June 9, 2014: All The 'Pretty Litter'

365 Project, Day 201

Here is my day 200 submission to my 365Project:

I just finished my last rotation working as Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) and Passive Acoustic Monitor (PAM) in the North Sea. Specifically, we were working offshore northeast England near Newcastle and something I noticed, compared to many other regions I have worked around the world, was the great number of plastic debris, especially balloons, that we observed. Partway through the trip I started photographing as many of the balloons I observed as I could and decided to make this little poster showing how many balloons we observed. 

People are becoming more aware of the increasing concerns of plastic debris i.e. from well documented information on the giant ocean garbage patches, but these issues will always have much greater impact when observed first hand. Most days while working in the North Sea we observed a disturbing amount of marine plastic debris, especially balloons! We knew that Newcastle had a reputation as a party town but is this spillover of really necessary? 

What impacted me the most was really how much these plastic balloons, especially the silver helium balloons, look like jellyfish as they break down. Many times I would observe what I thought was a jellyfish drifting in the water only to find out it was actually a plastic balloon! It is not hard to imagine how much marine wildlife is ingesting this litter and starving to death as a result! 

The solution is for each of us to make the choice to not only avoid putting these deadly plastics in the environment but to remove the potential for them to end up there by ceasing using these helium filled balloons completely!

To learn more about plastics and the marine environment check out these webpages:

Balloons Blow...Don't Let Them Go!

To eat or not to eat, debris selectivity by marine turtles

Turning the tide on trash (A learning guide on marine debris by NOAA USA)

June 8, 2014: Minke Whale Silhouette

365 Project, Day 200

Here is my day 200 submission to my 365Project:

Today I finished another rotation working as Marine Mammal Observer and Passive Acoustic Monitor off the coast of England. This was my first rotation in the North Sea, and although I'd mostly heard about how rough it was and how relatively little marine marine life there was, we had mostly lovely weather and were in a fairly productive area and had a good number of marine mammal observations...we even had days of multiple sightings! 

We left the vessel by way of a workboat transfer today; we were lowered down the side of the ship on the davit, and then driven to one of the chase vessels which took us in to Immingham. It was a beautiful ride to shore and we even had a few minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) surface near us while en route. 

Today's photo is a backlit image of a minke surfacing in the opposite direction we were traveling. You can really see the distinctly sickle shaped dorsal fin in this image. What a beautiful June day on the water in the North Sea!

minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

Offshore oil and gas platforms in the North Sea

The lighthouse coming in to Immingham near Hull, England

Taking in the lovely day on the cruise to Immingham

My wonderful co-MMO/PAM operators!

So close to stepping ashore for the first time in 5 weeks!

Bull Sands Fort, outside Grimsby, UK

Local Fishing boat near Grimsby, UK

Local Fishing boat near Grimsby, UK

Getting the shot...a local Fishing boat near Grimsby, UK

Wind turbines near Grimsby, UK

Cruising near Grimsby, UK

Taking in the beautiful sunny day :)

Awesome cloud formations!

Sailboats cruising near hull

Close pass astern

June 6, 2014: Kittiwake close up

365 Project, Day 199

Here is my day 199 submission to my 365Project:

Black-legged kittiwake's (Rissa tridactyla) were flying around and resting on the ship today. This one flew nice and close past me and one ended up too close for my zoom lens but I thought the shot was pretty cool anyways. 

Location: central North Sea

Of course, there were also some gulls around today, like this Lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus), I photographed flying past the ship and scratching itself in flight. I love it when I can get shots of birds in action mid-flight!

Lesser-black backed gull (Larus fuscus)

Lesser-black backed gull (Larus fuscus)

Lesser-black backed gull (Larus fuscus)

These two black-legged kittiwake's (Rissa tridactyla) were vying for the same spot on one of the porthole ledges on the bow of the ship. Very entertaining watching their interactions as one was trying land in the same place another was already perched :)

Black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla)

Black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla)

Black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla)

Incoming! Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)

In a happy place :) Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)

Northern Fulmar (Fulmaris glacialis)

Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)

Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)

Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)

Black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla)

North Sea oil rig

Black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla)

In addition to the bird life, I saw this minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) surface near the ship this morning. You can see the dark body colouration and the distinct, sickle shaped dorsal fin. 

Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

June 5, 2014: Kittiwake landing

365 Project, Day 198

Here is my day 198 submission to my 365Project:

A black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) coming in for  a landing to join another on one of the ship's davits. 

Location: central North Sea

black-legged kittiwake's (Rissa tridactyla)

black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)

black-legged kittiwake's (Rissa tridactyla)

black-legged kittiwake's (Rissa tridactyla)

black-legged kittiwake's (Rissa tridactyla)

We also had quite a few grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) around this morning and I spotted this one swimming near the equipment. Fortunately, the air-guns were not active so no mitigation was required. It appeared to be a little curious of the equipment but other than that didn't seem too fazed by our passing. 

A grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) which surfaced near the ship and swam through the equipment (which was not operating at the time)

grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)

grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)

grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)

grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)

grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)

black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) resting on the ship in the rain

black-legged kittiwake's (Rissa tridactyla) on the ship in the rain