And so it goes on….another quite unbelievable day on the water.
The forecast was for a flat calm surface, and because it is mid August, which is when the sea should be bursting with life, I was just a bit excited, and on the water just before seven, en route to Eddystone (again).
First up, a mile from the coast, was a pod of Common Dolphins.
A few minutes later a small pod of Porpoises got really fired up about something (food-related, no doubt), and a couple actually breached. This is rare for the normally quiet and splash-free Porpoise.
Then, about three miles from the shore, I ran into some serious action.
In conditions of flat calm like this a kayak really comes into its own for watching wildlife. Because you can hear absolutely everything.
It’s total sensurround sound.
And I was hearing a lot of splashing. All over the place.
I investigated the nearest source….another pod of Dolphins. Including this very small calf which seemed to keep up with Mum in an effortless manner.
The pod of fifteen suddenly took off at enormous speed and with some impressive jumps. One flew past me at head height about ten feet away like a missile.
Here they go……keep your head down!!
Wow, wow, wow.
It can’t get more exciting than that, can it? Well, yes, quite a lot more actually, especially if you like big fish.
Because as the dolphins disappeared into the glare of the sun, I heard an enormous roar behind me. What the blinking heck is that racket…a submarine? I cranked the kayak around as fast as I could and saw the surface being ripped apart by great carving splashes, a couple of hundred yards away. Every so often a spiky fin would rake through the water, and maybe half a very large fish would expose itself for a split second.
Tuna!!!! Atlantic Bluefin Tuna actually, but I prefer the name Giant Bluefin Tuna because that name does justice to these amazing high speed attack predators. Although technically the ‘Giant’ bit only refers to fish over 150kgs. I’m sure there were a few of those in here (probably!).
They were certainly the size of Common Dolphins as this pick shows…..Dolphin on the left and Tuna (spiky fins in amongst the spray) on the right.
And Common Dolphins can be knocking on 100kgs.
Manx Shearwaters cruised about looking for scraps to pick up.
Over the next two hours I heard the explosive splashing all over the place. So loud and the sound carrying so far that I could only just make out the splashes on the horizon. I must have seen over twenty feeding frenzies, all lasting a few minutes, and a total of 50-100 fish in all. And a lot more glimpses of fins. And loads of single splashes as well.
After a load of failed pics I managed to catch one mid jump. Bingo.
And amongst the wild anarchy of the Tuna were the measured puffs and more graceful splashes of more dolphins.
This one came for a particularly close look:
As the action throttled back I continued on towards the Eddystone lighthouse, ten miles beyond the mouth of Plymouth Sound. I was tempted to stay to watch the Tuna and dolphins, but couldn’t resist the chance of seeing a whale in their favourite haunt, about two miles short of the lighthouse. I think it is where the edge of the reef drops off.
Unbelievably, I just caught a glimpse of a long slow moving back of a Minke whale far off to the east, and a couple more brief views after that, and then it was gone. No blows heard.
I turned for home a mile short of the lighthouse.
This would give me a bit of slack for going to investigate stuff, otherwise it is a very long haul and I am not inclined to add to an already long mileage (it’s twenty-four miles minimum, eight or nine hours in the kayak).
Interestingly, I saw eighty-four dolphins, sixteen porpoises, scores of Giant Bluefin Tuna, one Minke Whale, two sunfish and a probable Blue Shark on the way out. (All within sight of Plymouth incidentally…just, through the haze).
But hardly anything on the way back.
So early morning is definitely good. Whether the creatures are put off by an increase in boat traffic as the morning progresses, I don’t know. Or is it the hour…or the tide??
However, I did hear two whale blows almost simultaneously en route for Plymouth sound , and saw one of them…another Minke:
This whale is different again to the ones I have seen in this location during the last month. It has a notch at the base of its fin. Maybe this isn’t a surprise, but I wondered if certain whales make a certain location their home for a few weeks. Maybe they do, and there are rather more around than we might think!
I finished off the extraordinary day with another leaping Tuna….this one in a very satisfactory ball of spray…and this one could easily justify the tag of ‘Giant’. It was a whopper.
Oh and a third Minke Whale (that’s not counting the fourth one which I only heard blowing, and didn’t see).
I couldn’t resist another short jaunt from Looe this morning (despite achy arms). But it was worth it…..
More Porpoises, more Dolphins….can’t believe these yachstspeople aren’t watching the action!
And another Minke. This one was only three miles offshore. That’s seven or eight Minke Whales in the last three weeks. WWWHAT??
And a couple more jumping Tuna, this one in front of Polperro..
Phew. I need a cup of tea and a cherry bakewell.
