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Clet, Watch 4 Wildlife, Southwest sightings continue, Training, Tropical visitors
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April 2016 Newsletter


Où est Clet?

Where is Clet indeed? One of the south coast’s famous residents, Clet the (possibly French) dolphin, is missing in action. The dolphin, recognisable thanks to his distinctive fin, has been tracked around the British coast, and was last seen in the sea off Portland at the end of August last year.

If you’re out an about on the water over the next few months, and are lucky enough to spot dolphins, perhaps try and take a photo of their fins. Nicks, scratches, and other blemishes, are all used to help identify individual animals, and maybe you’ll get lucky and snap Clet.

You can send any good dolphin photos to Niki Clear at The Cornwall Wildlife Trust for identification

*Clet photo © Steve Belasco


Watch 4 Wildlife

A reminder that there's still time to join us on our first 'Watch 4 Wildlife at Sea' day at the end of this month.

On Sunday 24th April 2016 you can join MARINElife researchers as they “watch 4 wildlife” with DFDS Seaways, on a day return ferry sailing from Newhaven to Dieppe.

During the crossing you'll be guided by two of our experienced researchers who will point out the wildlife encountered, provide identification tips, and for those interested, show how a research survey is conducted in a real life scenario.

For more information, and how to request a booking form, please visit our website.


Southwest Sightings Keep Coming

The guys over at the wildlife cruise company AK Wildlife Cruises recently posted a video of a close encounter they had with a dolphin feeding frenzy off Falmouth. The pod of approximately 190 common dolphins were occupied with rounding up a massive school of herring into a large bait ball, then plunging into it to get mouthfuls of fish.

Local tourist group Marine Discovery Penzance have also been lucky, with their first trip of 2016 being rewarded with a bottlenose dolphin pod. The pod consisted of about 17 individuals, including two small calves/juveniles, and they managed to take some photos, which can be seen on their Facebook page.

And it’s not just been small cetaceans that have been keeping visitors and locals entertained. Fisherman aboard the Bonnie Grace managed to video a humpback whale casually making its way past Newlyn Prom.

With the weather warming up, it’s becoming an excellent time to head to the coast. Seabirds are coming to our shores to breed and feed their young, seals are chilling out on the rocks, and cetaceans are regularly dropping by, giving wildlife watchers a great chance of some fantastic marine animal encounters.


Training Weekends and Courses

Our list of 2016 surveyor training courses is complete, so if you’re at a loss for something to do on a weekend, and would like to learn about how to watch and identify sea life, why not book a place on one...

Saturday 16th April with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust at Living Seas Centre, Flamborough Saturday 28th May with Cumbria Wildlife Trust at Plumgarths, Crook Road, Kendal, Cumbria Saturday 4th June with Northumberland Wildlife Trust at Cresswell Village Hall, Cresswell 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

The course will give you a thorough grounding on the species we study, the methodologies we use, and the part you can play in safeguarding their future.

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

In Other News


Cerithium litteratum (Born, 1778)” by Udo Schmidt is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The storms that hit the UK brought up all manner of debris and creatures, and you may remember that back in December we mentioned the arrival to our shores of a group of sea snails all the way from the Caribbean. Newquay beachcombers found a bait pot containing several Cerithium litteratum shells, a species also known as the Stocky Cerith, or Lettered Horn Shell, which is an inhabitant of the shallow waters and reefs of the Western Atlantic Ocean.

These snails have since been declared the first British record of the species by the National Museum of Wales.

With storms an increasing possibility thanks to climate change, rare newcomers to our shores could become a regular occurrence. Therefore, it’s worth keeping your eyes open when wandering the beaches. Not only may you find something unusual and interesting, but it’s also important to alert the relevant authorities, as non-native species could have a negative impact on our native wildlife.

 

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