Category: Azores 2018

Group 1 of our 2018 Azores whales, dolphins and turtle expedition has finished.

The weather has thrown everything at us: high winds, rough seas and torrential rain. But the team has stayed strong in the face of adversity. The atmosphere on Physeter, our research vessel, has been positively buoyant even on the toughest of days and we managed to get all the work done. The weather has made it difficult for this group to work on all the species that we usually see on this expedition, but as our scientist Lisa says, the zeros are as important as the ones in science. Humankind still has much to learn about these creatures, which is why data collected on expeditions such as these is so important.

Over the course of last ten days we recorded 5 loggerhead turtles, 1 blue shark, 3 Risso’s dolphins and today, 16 March, as a final farewell we documented a pod of 80 common dolphins, which swam beside us for 40 minutes. Their playful nature and agile forms were a sight to behold, and once we had taken our necessary ID shots, we relaxed and enjoyed their spirited freedom.

Thank you team for being an amazing group, and for finding the humour in every situation. I especially enjoyed our meal times together, and sharing your birthdays. I hope I have the pleasure of meeting you again on the high seas some day and I will let you and the pictures speak for themselves below.

I hand over the baton to Craig now, who will lead the next three groups.

Best wishes, Catherine

With training and trial sea day complete, we embarked on a full research day on 11 March. It began foggy, with the volcano on neighbouring Pico island completely obscured. Silvia spotted a fin half an hour into our first transect and we identified three Risso’s dolphins exhibiting their unique white markings, originally caused during socialisation, never to fade.

By 11:00 our scientists Lisa decided to deploy the hydrophone, a microphone designed to be used underwater for recording or listening for the communication clicks of the sperm whale. She couldn’t hear any whales, but was alerted to some dolphins nearby. Soon enough three common dolphins emerged in front of our catamaran, and spent 10 minutes bow-riding, giving us a delightful break from our on-board duties.

Heavy rain then cut our day short and we returned to base for hot showers, a good meal and a slice of birthday banana cake!

The weather played havoc with arrivals – planes were delayed, cancelled and diverted to neighbouring islands, and at the assembly time of 14:00 on 8 March only half of the team was present. Lisa Steiner, our scientist, and I decided to press on as we had no idea when or even if the others would eventually arrive. We were pleasantly surprised when ten minutes into our first briefing a taxi pulled up, and Donna leaped out, having just driven straight from the airport! Bex, Silvia and Anke missed the afternoon sessions, but arrived just in time for dinner. All in the same situation, they had gravitated towards each other at the airport and it didn’t take long for everyone to form an enthusiastic team.

Unfortunately, high winds and torrential rain meant that we were not able to go out on the water for our training session on 9 March, but this did mean that we could get the whole team up to speed and make sure that everyone was kitted out in foul weather gear ready for tomorrow! We couldn’t decide if Bex and Donna resembled fisherwomen or firefighters!

We also used the time to take some videos for the world to meet some of the team and learn about their motivations and  aspirations:

Greetings from São Miguel!

Due to bad weather in the Azores yesterday my flight to Horta was cancelled and I was flown to a neighbouring island. I am currently in the airport waiting to hear if my flight this morning is going ahead.  My preparation plans are now delayed somewhat, but I will do my utmost to have everything ready for your arrival tomorrow.

That said,  this situation may also affect some of your travel plans as the weather forecast for the next couple of days is quite bad , so I just wanted to reassure you that if this is the case, please don’t worry, we will adapt the programme accordingly.

As I do not yet have access to my local phone, if you are experiencing difficulty and would like to contact me, please use my UK number +44 7816 134 364 or alternatively contact Lisa Steiner our scientist in Horta on +351 929 129 515.

As with all expeditions, there are elements that are completely out of our control, weather being a prime example. All we can do in these situations is go with the flow.

I wish you all safe travels and smooth connections. Oh, and if you get there before me, put the kettle on ; )

Hello and welcome! My name is Catherine and I will be your expedition leader for this first Azores group in 2018.

The following three groups will be led by my colleague Craig Turner, the last one with assistance from expedition leader in training An Bollen. Details of all of us are on https://www.biosphere-expeditions.org/about#staff.

I was last in the Azores back in 2014, so am keen to meet up with our scientist Lisa Steiner and learn of the developments that have taken place over the last few years. Lisa has been collaborating with Biosphere expeditions since 2003, so the data tirelessly gathered by citizen scientists such as you is now really bearing fruit. Thank you for giving your time to deepen this important work.

I will be travelling out to Faial a couple of days in advance of group 1 to prepare for your arrival and I’m looking forward to meeting group 1 at Banana Manor, our assembly point, between 13:00 and 14:00 on 8 March. If you are whiling away a few hours in Horta before that time and would like to meet me for lunch, I will be at Peter’s Café Sport on the quayside from 11:30. (Just ask any of the locals where it is – it’s a very popular landmark!) My contact telephone number for emergency purposes only (such as missing assembly) will be +351 93 041 7877.

Please remember to bring all your completed paperwork, as we will launch straight into training and briefings promptly at 14:00.

The Azores are also currently experiencing a cold snap, so make sure you bring plenty of layers, including slippers or lined crocs as we leave our outdoor shoes at the door and the tiled floors of Banana Manor are chilly!

I will be in touch again once I have arrived in Horta. Happy packing and safe travels!

Catherine Edsell
Expedition Leader