Increasing reports of dolphin disturbance incidents involving the public have prompted marine wildlife charity, Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) to launch a new public information drive in partnership with the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) - a dedicated British police department that gathers intelligence on wildlife crime.

136 incidents were reported to the Cornwall Marine and Coastal Code Group hotline in 2017.

Prosecutions are rare, yet disturbance is a regular occurrence over the summer months. Of particular concern is the lack of awareness of laws around disturbance by people using boats, jet skis, or who attempt to jump in and swim with dolphins in the seas.

All suspected cases of disturbance should be reported to the police on 101. Tell the operator that you are reporting a wildlife crime and ask for an incident number to ensure that reports can be tracked.