Members of conservationist groups and volunteers urge the public to take part in the continuous reporting of whale and dolphin sightings.
As part of this goal, the 14th National Whale and Dolphin Watch started on Saturday, July 25, and will continue until Sunday, August 2. The said event was organized by the Sea Watch Foundation, in partnership with other environmental groups.
The information obtained during the event will be used to accurately map out the distribution of whales, dolphins and porpoises all around the United Kingdom. The conservationists think that this would be a good avenue for individuals who are interested to be part of ongoing research efforts to enrich available knowledge about the said sea creatures. Ultimately, this will also increase understanding on how to better safeguard whales, dolphins and porpoises.
One of the groups who collaborated with the Sea Watch Foundation for this year's event is ORCA, an organization made up of members who believe that the best way to protect whales and dolphins is to identify and study their habitats. The particular role of ORCA is to be an offshore aid that will deliver an extensive "snapshot" of the distribution of the whales, dolphins and porpoises across UK's bodies of water.
The bridge crew will undergo trainings to help them determine and document the marine animals as they encounter them. ORCA has also set up land-based stations along the Isle of Wight just for the week-long event. The organization will later combine all the data they have collected and analyze them so that they can share the results of their investigations online. The reports are expected to include sighting maps and photos from the event. ORCA will also be sending their reports to the Sea Watch Foundation so the latter could update the national data bank of sightings.
Aside from Sea Watch Foundation and ORCA, other companies who have expressed their support for the whale/ dolphin/ porpoise watch endeavors include NorthLink Ferries DFDS Seaways, Carnival UK (Cunard, P & O Cruises), Wightlink, Isle of Man Steampacket Company and the Royal Navy among many others.
Apart from the National Whale and Dolphin Watch, the Sea Watch Foundation also encourages everyone to be a sea watch regular observer. Everyone can join and all one should have are a pair of binoculars, lots of enthusiasm and of course, patience. The foundation urges families or groups who are about to go on a trip to the seaside to record their sightings.
Photo: Shawn McCready | Flickr
