Biscay Dolphin Research Programme

The Biscay Dolphin Research Programme (BDRP) is a non-profit voluntary conservation body established in 1995 that aims to further the conservation of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and other marine life through scientific investigation and educational activities. The Bay of Biscay is the home area and you can their website for details of species and sightings. The P&O cruise ferry the Pride of Bilbao offers a regular and cost effective means of travelling through a variety of cetacean habitats from the English coast.

There are 4 main areas the route passes through, these are the English Channel, the continental shelf waters off Brittany, the deep water of the Abyssal plain and the submarine canyons off the north coast of Spain. Different species are associated with different areas such as the regular Beaked Whale sightings over the submarine canyons or the movement of Common Dolphin to overwinter off the Brittany peninsula.

Well over 20 cetacean species (more than a quarter of the world total) have been recorded in the bay with new records still being added in recent years. Numbers can be well into the thousands for dolphins and over 130 Fin Whale have been recorded on a single trip in late summer. It is clear that the bay is important not just for cetaceans but also for birds, as good numbers of many species are recorded each year.

The BDRP team record whale and dolphin sightings all year round, although they cannot guarantee what you will see and when, as weather conditions, time of year and the movement of marine animals determines what you will see. However when travelling on the Pride of Bilbao the Wildlife Liaison Officer has a program of events to assist passengers.

For more information on the Biscay Dolphin Research Programme, visit their website Click Here

Above information obtained from the Biscay Dolphin Research Programme's website, with thanks to Clive Martin.