It’s time to get ready for National Whale & Dolphin Watch, a nine-day event taking place all around the British coastline.
You can join in by visiting any of the lookout points manned by volunteers from the Sea Watch Foundation, to record sightings of whales, dolphins and porpoises.
The Watch dates are June 21-29 – find your nearest manned site at www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk
Every year hundreds of sightings are made of species such as fin whales, minke whales and bottlenose dolphins. These are used by Sea Watch’s scientists to provide a snapshot in time of the numbers and locations of marine mammals (cetaceans). Changes and trends can be monitored, helping to show if current conservation measures are working or if the animals are being affected by factors such as pollution or over-fishing.
If you cannot take part in this year’s National Whale & Dolphin Watch, why not support research into UK dolphins by adopting a named bottlenose dolphin from Cardigan Bay in Wales? You can adopt one yourself or as an unusual and exciting gift. To find out more, visit www.adoptadolphin.org.uk
The Sea Watch Foundation is a marine conservation and research charity working exclusively in British waters. It has organised the National Whale & Dolphin Watch every year since 2002.
