My Blog - Jeff Clarke

Click on images to view at full size. In my previous blog I discussed my fascination with albatrosses, but alongside that I also have a deep affinity for cetaceans, and I’ve spent the best part of the past two decades in pursuit of encounters with these aquatic mammals. As someone with a tendency to gravitate toward rocky headlands on the extremities of this sceptred isle I have enjoyed numerous encounters, albeit mostly distant, with many a cetacean over the years. Despite my best efforts my species list remained remarkably small, just three species, consisting of Harbour Porpoise, Common Bottlenose Dolphin and Short-beaked Common Dolphin. Whales eluded me completely. Short-beaked common dolphin off Cornwall © Jeff Clar...

18/02/17- All at Sea - North to Valparaiso Click on the images to see them at a larger size. Today seemed like an ocean of birds in the early morning. Large numbers of Pink-footed and Sooty Shearwaters were joined by increasing numbers of dapper looking Buller’s Shearwater. The petrels were represented by three types of Pterodroma in the diminutive form of Stejnegers, medium sized De Fillipi’s and large Juan Fernadez Petrels, all looking rather smart. On the Albatross front we had run out of Wanderer’s but still clung on to Northern Royals, Black-browed and increasing numbers of Salvin’s. Pink-footed Shearwater © Jeff Clarke Buller's Shearwater © Jeff Clarke De Fillipi's Petrel © Jeff Clarke Salvin's Alba...

I love my encounters with nature, from the small scale and regular to the big ticket events. Some days stand out for a particular moment, some for the variety of encounters and then you get those rare days when it all comes together. Such was my much anticipated pelagic trip into the Hauraki Gulf with Pterodrdoma Pelagics led by Chris Gaskin. A ten hour pelagic on a relatively small vessel is a daunting prospect, especially if you are a martyr to sea-sickness, thankfully I had taken the magical Kaikoura Cracker and the benign conditions ensured a comfortable trip. The main danger was sunburn.  We had barely left the harbour at Sandspit when we got out first close look at a Little Blue Penguin. However we couldn’t linger, the pl...

On the 20th September I joined the Fred. Olsen MS Boudicca at Newcastle (accompanied by my wife Adele) as a Guest Speaker. The cruise tour would take us out to the Azores in the Mid Atlantic, followed by Madeira, then onward to the canaries and then back up to Newcastle via the Portuguese coastline. Click the images to get a larger view Boudicca in Newcastle The prospect of so many sea-days; crossing some of the best cetacean waters on the planet, plus the chance of encountering migrating seabirds was too tempting to resist. As we proceeded out of Newcastle and down the North Sea the first of many  Northern Gannets ghosted alongside the ship, some being harried by Great Skuas but the first real highlight was an unidentif...