On the 24th of April, after several very windy days we finally were able to pull out into the Strait of Gibraltar again. Of course everyone on board of the firmm-Spirit was really looking forward to the encounters with the dolphins and whales.
Just in time for Semana Santa the firmm Spirits inspections were successfully completed. Already a month ahead of the transfer of the boat from the winter shipyard in Barbate the crew had undertaken all major and minor improvements and brought the boat into top condition. Especially new are repairs to the bow: the opening in the front was quite damaged by scrambling passengers, so we built a strong and aesthetically pleasing new bow. This will also be beneficial and enjoyable for our course participants, who generally declare the bow as one of their favourite places … Wonderful that we already had guests onboard on the first day of the season.
At the end of the season 2009 we are letting you take a look behind the scenes. Numerous hands and heads are necessary for firmm to fulfil the foundations purpose to protect and study marine mammals. Before each trip and boarding the boat the guests receive information about the firmm foundation, the Strait of Gibraltar and the here present whales and dolphins. In one season our volunteers hold up to 1500 short educational lectures in up to 4 languages! During the research trips 2 captains, who are also mechanics, 2 Marineros, the marine biologist and an expert from the foundation ensure safe as well as unforgettable encounters with the whales and dolphins in the Strait of Gibraltar.
When the alarm went off at 7 AM Tuesday morning, Tarfia wasn't on its best behavior as it rained on the exit sign pointing towards Malaga. Upon arriving at the airport, the car served as a source of panic as I noticed that my boarding pass wasn't where I thought it was. The helpful Easyjet employee could fix the problem, though, and then it was off to the capital city of Germany.
Finally, the long-awaited moment has come: the documentary “The Last Giants” directed by Daniele Grieco is coming to the big screen. On Wednesday, September 16th the film will premier in Berlin and on September 17th the film will be released in cinemas throughout Germany.
Like every year we eagerly awaited the arrival of the Orcas. After the Spanish fishermen had told us about Orca-sightings, the demand for Orca trips was increasing rapidly.
On the return from a wonderful excursion with a lot of dolphin- and pilot whale sightings last Sunday evening, we discovered a small blow very close to the Isla de las Palomas situated near Tarifa. We hurried up to get close to the whales, and to our big surprise we saw two finback whales appear: a mother with her calf!
At the beginning of the season Sebastián, Diego, Eduardo and I picked up the boats in Barbate in order to transport them to Tarifa. As everything was prepared we drank a beer at the marina amongst all not to see any injured whales during the coming season. We had had too many during the past summer, and I wished not to go through this again.
