The deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean stretched to the horizon, mirrored by a blue sky that was a just a shade lighter. The sea rolled, the occasional white cap broke the surface, small dark waves rippled. The ferry steamed ahead, leaving a path of pale turquoise and white water. Once again I am back … More A day in the Bay of Biscay
The sky was varying shades of grey, with lighter and darker clouds layered on top of one another, and undecided whether to release its rain or not. A crowd, undeterred by the cold, indecisive weather, gathered on the promenade in front of the impressive red brick façade of the towering hotel. The bright white railings … More Save The Whales Reloaded
Since I first started the Wild Barley blog I have been writing about my adventures and experiences with the natural world. But today I want to post something different. Have you heard the story of Morgan the orca? In June 2010 a lone, young female orca was captured from the Wadden Sea, off the northwest … More Have you heard about Morgan…?
The small, rugged, wind swept island of Bardsey lies off the Llyn Peninsula in north west Wales. To the north east the island rises steeply from the waves that crash onto the blackened rocks to a scraggy peak 167 m high. The mountain is covered in browns, dark greens and grey of rock, bracken and … More Bardsey Island
Once again the sea in the Bay of Biscay was tumultuous and restless, although not as fearsome as April when 8 meter swells and a Force 8 bounced the ferry like a child’s bath tub toy. Nevertheless the wind whipped across the waves, topping them with white horses that rolled over each other, sending spray up into … More Back in the Bay
When I was five or six my mum and dad took me to Windsor Safari Park. There with my face pressed against the wooden slats of a gate I saw a mysterious creature pass by in a murky blue beyond. This was my first ever sight of a bottlenose dolphin. I don’t remember the actual … More Stand Up For Whales
Organisation Cetacea (ORCA) is a UK based marine charity dedicated to surveying and protecting whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans) in north east European waters. Started in 2000, the charity has two aims, the first to collect sightings data on cetaceans and the second to raise awareness of these incredible animals, the threats they face and … More A Quest for Adventure
A weekend on the coast of Wales would be nothing without spending a little time in search of those enigmatic marine mammals, dolphins, in this case bottlenose dolphins to be specific. Cardigan Bay holds one of two resident, coastal populations of bottlenose dolphins in the UK. Recent work by Feingold et al., 2011 indicates the … More Dolphins of the Bay
On November the 5th and 6th 2011, I volunteered for WhaleFest, Europe’s first ever Whale Festival. Over 2,500 people came to Brighton over the two days to take part in the event; with 60 exhibitors from charities to tour operators, talks from experts and wildlife celebrities and workshops from underwater acoustics to whale origami. In the … More WhaleFest Unleashed… and inspired!
After a wonderful week in Sri Lanka we flew on to the tropical archipelago of The Maldives, a double chain of 26 atolls in the middle of the Indian Ocean. On arrival in the capital Malé we joined our guide Chas Anderson and boarded the live aboard boat Ari Queen, our home for the next … More The Maldives October 2011
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