Marine Life & Conservation
High numbers of whales and dolphins seen in Britain
The annual National Whale and Dolphin Watch event started on Saturday 27th July around the UK and so many fantastic cetacean sightings have already been submitted!
Every year, scientists at the Sea Watch Foundation lead a campaign to help members of the general public contribute to scientific endeavours to protect whales, dolphins and porpoises, and are calling on thousands of people to get involved with the National Whale and Dolphin Watch between 27th July and 4th August 2019!
For over forty years, Sea Watch Foundation scientists as well as volunteer observers all around the coast of the British Isles from Shetland to the Isles of Scilly have been reporting sightings of whales, dolphins and porpoises (cetaceans) to inform Sea Watch’s huge database of records. The scheme is one of the oldest and longest running citizen science projects in the world. Anyone can take part in this flagship summer event, the ‘National Whale and Dolphin Watch’, now in its 18th year.
Cetaceans can be found all around the coast of the UK and, already, there have been a record number of species spotted. At the time of writing, more than six hundred sightings of cetaceans (400 more than last year at this time) totalling 3,758 individual animals have been reported from Shetland down to South Devon and from the west coast of Wales to the Outer Hebrides.
Scotland has recorded the highest number of sightings, closely followed by England then Wales. Around the Channel Islands, observers reported 3 sightings, and there were also three reports from around the Isle of Man. Four sightings were also recorded in Northern Ireland.
Volunteer observers conducting a land-watch at Hoxa Head, Orkney, on July 28th. Photo credit: Jenni Kakkonen.
Eight different species of cetacean (harbour porpoise, common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, white-beaked dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, Atlantic white-sided dolphin, orca and minke whale) have been recorded from 108 land locations and by 23 recommended boat operators until now and with four more days still to go this number will certainly increase!
Bottlenose dolphins are presently being sighted daily in New Quay along the west coast of Wales, and off Chanonry Point in the Moray Firth, but they have also been sighted off Littlehampton in Sussex, on the coast of Durham and Northumberland, and in the Channel Islands to name just a few other places.
Harbour porpoises are the commonest and most widespread species in Britain. They can be spotted almost anywhere, and records are coming in from all around the British Isles.
Observers elsewhere have been reporting on minke whales around Scotland and the Scottish Isles.
Short-beaked common dolphins have already been recorded at different location including Berry Head in South Devon, Swanbister Bay in Orkney, off Falmouth in Cornwall and off Bloody Bridge in Co. Down, Northern Ireland.
Records of Risso’s dolphins have been reported from the Isle of Man, around the Outer Hebrides, and in Orkney and Shetland.
White-beaked dolphins have been just sighted in Dunnet Bay and off the coast of Northumberland.
Large pods of Atlantic white-sided dolphins have been sighted at multiple locations around Shetland.
Orcas have been recorded around Shetland and Orkney since early spring and have already been included in the National Whale and Dolphin Watch tally.
It is expected that the number of records will rise as people find time to enter their sightings and after they finish their watches which have been organized in many different locations.
It’s not too late for people to join in with the national effort to monitor whales and dolphins and the scientists behind the event are urging people to head to the coast to take part. “No experience is necessary, you just need to download a watch form from our website, record the environmental conditions every fifteen minutes and watch for at least an hour” says Dr Chiara Giulia Bertulli, Sightings Officer at Sea Watch Foundation and lead organizer of this year’s event.
“Not all watches will result in a sighting, but that piece of information is still very valuable to us so just by taking part you are contributing greatly to the report we will publish” adds Chiara.
In addition, people are requested to report their casual sightings on the charity’s website.
During the nine-day event in 2018, thirteen different whales and dolphins were recorded in UK waters. Some 1626 sightings were logged around the UK that week, the highest reported so far. Although we are only halfway through this year’s event, it looks as if we could break all records. For more facts and figures from last years’ event, please read our 2018 National Whale and Dolphin Watch report.
All the verified sightings so far can be viewed on line (http://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/nwdw-2019/) where they are updated as more reports come in
Find out more about the event: www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/nwdw
Join a registered event or create your own event: https://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/nwdw-2019-watch-list/ (please note that new events are being added all the time so keep looking!)
The Ocean Cleanup, the global non-profit project, has removed a verified all-time total of ten million kilograms (22 million lbs.) of trash from oceans and rivers around the world – approximately the same weight as the Eiffel Tower.
To complete its mission of ridding the oceans of plastic, The Ocean Cleanup uses a dual strategy: cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) to remove the plastic already afloat in the oceans, while stopping the flow of plastic from the world’s most polluting rivers.
Through cleaning operations in the GPGP and in rivers in eight countries, the cumulative total of trash removed has now surpassed ten million kilograms. This milestone demonstrates the acceleration of The Ocean Cleanup’s impact, while underlining the astonishing scale of the plastic pollution problem and the need for continued support and action.
