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Whale and dolphin spotting possible on ferry crossings

Published: 05 January 2012

Anyone catching ferry crossings to northern Spain over the summer will be in with a chance of spotting some interesting wildlife along the way.

Brittany Ferries has experts from ORCA, a whale and dolphin conservation charity, on board its ships to help passengers identify any species they may come across.

Volunteer wildlife officers live on board the Cap Finistere vessel between April and September, where they teach Brittany Ferries customers as they travel between Portsmouth and Bilbao and Santander.

Last September alone, passengers saw a pod of 70 striped dolphins and a smaller group of Pilot Whales, while two Cuvier's Beaked Whales breached fully out of the water.

One ORCA officer event said they witnessed their best ever sighting of a 20-metre Fin Whale, which surfaced just 50 metres away from the ship.

"Working with Brittany Ferries provides amazing help to ORCA," commented Sophie Issacs, the charity's development and admin manager.