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Fishers' involvement is crucial. Image: WDC/JTF

When porpoises and people overlap

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Mindful conservation – why we need a new respect for nature

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A dolphin called Arnie with a shell

Dolphins catch fish using giant shell tools

In Shark Bay, Australia, two groups of dolphins have figured out how to use tools...
Common dolphins at surface

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We all have personalities, and between the work Christmas party and your family get-together, perhaps...
Leaping harbour porpoise

The power of harbour porpoise poo

We know we need to save the whale to save the world. Now we are...
Holly. Image: Miray Campbell

Meet Holly, she’s an incredible orca leader

Let me tell you the story of an awe-inspiring orca with a fascinating family story...
Humpback whale. Image: Christopher Swann

A story about whales and humans

As well as working for WDC, I write books for young people. Stories; about the...
Risso's dolphin at surface

My lucky number – 13 years studying amazing Risso’s dolphins

Everything we learn about the Risso's dolphins off the coast of Scotland amazes us and...

HotSpots – A Round up of UK Spring Sightings

Spring seemed to take a while to arrive this year as winter kept an icy grip for much longer than normal. Once the warmer weather arrived the wildlife around the UK jumped into action including beneath the waves. As the water temperature rises with the changing of the season and more light penetrates its depths, Spring blooms of plankton make the sea an extremely productive place at this time of year.

Common dolphins have been seen a number of times, particularly during May as they bow ride boats in the Celtic Sea. John Hepburn had a group of 12 common dolphins taking it in turns to bow ride alongside his boat for 20 minutes and took these amazing photographs!

Common dolphin surfacing   Common dolphins bow riding  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other frequent visitor during Spring was the harbour porpoise with sightings sent in from all around the UK ranging from Seaford in East Sussex to Scarborough. There have been fewer bottlenose dolphin sightings reported during the Spring, however a group of 8 were seen from Sanaigmore Bay, on the Isle of Islay, in early April.

As I write this update a report of orcas have been spotted off Bardsey Island, North Wales, and photographed for the first time ever! We have been conducting research into whale and dolphin populations around the island since 1999, and we think these are members of the endangered West Coast Community (n=9), and that they appear to do a huge loop around Ireland and through the Irish Sea at the end of May/early June every year. The Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory took this grainy shot of the orcas in the distance.

There is so much to see out there so KEEP SPOTTING and sending us your sightings, photos and videos. Here’s how to tell us what you see