The Lone Kayaker 
Wow! Your jaunts offshore are certainly paying dividends. Thanks for sharing. We are “in between kayaks” at the moment. Hoping to take delivery of a Gumotex Thaya this month and go in search of wildlife too, (just a bit more closer to land).
Keep the stories coming Rupert, much appreciated.
Rob, Plymouth.
Wow! Thanks for sharing your brilliant photos.
Brilliant!
Thanks for sharing your experience, so interesting. What amazing animals to see off the British coast. Awesome stuff.
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely amazing, I was out poncing around in my kayak off Mountbatten this morning, was home in time for breakfast, makes me feel slightly pathetic for not making a day of it!! Fantastic pictures too !!
Fantastic sightings…tuna!! and wonderful pics ofnl flying dolphins…keep em coming.. your efforts certainly paid of.
Thanks for letting us in to your world
Really appreciate seeing these photos , was happy to paddle in the Sound with a seal , cant believe what it would be like to spend time in this environment
Absolutely stunning!
Absolutely amazing trip and fantastic photos! I had a purpose circle my kayak once, and was so excited, I’d have lost the plot seeing what you do!
Fantastic photos. Amazing to see so many dolphins in one day. In Southern Australia we get our fair share but dolphin feeding frenzies here mean White Pointer Sharks as well :).Love your work
Great Post.
Amazing photos,love seeing all your pics and reading your” blog ” wish I could go out that far!
Fantastic photos. Thankyou for sharing these from such a magical trip to the Stone. Absolutely Amazing.
Excellent photos. I was amazed to see bluefin tuna on a trip off Cornwall a while back – not at all easy to photograph. I’m hoping to run something in the Western Morning News, as we have in the past, and it would be great to have best res versions of the photos, but I’m afraid I don’t have your direct contact details. Any chance you could contact me? Many thanks
Great photos. One (rather indelicate) question. How do you pee on a 9 hour kayak trip? In a bottle?
Hi Andy, my sit-on-top kayak has scupper (drainage) holes in it……so I can slurp as much coffee as I like!
Fab photos and inspiring me to get out on the water too with my Gumotex. I think the flat calm will only last a day or two more with the thunderstorms. Must be thrilling to be so close!
What a lovely day out, I’m amazed you would even consider going so far out, and that’s coming from another yakker who has a mirage drive too!
But seriously wonderful pictures, and being from Plymouth myself it does bring back some fab sea memories of my youth.
Imagine how much life there would be in the sea without humans decimating this valuable resource, fingers crossed tuna (and all marine life) are on the increase around the uk.
Great report, amazing to see so much fantastic wildlife.
My wife swears she saw a tuna near Maceleys Cove near Prawle Point Devon on Monday.
Yes David, they seem to be getting about a bit. If she saw a single powerful splash (or maybe two or three close together), followed by nothing more, That is almost certainly a tuna. Dolphins of course would have to come up for a breath.
Hi Rupert. Love your blog. Was out much later yesterday than you and had similar encounters but all too fleeting. My small sail boat got mobbed and followed on a couple of occasions…..
Your photographs are extraordinary – what camera are you using if you dont mind me asking and how are you waterproofing it?
Kind regards
Steve
http://www.arwensmeanderings.blogspot.co.uk
Hi Steve, great to hear you are out and about watching too. My camera I use is a Panasonic Lumix FZ2000 bridge camera. Its got a good zoom and does decent video. A DSLR with interchangeable lenses would be impossible to use from a kayak. It lives in a dry bag until I encounter some action, then I take it out and it sits on my lap. It is completely unwaterproof, so I am pushing my luck as there is always sea water sloshing about and my hands are always wet….but it seems to work! Regards.
Brave man but good camera. You have a stunning photographers eye
That’s amazing. I had no idea there was so much going on so close to shore. Fantastic shots!
I was so excited to read that I was out on the water at the same time as you last Tuesday! I have been reading your blog for a few years now and always read it with amazement and slight envy after years of sitting on my paddle board (sometimes until I feel really 🤢) and always missing the local dolphins. Thank you for inspiring me to carry on. Last Tuesday, and with a tip off from Rob at devonseasafari I finally got the encounter that I have been yearning for. Paddle boarding with the Dawlish pod in beautifully flat water and having one of the males swim next to me for a bit. Magical. I look forward to reading about your next trip and even better, meeting you on the water! Thank you. Isabelle
Wow Isabelle, what a fantastic story. And glad I could have been a part of it. There’s nothing quite like a dolphin coming over to say hello, is there? In fact there IS nothing quite like it in the natural world…a creature that size voluntarily approaching to within a few feet. It will keep you buzzing for the rest of the year. Maybe a whale next?
A minke I would be ok with I think but I wondered how you managed to remain calm last year when you filmed that humpback whale!!!