Wildlife watching project spots 2,200 dolphins

1 hour ago

Stuart HarrattEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

News image — More than 1,800 bottlenose dolphins have been spotted of Bempton Cliffs

Alan Coe A bottle-nosed dolphin leaps out of the sea leaving a trail of white water behind — More than 1,800 bottlenose dolphins have been spotted of Bempton Cliffs

More than 2,200 dolphins and around 50 whales have been spotted at Bempton Cliffs since it became England's first official Shorewatch location 16 months ago.

The scheme run by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) charity trains volunteers to carry out surveys of marine life.

A team of 20 volunteers has just conducted their 1,000th observation from the clifftop at the RSPB site, which is internationally famous for the colonies of seabirds which nest on its chalk cliffs.

Susanna O'Neill, RSPB senior administrator and a Shorewatch volunteer, said reaching the milestone was "an incredible achievement and a testament to the dedication of our volunteers".

She added: "This project has introduced thousands of visitors to the marine wildlife on East Yorkshire's coast and to see how close the dolphins come to the cliffs has been amazing.

"By collecting long-term data on the mammals using these waters, we can better understand how environmental changes are affecting them and ensure conservation decisions are based on robust evidence."

Volunteers use specialist marine binoculars to scan the sea for 10 minutes before they log their findings into a dedicated app.

Since the project launched in East Yorkshire, the team has logged 1,896 bottlenose dolphins, 341 harbour porpoises, 50 minke whales and a humpback whale.

Ellen Leach A woman stands on the cliffs at Bempton, East Yorkshire and looks out to sea using a pair of black binoculars. She has long red hair and is wearing a black jacket. In the background, a wooden fence and exposed cliff is visible along with the sea in the back of the image. — Volunteers survey the seas in 10 minutes shifts

The Shorewatch programme was established by the WDC in Scotland in 2005 and produces data that is analysed to assess the health of the seas and wildlife.

Alice Walters, WDC Shorewatch data coordinator, said that marine mammals "face increasing pressures from climate change, pollution, underwater noise, entanglement, disturbance and changes in prey availability".

"The high cliffs at Bempton give excellent visibility, and the dedication of the volunteer team has been incredible," she said.

"Reaching 1,000 watches highlights the importance of citizen science in gathering vital evidence to understand how cetaceans use our coastline and how best to protect them."

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