While encouraging for the mission, this milestone is only a staging point: millions more tons of plastic still pollute our oceans and The Ocean Cleanup intends to continue learning, improving and innovating to solve this global catastrophe.
This announcement comes as governments from around the world meet to continue negotiations to develop a new legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution at INC4 in Ottawa, Canada. Representatives of The Ocean Cleanup will be in attendance and the organization will be urging decision-makers to collaborate towards a comprehensive and ambitious global treaty which addresses plastic at all stages of its life cycle and in all marine environments worldwide, including in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
It is encouraging to see that the need for remediation is reflected in the various options for potential treaty provisions. It is essential that the final treaty contains clear targets for the remediation of legacy plastic pollution, and reduction of riverine plastic emissions.
Tackling plastic pollution requires innovative and impactful solutions. The treaty should therefore incentivize the innovation ecosystem by fostering innovations that make maximal use of data, technology and scientific knowledge – such as those designed and deployed by The Ocean Cleanup.
‘After many tough years of trial and error, it’s amazing to see our work is starting to pay off – and I am proud of the team who has brought us to this point.’ said Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup. ‘While we still have a long way to go, our recent successes fill us with renewed confidence that the oceans can be cleaned.’
The Ocean Cleanup was founded in 2013 and captured its first plastic in 2019, with the first confirmed catch in the GPGP coming soon after the deployment of Interceptor 001 in Jakarta, Indonesia. After surpassing one million kilograms of trash removed in early 2022, the non-profit project has since progressed to the third iteration of its GPGP cleaning solution, known as System 03, and a network of Interceptors currently covering rivers in eight countries, with more deployments set for 2024.
About The Ocean Cleanup
The Ocean Cleanup is an international non-profit organization that develops and scales technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. They aim to achieve this goal through a dual strategy: stemming the inflow via rivers and cleaning up the legacy plastic that has already accumulated in the ocean. For the latter, The Ocean Cleanup develops large-scale systems to efficiently concentrate the plastic for periodic removal. This plastic is tracked and traced through DNV’s chain of custody model to certify claims of origin when recycling it into new products. To curb the tide via rivers, The Ocean Cleanup has developed Interceptor™ solutions to halt and extract riverine plastic before it reaches the ocean. Founded in 2013 by Boyan Slat, The Ocean Cleanup now employs a broadly multi-disciplined team of approximately 140. The foundation is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
For more information, visit: theoceancleanup.com and follow @theoceancleanup on social media.
Marine Life & Conservation
Steve Backshall to headline Shark Trust’s flagship event: For the Love of Sharks
Join a host of amazing, shark loving, speakers including Steve Backshall and the Shark Trust team for an evening celebrating shark conservation at the Royal Geographical Society in London this November.
Date: 29th November 2024
Time: 6-10pm
Location: Royal Geographical Society, London
Tickets: https://www.sharktrust.org/Event/flos24
The event will be a celebration of all things shark. Those lucky enough to get hold of tickets will hear from engaging guest speakers with a passion for sharks.
The line-up includes (*subject to change if unforeseen circumstances arise)
Steve Backshall: One of television’s busiest presenters, BAFTA award-winning wildlife expert Steve has been passionate about the wild world ever since he was young.
Steve’s impressive TV career has taken him all around the world, investigating a wide array of species and environments. Steve has filmed over 100 hours of children’s wildlife programmes with the BAFTA award winning Deadly 60 franchise and recently, with Sky Nature, for his new series ‘Whale with Steve Backshall’. He has been a patron for the Shark Trust for 10 years.
Simon Rogerson: is a photojournalist specialising in natural history, diving and the sea.
He is editor of SCUBA magazine, the official journal of the British Sub-Aqua Club. Simon started his career as a crime reporter but gravitated towards his ‘less depressing’ interest in underwater exploration, joining the staff of DIVE magazine in 1999. In 2005 he was named ‘Editor of the Year’ in the PPA’s Independent Publishing Awards. Simon also works as a freelance writer, contributing frequently to the Sunday Times and Telegraph, in addition to BBC Wildlife, Esquire, and a host of international diving magazines. He is the author of a book, Dive Red Sea, published by Ultimate Sports. Now based in Berkshire, Simon has been a Patron of the Shark Trust for 20 years.
More speakers to be announced soon. Head to the Shark Trust website to learn more.
The evening will also allow guests the final chance to see the Oceanic 31, shark art exhibition. Some of the artwork will be auctioned/raffled at the event, while the rest will be auctioned online to raise money for the Shark Trust Oceanic Programme.
For the Love of Sharks is an evening with something for everyone who is interested and fascinated by sharks. Join the Shark Trust, their Patrons, Trustees and Staff, along with a host of supporters for this celebration of shark conservation.
For more information or to buy a ticket: https://www.sharktrust.org/Event/flos24
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