Follow the crew of the Arctic Sunrise on their campaign for Marine Reserves in our North Sea Tour blog
A fulmar soars above the North Sea © Greenpeace/Gavin Newman
Out on the North Sea, aside from the vessels and the oil platforms we pass, we're always surrounded by life. And no, I don't just mean the ship's crew.
Regardless of how grey and barren it may look (and believe me, on a bad day it does), the North Sea is home to an amazing array of creatures, from sedate starfish and sea-urchins all the way up to impressive orcas and sperm whales. It used to be home to many more species, not to mention larger numbers of those species which are still here, but humanity has taken its toll on the North Sea as with oceans across the world. For example, did you know that the North Sea used to have a thriving population of bluefin tuna? Or vast oyster beds? It also used to be home to gray whales, a species now confined to the Pacific.
As we sail across the sea we see fleeting glimpses of the life it holds. Of course we don't see the plaice, or the lobsters, or the cod for that matter - but we do see the birds that depend on the fish from the North Sea.
No matter how far out you are, you're never far from a fulmar, with its stiff outstretched wings skimming the surface of the waves; or a gannet soaring like a great shining white cross against the sky; or a bonixe, hanging shiftily round the other birds looking to steal a meal. This afternoon we had an extra treat as a school of white-beaked dolphins decided to give us an acrobatic display (some would call it showing off) as we passed by.
Centuries of destructive activities have left the North Sea a shadow of it's former self. But we think marine reserves can change all that for the better.
