News
National Whale and Dolphin Watch 2019
National Whale and Dolphin Watch 2019: a national effort to protect whales, dolphins and porpoises with citizen science
Scientists at Sea Watch Foundation are looking for marine mammal enthusiasts around the country who want to help to collect records of whales, dolphins and porpoises and become involved in their marine conservation work!
Every year for nine days in late July, Sea Watch Foundation look for wildlife enthusiasts and around the UK to support National Whale and Dolphin Watch, a citizen science project organized by the Sea Watch Foundation now in its 18th year, hoping to catch a glimpse of whales, dolphins and porpoises visiting the seas around the British Isles. The event this year is taking place from Saturday 27th July until Sunday 4th August 2019 and it marks the long-lasting collaboration between citizen scientists, wildlife enthusiasts, the general public and researchers alike.
The NWDW 2018 recorded more than 1,300 hours of watches with participants looking out for whales, dolphins and porpoises all around the country from Shetland to the Isles of Scilly and reporting around 8,000 individual animals of thirteen species from land and at sea. Last year the number of cetacean sightings recorded was 1,626 sightings which was the highest ever recorded, possibly due to the good stable weather recorded last summer, with high temperature which brought in warmer water species like striped dolphin, and created the conditions for plankton fronts to develop, attracting shoals of fish and in turn, whales and dolphins.
The most memorable sightings recorded during the 2018 include humpback whales in Yorkshire and Aberdeenshire, striped dolphins live stranding in South Wales, Sowerby’s beaked whale in East Lothian, fin whales in Northeast Scotland and Outer Hebrides, and large pods of short-beaked common dolphins off Puffin Island and Menai Bridge in North Wales.
No previous experience is needed, anyone who wants to and who is in the UK during the event can help. All that people need to bring is patience, a lot of enthusiasm, binoculars, and sightings forms and a cetacean identification guide (downloadable from the Sea Watch website).
The Sea Watch staff is suggesting for people to conduct their land watches for a minimum of one hour and to work in groups to take turns during data collection. If you are an experienced watcher, you can easily identify species and fill in our website forms. If it is the first time for you, there are manned sites around the country where experienced watchers will be available to assist first-timers.
“National Whale and Dolphin Watch is about involving people and allowing them to experience something they never thought they could be part of, it is about collecting vital data for the protection and conservation of local cetacean species, and it is about sharing this magical event with people from all other the country and have fun all together” said Dr Chiara Giulia Bertulli, Sightings Officer at Sea Watch Foundation and lead organizer of this year’s event.
Accredited wildlife tour operators and other recommended dolphin watching companies around the UK are also taking part in the weekend. Please note that spaces on most boat trips need to be reserved first. Prices vary for these trips and you should contact the relevant operator directly. All marine wildlife operators abide by a voluntary code of conduct.
Lots will be happening during this National Whale and Dolphin Watch event from beach cleans to cliff walks, sandcastle competitions, face paintings and dolphin rescues.
“At the time of writing, more than six hundred watches (both land and boat-based) have been organized around the country in many different locations. Please get in touch to find out more and to take part! “ concludes Chiara.
Find out more about the event: www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/nwdw
Register your own watch: www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/nwdw-2019
You can also follow the Sea Watch Foundation and their NWDW event – on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Shells of the World: A Natural History by M.G. Harasewych
Shells of the world is a guide to the world of marine, shelled molluscs. And what a varied and interesting world it is. Some of my favourite things to find on a dive are detailed in this book, including disco clams (or Electric File Clams as they are correctly names), the cephalopods, giant clams and sea hares. There are also many on my wish list, top of which is the Nautilus.
Each chapter provides a detailed description of the species, along with beautiful images. You can dive deeper and discover where they live, both with global distribution and the habitat they prefer. Learn about their diet, reproduction and diversity.
Having dipped in and out of this lovely book over the past few weeks, it has inspired me to learn more about this group of animals that we see on most divers, wherever we are in the world. Some of the shells are incredibly intricate and beautiful. I have always agreed with never collecting, or touching, marine life. The description of a certain set of cone shells should be a warning to those that are happy to pick up marine life! One of the cone shells has a local name called the cigarette snail. Why? Because once the venom is in your system from this animal, you only have time to smoke one cigarette before the affects of the venom are fatal!
What the publisher says:
Mollusks are invertebrate animals with a remarkable natural history and a rich fossil record, and their shells are prized for their breathtaking variety and exquisite beauty. Shells of the World provides a wide-ranging look at the incredible diversity of marine mollusks. An informative introduction outlines the lineages covered, followed by a directory section, split into classes, that profiles a broad selection of different taxa to give a sense of their sheer numbers and variety.
- Features hundreds of beautiful color photos, depicting both the live animals and their shells
- Discusses mollusk evolution, anatomy, life cycles, behavior, and ecology
- Describes unique characteristics, distribution, habitat, and size
- Provides valuable insights into the conservation of the world’s marine mollusks
- Ideal for malacologists and shell collectors everywhere
About the Author:
M. G. Harasewych is research zoologist emeritus and former curator in the Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he is the author (with Fabio Moretzsohn) of The Book of Shells: A Life-Size Guide to Identifying and Classifying Six Hundred Seashells.
Book Details
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Hardcover
Price: £25
ISBN: 9780691248271
Published: 9th April, 2024
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Sea & Sea is the home of Stahlsac and other leading diving brands in the UK.
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