Marine Life Galore!

The marine life around our coast is getting into full swing, with lots of different species been sighted in the sea around Southwest England, some of which have been rarities to our region.

Amongst the usual glimpses of bottlenose and common dolphins there have been several sightings of Risso’s dolphins and basking sharks, as well as an unusual sighting of a ‘ghost’ harbour porpoise (porpoises that are hypo-pigmented, or leucistic). There have only been about 10 of these white animals recorded over the last 100 years.

An even rarer sight came in the form of a bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) off Cornwall. These giant cetaceans inhabit Arctic waters, so to see one so far south is very odd. Indeed, this is only the second known sighting of one of these whales, with the first being off the Isles of Scilly in February 2015.

Even among the seabirds we’ve had an uncommon visitor as, for the first time in 100 years, a dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) came to our shores, which caused quite a stir at Land’s End.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the marine life spotted along our coastline recently. Make sure to follow MARINElife’s Southwest Sightings on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with all that’s going on out there.

Training Weekends and Courses

If you'd like to learn more about how to watch for and identify sea life, there are still plenty of training days you can attend:

● Saturday 23rd July with Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust at Gibraltar Point NNR, Gibraltar Road, Skegness ● Saturday 6th August 2016 Scottish Wildlife Trust at Falls of Clyde Visitor Centre, New Lanark, Scotland ● Saturday 17th September with National Aquarium, Plymouth ● Saturday 8th October 2016 with Devon Wildlife Trust at Wembury Marine Centre, Church Road, Plymouth ● Saturday 12th November with Living Coasts, Beacon Quay, Torquay

More information and booking details can be found on our website.


Our Marine Mammal & Seabird Survey Training also make fantastic presents for anyone who loves marine life, so why not purchase a gift certificate for a loved one? Email Tricia Dendle for more details.

Gift and Give

Father’s Day is fast approaching, and there are several ways you can help MARINElife while purchasing gifts and cards.

You can treat your dad to a gift, and us to a donation at no extra cost, with Give as you Live. You can shop for a gift at Amazon, Debenhams, John Lewis, and plenty of other online stores, and a percentage of your purchase will be donated to MARINElife.

We’ve got cards covered too. With DontSendMeACard you can simply choose a charity (e.g. MARINElife), and compose your e-card, then send it.

MARINElife will get the equivalent cost of sending the card, your dad will receive an e-card and see that you donated, and it’s a quick and easy alternative that reduces paper waste.