Warren Wilkins is a freelance writer for the "Cornishman"
Who needs to go to the Antarctic to see whales, dolphins and all manner of bird life when, just 100 miles off the Cornish coast, the sea appears to be teeming with wildlife. Every autumn, over 400 birders and cetacean enthusiasts from all over Europe converge on Penzance harbour to go on the pelagic trip run by the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company.
This year, the Scillonian III left the harbour in the early hours of Sunday August 20th in the hope, as ever, of seeing the Holy Grail of European seawatching – Wilson’s Petrel. Wilson’s Petrel is one of the smallest and widest travelled of all oceanic petrels. It breeds in the South Atlantic and some spend their winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
The specially chartered annual pilgrimage sets its course for a specific area, known as the "Wilson’s Triangle." It is a kilometer stretch of water where the sight of a Wilson’s Petrel is almost guaranteed every year.
But the trip is not for the fainthearted. Many people refuse to set foot on the Scillonian fearing hours of sea-sickness for a brief moment of elation. But for many, it is a price worth paying. My fears were unfounded this year, as the Scillonian III sailed in perfect conditions. The atmosphere was intense as we neared the "Wilson’s Triangle." A "chum" mixture, which consists of pilchard oil and crushed mackerel, was poured over the side to attract the seabirds, as the ship circled the area. Soon a huge slick appeared and birds were flying in from all directions. To the untrained eye they all look the same but to the experienced birder a subtle difference in plumage means they have hit the jackpot.
The binoculars and telescopes were being targeted with military-like precision on the horizon as flocks of birds came into view. I could feel the tension build, as the illusive Wilson’s Petrel failed to appear. Then the shout that everybody had been waiting for, "Wilson’s at 3 o’clock." An eagle-eyed birder had spotted one. Everybody scurried from one side of the ship to the other like a posse of Fleet Street paparazzi. Three Wilson’s Petrels were spotted and then, as an extra highlight of the day’s excursion, the sighting of six leatherback turtles and a Fin Whale. Each turtle was the size of a small car and the number is thought to be a record. The Fin Whale surfaced majestically before crashing down in a great splash. It proceeded to spurt water 15 feet in the air before diving down below the surface.
Other high points during the day for cetacean watching were the sighting of two Pilot Whales, two Blue Shark, eight Sunfish, over 30 Harbour Porpoise, more than 20 Bottlenose Dolphin, 15 Common and two Risso’s Dolphin. Seeing them glide through the ocean you can’t help but have compassion for these magnificent creatures. The cetacean expert on the trip, Jean Lawman from Seaquest Southwest said: "I was delighted to see the Fin Whale because it has never been recorded in our waters during the summer months. On previous trips we have seen Humpback, Killer and Minke Whales as well as Orcas. This year's trip has been exceptional for cetacean watching because the sea has been so calm, we have picked things up we wouldn’t otherwise have seen in rougher conditions."
As well as the Wilson’s Petrel, over one hundred British Storm Petrel were counted, two Arctic Skuas and two Grey Phalarope. Another migrant from the South Atlantic, a Great Shearwater was enticed in by the easy meal being thrown from the ship. Altogether, ten were seen during the trip. Three Sooty Shearwaters and one Sabine’s Gull were also appreciated by the crowd. The icing on the cake for many was a Cory’s Shearwater as the Scillonian passed the Isles of Scilly on the journey back. It was seen by a select few as most, by this time, were taking advantage of happy hour at the bar.
Vivian Stratton, organizer of the trip and a pioneer of seawatching explained how the pelagic trip came about. He said: "We first started in 1985 and it is the only highly organized one in Europe. I started studying seabirds in 1957 off St Ives in Cornwall. Very few people were doing so at the time because they are difficult to identify. Along with Peter Harrison, I discovered that only 20 miles offshore many rare species were occurring. This is because the migrant seabirds are quite at home at sea and do not need to touch land. We needed a pelagic trip to go and see them and for three years we sailed out in a boat called the Chalice. Interest grew amongst the birdwatching fraternity so I approached the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company to charter their boat on an annual pelagic trip. I initially thought it would last three years but when the jewel in the crown, the Wilson’s Petrel, was seen on the very first voyage, people were hooked and we are now in our fifteenth year. It is a great opportunity for birdwatchers from landlocked countries within Europe to go seawatching. "
The pelagic trip has become a multinational event with enthusiasts coming from as from as far afield as Norway, Sweden, France, Holland and Germany. Bjorn Einar Sakseid who travelled from Oslo in Norway especially for the trip said: "I first came on the trip two years ago and was very impressed. A lot of birdwatchers talk about the trip in Norway. It is not possible to see the Wilson's Petrel and Great Shearwater in Norway and the Sooty is much easier here than in Norway and with so many birdwatchers in one place it is a very special event. It has been an amazing experience."
Wilson's Petrel illustration by Andy Birch
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