Crosstown Traffic

At 0900 hrs we cut across a shark which was headed along the Biscay continental shelf. Just below the rail at midships it turned first to the bow then decided to had round the back and glide off into the distance. From that point on we have had dolphins leaping into the air and crashing down about a half mile off. Then came the whales! No idea what the prevalent species are but they appear to be about the same size as our ship and are normally cruising north east. We have had them dive under our keel and have had whole pods passing just alongside. About 50% of the time they then turn back and stay on the beam for a time which we guess has more to do with fish stocks than us. Still motoring into a 5 to 8 knot headwind. Big variations in sea state and tidal flow sometimes across a few hundred yards of sea. Temp changes also surprising within the currents. Been part of a Spanish line fishing fleet for a few hours perhaps trolling tuna. Friendly and professional crews sometimes lining the deck to wave hello. Look forward to seeing what they land at the other end. Have slowed the pace due to vibration and noise around the prop shaft. Could be that we have picked something up, that the neoprene cutlass bearing needs replacing or the prop needs balancing. Given that it was OK yesterday then probably not a balance issue. Anyway all smooth enough at 5 knots through the water. About 150 miles to La Coruna.

A small proportion of whale to starboard