First of I would like to start by wishing you all a Happy New Year. I would like to thank you all so much for your support and business over the last year and your patience in booking around my, now, limited availability due to the new crew’s demand for mummy’s attention.
I often sit and ponder our Essex Coastline and what makes it so special. Is it the rugged mudflats, rustic sandy seaweed encased shores intersecting with the tidal lagoons created by the marshes that connect them to civilisation? Or the uniqueness of livestock grazing the central reservation surrounded by moat like dykes filled with ducks paddling. The brent geese honking in the distant marshes through the winter while little migratory waders flit from tuff to tuff. The redshank alarm call alerting the flock of intruders approaching. The rustling of the sun aged and crisp dried tall grassy reeds swaying in the wind. Or is it just the thought of the unknown and the River Blackwater being open to possibility?
You may recall back in the spring of 2021 my husband and I were lucky enough to spot a pod of white beaked dolphins whilst out on a fishing trip from Mersea. Well since that sighting I discovered an opportunity to get more involved with the cetaceans of our waters. I am already a marine mammal medic, able to attend sick and stranded cetaceans. Since our sighting of dolphins, I discovered that I could become a marine mammal surveyor to get even more involved. The course was held just before Christmas and I’m pleased to say that I passed and am now a volunteer marine mammal surveyor as well as one of the many medics we have on our team.
What does this mean, I hear you ask? Well, it means that I am able to actively participate in whale and dolphin conservation joining survey teams on the bridge of ferries and cruise ships to conduct scientific surveys to record the species seen, where they are and what they are doing to enable important marine mammal habitats to be studied and monitored on the many sea crossings in both UK and European waters.
During the course I learnt how to identify and record whales, dolphins and porpoises during offshore surveys. I learnt about the species encountered in European waters, how to interpret their behaviour, as well learning about the distance sampling survey protocol.
It’s a fantastic opportunity with many ferry route surveys to take part in, covering waters between the UK and Holland, France, Bay of Biscay, Ireland, Shetland and the Hebrides. Once I have built my experience up on the ferries, I will then have the opportunity to extend my surveying to some of the cruise ship routes in the Pacific Ocean, Southern Ocean and North Atlantic Ocean.
It’s very exciting and the only downfall is that my new little crew isn’t allowed to join me on the bridge during the surveys. Apparently, anyone under 18 are deemed too high a distraction on the bridge of a ship and could result in a collision with another vessel so strict policy rules are no under 18’s. However, that’s not to say that little Stanley can’t join on the ferry route with a willing grandparent as a normal foot passenger to see some of the marine mammals mummy is surveying.
These surveys are only carried out once a month so I shan’t be abandoning my post on Lady Grace just yet. Mersea is still very much the centre of the universe for me and is very unique and special in its own way presenting its very own opportunities. I continue to offer my boat trips amongst our special creeks and on the River Blackwater. As I write this article covid threats are currently looming overhead once again and so for this reason I am only taking bookings 1 week ahead for the foreseeable future to play it safe. You can view the current list of boat trip options on the website at https://www.essexboattrips.co.uk/range-of-trips and you can book a trip by texting me on 07791859624 or emailing me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
