Spot dolphins and whales on cross Channel UK-France ferry
Passengers are invited to access the ferry decks and record observations on a special app
Bottlenose dolphins may be among the marine mammals that ferry passengers could see (image for illustration only, does not show a view from a DFDS ferry)
Gonzalo Jara/Shutterstock
Passengers crossing the Channel between France and the UK may soon be able to spot dolphins and whales, as channel crossing ferry company DFDS is organising observation sessions until August 31.
The sessions are the result of a partnership between DFDS and animal condition research and whale, dolphin and porpoises (cetacean) protection group l’Observatoire de Recherche sur la Condition Animale (ORCA).
They happen every year during the summer.
Passengers on board ferries on the Dieppe (Seine-Maritime) to Newhaven (UK) line will be invited to look out for the marine mammals during their crossing, on all crossings between now and August 31, 2024.
Passengers are invited to download and use the ‘OceanWatchers’ app, which was created by ORCA.
Participants are asked to go onto the ferry decks (weather and safety permitting) and record any observations during their crossing in the app. This will help ORCA gather important scientific data on the animals, and is part of the group’s aim to raise awareness of marine mammal life among the public.
Long-running partnership
The partnership between DFDS and ORCA has been running for 17 years. The first whale and dolphin observation programme was held on crossings between Newcastle (UK) and Amsterdam (Netherlands).
The first session on the Dieppe-Newhaven line was held in 2018.
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The sessions do not need to be booked separately; they are simply offered via the app to customers who are already travelling on the relevant DFDS ferry services. Ships on the Dunkirk-Dover line may also take part.
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Staff from ORCA may also be on-board the ships to help direct observations of the animals, and answer passenger questions.
Most common sightings
“We like to inspire people about the wonders of whales and dolphins, and the wider marine environment, through our education programmes,” said Anna Bunney, head of education at ORCA.
“We [also] want to help to monitor these animals all around the UK and Europe through our citizen science projects...and we also want to bring about change in policy to help cetacean conservation, as well.”
The most commonly-seen mammals include minke whales (which measure up to 10 metres long and have white stripes on their pectoral fins or ‘arms’), humpback whales (up to 16 metres long), harbour porpoises (up to 1.7 metres long), and bottlenose dolphins (up to four metres long).
Sometimes passengers are even lucky enough to spot killer whales (up to eight metres long, with distinctive white and black markings).
Some may also see seals and seabirds.
ORCA also monitors seal and bird populations, along with their habitats and food sources; as well as threats to these - including pollution, rubbish, and climate change.
