But, what is not so comfortable for us is great for the seabirds and we did get a good show of Pterodromas and, of course, the always present Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii.

21st July 2022 - 14 to 18 knots knots of Northeast wind, NE swell up to 2 meters and 0.5 meter wind waves
4 Pterodroma sp. - 3 on the way to the chumming position
14 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 5 on the way up and 3 were at the same time on the chum slick for a couple of minutes
2 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
Great shearwater Puffinus gravis - flew by on a feeding frenzy and was only seen by a couple of people
4 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Short-beaked common dolphins Delphinus delphis
Bryde’s whale Balaenoptera edeni
Short-finned pilot whales Globicephala macrorhynchus

20th July 2022 - 6 to 9 knots of North wind, 2 meter swell from NE and 0.5 meter wave from N
Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - on the way up
Pterodroma sp.
2 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
2 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
4 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus graellsii
2 Common tern Sterna hirundo - on the way back

19th July 2022 - 14 knots of NE wind and 1 meter waves from NNW
3 Pterodroma sp. - 1 on the way up
7 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 1 on the way up
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Madeiran storm petrel Oceanodroma castro - a brief view, twice
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus graellsii
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta