Dolphins lobby ASCOBANS

ASCOBANS Advisory Commission in session

Last week, the advisory committee of the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans [dolphins and small whales] in the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS) met in Le Conquet - a small village on the most northwesterly corner of France. Issues on the agenda included consideration of threats such as bycatch and conservation plans (and how to best take them forward). The meeting was hosted by the Parc Natural d'Iroise from its buildings on Pointe de Renards. 

Le Conquet is a handsome town wrapped around a harbour. It has some ancient stone built buildings which look as if they would have been stores and fortifications.

Today it is a fishing and ferry port, especially important for its crab catch, and it also welcomes the many tourists who come to watch the Atlantic winds drive through four seasons in a day!

A new building rather dominates the landscape in some views.

Lighthouse and concrete bunkers left from the 'Atlantic War'.

Fiona Read of WDC presenting reports on bycatch.

At this particular meeting something rather remarkable happened. Early on the third morning, delegates suddenly stood up from their seats and started to look excitedly out of the window of the meeting venue. The view looked over the main bay.

Delegates becoming excited!

Splashed and characteristic shapes on the water surface - sometimes called fluke-prints - showed that the local dolphin population had entered the bay.

Fluke-prints

Distant flecks of movement in the outer harbour. 

ASCOBANS delegates looking down into the bay.

The dolphins moved along the far side of the bay - occasionally leaping high and swimming fast, feeding!

Fast-moving dolphins kicking up tails of spray.

People gathered on the harbour wall opposite.

The end of a high leap. 

There were around twenty individuals including at least three calves.

a 'rooster-tail' of spray from a fast swimming individual.

The ferry to the neighbouring islands passes close by.

During the dolphins' visit , three small dolphin-watching boats launched. The word must have rapidly gone around the village and apparently the dolphins regularly visit. The boats did not chase the dolphins.

The dolphins circled around the bay finally coming close to the side from which we watched.

Mother and calf pair to the left.

And finally just a few photos from the older part of the town:

Down on the ancient 'Swan Farm'!

Once upon a time  and long ago, there was a monastery by the sea. Here the monks farmed and enjoyed the rich bounty of the surrounding fertile lands and nearshore waters. 

These gentle waters were protected from the storms of the open sea by a remarkable bar of shingle and in the calm brine of the local lagoon eel grass and other plants grew forming a safe and rich feeding ground for waterfowl, including numerous swans. The monks started to manage and harvest the swans and lived well until a certain very famous king decided that the monasteries across his England were too powerful. So he closed them all down; some with more force than others. The monastery, including the 'swan farm', was passed by this King (Henry VIII) onto one of his lieutenants, Sir Giles Strangways, and thence on down the years through 15 generations of this same family to this present day.

Now the Abbotsbury Swannery - the only such establishment to be privately owned anywhere in the world - is run to help the swans and as a tourist attraction. In addition feathers are collected - especially during the moult in late summer when the swans loose the power of flight for a few weeks - and sent off to be used in various ways.... including as quills to write with. 

This year's cygnets are a few months old and still mainly grey. They will soon have their full flight feathers and be able to take to the sky, and they will loose the grey slowly over winter and emerge in their pure white form with a big orange beak by the spring.

Mute swans and many feathers

A view across the swannery towards the reed beds.

Portrait of a fledgling.

Fledgling in the reeds. 

Canada geese also enjoy the swannery.

Adult mute swan.

Coming into land....

Mass preening!

The mute swan - here seen as both adult and offspring - is not really mute. It is just quieter than other swans.

A flypast by Canada geese. 

The Swannery is at Abbotsbury in Dorset. The pebble bar is Chesil Beach (18 miles long) and the lagoon is the Fleet Lagoon. 

Abbotsbury Swannery website HERE.