GUESTS aboard Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines ships made more than 9,500 wildlife sightings last year, including orcas, blue whales, humpback whales and dolphins, new figures show today.

The line works with the ORCA Ocean Conservationist programme,  a whale and dolphin monitoring project which uses the data collected during cruises to identify and monitor cetaceans.

During 2024, 9,539 sightings were made, with the most frequent wildlife spotted being the common dolphin, spotted no fewer than 4,367 times, and a total of 189 humpback whales.

Other sightings included 307 tuna, 75 beluga whales, 11 orcas, five blue whales and 16 of the deepest diving animals known, the elusive Cuvier’s beaked whales, which can dive to nearly 3,000m.

Data contributes to the conservation of marine wildlife by helping establish important protected areas, such as those in the Bay of Biscay and the Hebrides.

“Last year was extraordinary for marine life encounters aboard our ships, thanks to our partnership with ORCA,” says James Moss, Cruise Product Manager at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

“As we’ve sailed across the globe, ORCA’s expert teams have been on hand to record remarkable wildlife sightings and share their knowledge with our guests.”

For further information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ ORCA cruises, visit www.fredolsencruises.com/orca.