Mar 29, 2021 By: Lucy In 2015, a very strange visitor appeared off the shores of the UK. More suited to navigating ice in the arctic than the shallows of Cornwall, it was a huge surprise when it was determined that a bowhead whale had found itself so far from home. Since, only one other individual has […]
Category Archives: blog / event
Mar 26, 2021 A rare visitor has been causing a stir in Wales! The juvenile walrus that was first spotted on Valentia Island off Co. Kerry in Ireland, has made its way to Wales and is delighting walkers around the Pembrokeshire coast. It first surfaced on the 19th March in Broad Haven South Beach, Pembrokeshire […]
Mar 17, 2021 This is the latest post in a series which will look at recent advancements, discoveries and trends in the study of whales and dolphins. We here at Sea Watch believe strongly in the free sharing and dissemination of scientific literature and want to give you, our loyal members, the breakdown of all […]
Mar 11, 2021 By: Lucy When we think about UK cetaceans, most of us imagine a leaping dolphin or rolling porpoise. But with over 30 species inhabiting UK waters, it’s easy to forget the diversity that surrounds us. The Sea Watch Foundation database currently holds 23,134 sightings of bottlenose dolphins since 2007, averaging a staggering […]
Mar 9, 2021 By: Megan In the summer of 2018, one orca mother known as J35, carried her deceased calf at the surface for a record-breaking 17 days. The calf died shortly after birth and was ultimately not recovered to perform a necropsy to determine the cause of death. Although J35 lived in the Puget […]
Mar 8, 2021 From top to bottom: ©Zoe Doran; ©Andrea Duxbury; ©Finlay Pringle; ©Emily Babbage; ©Diana Zilioli/Stilla; ©PGHEvans/SWF The 2020 National Whale and Dolphin Watch (NWDW) event organised by the Sea Watch Foundation involved hundreds of volunteers from all around the British Isles, and it ran between 25th July and 2nd August. The event enables Sea Watch, […]
Mar 8, 2021 By: Kayleigh What are strandings? A stranded marine mammal is one that has beached itself on land and cannot return to the water without help, and may also need medical assistance. Cetaceans are fully aquatic animals and, though they breathe air, they cannot survive for long on land. If a whale or […]
Mar 1, 2021 By: Jay This is the latest post in a series which will look at recent advancements, discoveries and trends in the study of whales and dolphins. We here at Sea Watch believe strongly in the free sharing and dissemination of scientific literature and want to give you, our loyal members, the breakdown […]
Feb 22, 2021 By: Kayleigh Noise pollution in the ocean is a major problem, and it’s getting louder. A study has recently been undertaken on the subject of human-caused noise in the marine environment – the first comprehensive assessment of this important issue. The study points out that acoustic pollution is as significant a threat to marine […]
Feb 22, 2021 By: Megan Cetacean entanglement is a global issue. Cetaceans of all species can become entangled in active or discarded fishing gear or other marine debris. Animals that are unintentionally caught by active fishing gear are classified as ‘bycatch.’ Those that become wrapped up in abandoned fishing gear are classified as ‘entangled.’ In […]