White-beaked Dolphins

July is always a good month to see White-beaked Dolphins in north east England, and this year is no exception.

The first reports came in the last few days of June, and during the last week they've been seen at Newbiggin, Druridge Bay, Blyth, Tynemouth, Lizard Point and Sunderland.

At least ten individual animals were photographed during a transect survey on the PV St Oswald off Northumberland yesterday.

If you see any of these stunning creatures (or any other whales, dolphins or porpoises) anywhere on the east coast from Northumberland-Essex can you submit your sighting to the North East Cetacean Project database please?  It's easy to do - just visit http://www.northeastcetaceans.org.uk/ and click on 'Submit a Sighting'.  The data gathered will add to the knowledge of the movements and distribution of our cetaceans and will support efforts to conserve the marine environment.

Sightings May 2012

Plenty of Harbour Porpoise sightings throughout the month with up to 5 from the shore at Scarborough (S. Baines)

6 Bottlenose Dolphins (including a very small calf) S past Snab Point on 8th (M.Kitching/Northern Experience Wildlife Tours)

Sighting of the month though, was a large whale 1.5nm E of Cresswell, initially identified as a Humpback Whale, and later reidentified as a Sperm Whale, during a North East Cetacean Project transect survey on PV St Oswald on 31st (R.Milor/NECP).

Sightings 01/02/2012

Enough to warm you through, no matter that's it's sub-zero :-)

01/02/2012
Harbour Porpoise x2 and a distant dolphin sp. from Harkess Rocks, Bamburgh, late afternoon (M. S. Kitching/Northern Experience Wildlife Tours)

Northeast Cetacean Project Transect Survey 05/07/2011

Plenty of swell and a strengthening southeasterly combined to make surveying impossible this afternoon (waves crashing over the boat every few minutes...) but the morning produced the sort of sightings we dream of;

Minke Whale 1 off Alnmouth

White-beaked Dolphin 6 bow-riding for 12mins from 2mi off Druridge Pools to a point 1.8mi E of Coquet Island

Sightings 03/07/2011

03/07/2011 White-beaked Dolphin ~10 between Druridge Pools and Cresswell (I.D. Robson)

White-beaked Dolphins 02/07/2011

3 off Wansbeck Estuary 08:30 joined up with 12-15 further offshore by 09:30 (A. Priest)

several pods 25-30mi SE of the Tyne (A Skinner/SarahJFK)

White-beaked Dolphins 01/07/2011

A rush of sightings, possibly all relating to the same pod;

01/07/2011 White-beaked Dolphin 4 breaching off Lynemouth Bay 13:50-14:00 (Northern Experience Wildlife Tours)

01/07/2011 White-beaked Dolphin 8-10 Church Point, Newbiggin 14:38 (A Priest)

01/07/2011 White-beaked Dolphin 10+ off Seaton Sluice for 2hrs this evening (B Dack)