Month of September , 2007

The distinctive smell that hung over the area, the low buzzing of flies, and the oblong mounds of sand told us well before we reached the gate that we were entering the world of rotting cadavers and drying bones. And indeed, passing through the gate, the first thing that greeted us was a row of bleaching skulls. Whale skulls.

After a long sail against wind and currents, the Morgan and its crew are now in Puerto Calero, Lanzarote. The Morgan will remain in Puerto Calero while the Morganonline team, Ernie van Onlangs, Joanna Bouma and Quirky, go to the Netherlands for a fund raising event to be held in October. They will fly to the Netherlands on Sunday 30 September. Telephone numbers will be posted on the Contact page.

We were glad to arrive in Puerto Calero in Lanzarote, the last destination for the Morgan for a while. The 140 nautical mile sail from Puerto Mogán in Gran Canaria would normally have taken 20 to 24 hours, but wind and current were against us and with the deadline we have, we could not afford the time to wait for better winds.

To gather film images and interviews about good business practices in the whale watching industry, we needed to interview a representative from a suitable company and film the industry in action.

Between 4 and 17 September, with the exception of a day here and there, we spent every day at sea with Silvana, Monica and Vidal of SECAC [see also www.cetaceos.org], filming them at work.

Morganonline is collaborating with SECAC to carry out a survey of cetaceans in the waters of south Gran Canaria. The survey will last until about 16 September. During this time, communication with the team on the Morgan will be sporadic. Emails will be answered every few days.