Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Day 1, Trang Expedition
Easier said than done this blog thing. Now I remember why it never succeeded before - there is simply not enough time in the research day. It almost midnight again and we are back on the water at 7am. So for now, a quick summary. 2 days, 2 surveys, 2 pink dolphin encounters (total of 6 different animals), 3 dugong encounters and a absolutely great team of folk. Great company, great food, beautiful scenery and wonderful experiences and fun. So a few piccies will have to suffice for now! K & gang X
Monday, 19 April 2010
Pink Dolphins of Trang Expedition
Well, we're here and we've started, after all those months of careful planning. We look forward to bringing you news of this first expedition in Thailand very shortly from the team. Watch this space!
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Whales and Dolphins of the Moray Firth 2010
The CRRU are now pleased to announce that they are recruiting for volunteers for the 2010 season. Ten team starting in June, running through to September.
For full details please see:-
http://www.crru.org.uk/join_the_team.asp
Or contact Kevin.Robinson@crru.org.uk
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
The CRRU 2008 photo scrapbook is now on-line folks! It can be reached via the link on the left hand side bar of the CRRU website home page (Click on the ”Join us as a member of the research team…” icon) or find it via the Research Activities pages under “CRRU summer field courses” – in both cases pan right down to the bottom of this page, where you will see the link to “Scrapbook 2008” along with all the previous year’s scrapbook links. Alternatively, the direct link is http://www.crru.org.uk/research/scrapbook2008.htm if none of this makes any sense, ha ha.
There’s still plenty of room for more pictures from you, if anyone has any amusing photos they would like to post to us at scrapbook2008@crru.org.uk?
Enjoy – and thanks to all of you who joined us this summer, for making it such a fun, productive and truly memorable 2008!
With all our good wishes and thanks!
Kev, Marina, Dale, Pine and Andreas
2008 CRRU Research Team
There’s still plenty of room for more pictures from you, if anyone has any amusing photos they would like to post to us at scrapbook2008@crru.org.uk?
Enjoy – and thanks to all of you who joined us this summer, for making it such a fun, productive and truly memorable 2008!
With all our good wishes and thanks!
Kev, Marina, Dale, Pine and Andreas
2008 CRRU Research Team
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
CRRU EW Volunteers 2008
A HUGE thank you to all our EW CRRU volunteers who joined us this summer!!! Love you all and hope you have all re-integrated back into "normal" life after your Gardenstown/CRRU experiences. Dreams come true to you ALL! See u next year! K & team
Saturday, 27 September 2008
Friday, 26 September 2008
DOLPHINS DOLPHINS - EVERYWHERE!
Here I am, back in Gardenstown again! After offering to help with the last Earthwatch team of the season, I have to say, news of 3.5M waves, and the thought of taking on the formal title of 'staff' for the next 11 days, I began to wonder what I'd let myself in for.
But here I am, the sea has flattened out, and the whitecaps subsided. We've been able to take to the water in full force with both survey vessels, to effectively cover the study area. The harbour porpoise are in tight groups, congregating to breed. We're regularly encountering groups of 10 to 20 porpoise - how lucky for us, when previously they've only been spotted in ones or twos.
But this Wednesday was amazing! We were just east of Lossiemouth in Spey Bay, searching for Minkes, when we came across the most humongous group of bottlenose. Previously, the largest group size encoutered was 44 animals, but on this occassion there were in excess of 60 animals - in fact, there were just too many to be able to record them all. We did manage to formally identify 54 individuals. Among them 14 calves and 3 neonates. We didn't know which way to look, it was like being in a dolphin playground. One calf, bow riding and banging into the boat for the fun of it. Leaping and playing, males showing off - ever hopeful, another youngster, right in front of the boat in a vertical position under the water, looking straight up at us - what a show they put on for us - amazing!
I have to say though, I've never been so cold in my life! But I wouldn't have missed the experience for the world; who cares if the odd finger or toe falls off! (I've been accussed of over dramatising the cold!)
After earlier working with the amazing mostly american team, then the energetic and enthusiastic teacher team, I thought for certain there couldn't be a group to match them. But how wrong I was! I'm working with an awesome, all female group from the US to Europe. Including Suzanne, who has completed 20 Earthwatch projects, and this is her second time with CRRU. The only person I've met who has tasted a dolphins milk!
But here I am, the sea has flattened out, and the whitecaps subsided. We've been able to take to the water in full force with both survey vessels, to effectively cover the study area. The harbour porpoise are in tight groups, congregating to breed. We're regularly encountering groups of 10 to 20 porpoise - how lucky for us, when previously they've only been spotted in ones or twos.
But this Wednesday was amazing! We were just east of Lossiemouth in Spey Bay, searching for Minkes, when we came across the most humongous group of bottlenose. Previously, the largest group size encoutered was 44 animals, but on this occassion there were in excess of 60 animals - in fact, there were just too many to be able to record them all. We did manage to formally identify 54 individuals. Among them 14 calves and 3 neonates. We didn't know which way to look, it was like being in a dolphin playground. One calf, bow riding and banging into the boat for the fun of it. Leaping and playing, males showing off - ever hopeful, another youngster, right in front of the boat in a vertical position under the water, looking straight up at us - what a show they put on for us - amazing!
I have to say though, I've never been so cold in my life! But I wouldn't have missed the experience for the world; who cares if the odd finger or toe falls off! (I've been accussed of over dramatising the cold!)
After earlier working with the amazing mostly american team, then the energetic and enthusiastic teacher team, I thought for certain there couldn't be a group to match them. But how wrong I was! I'm working with an awesome, all female group from the US to Europe. Including Suzanne, who has completed 20 Earthwatch projects, and this is her second time with CRRU. The only person I've met who has tasted a dolphins milk!
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