If you’re close to the coast this weekend, grab some binoculars and find out how to take part in the national Whale and Dolphin Watch.

The annual Sea Watch event starts tomorrow (Saturday 24th July) and will run to to Sunday 1st August, and members of the public are needed to help take a snapshot of the incredible cetacean life around our coastlines.

Sea Watch Foundation has been operating for over 30 years, with a mission to aid in the conservation of whales, dolphins, and porpoises through monitoring, research, and education.

Sea Watch’s cetacean sightings database is one of the largest of its kind in the world, and its decades-long research in areas such as Cardigan Bay have led to the formation of Special Areas of Conservation for bottlenose dolphins: just one example of the direct impact of their work.

“Recording sightings of whales, dolphins and porpoises helps us to understand their distribution, diversity, and behaviour, which contributes to ongoing research by Sea Watch Foundation and other organisations,” said a spokesperson.

“Last year, during the week of National Whale and Dolphin Watch, 1,348 sightings were recorded nationally; that’s an average of one sighting per hour for every site surveyed! We have over 30 recorded species of cetacean in our waters, so this year, why not discover what’s in your area?”

No experience is needed to participate in the project, all you need is to be close to the sea sometime between July 24 and August 1, along with patience, enthusiasm, and some binoculars.

To register your watch, simply email [email protected]. You will be provided with Sea Watch Foundation recording forms to record your effort and sightings during your watch, or you can also record data using the new free Sea Watcher App, available on the App Store. You can also download a species identification guide via the website for help identifying species during your watch!

Virtual training sessions are available, which can be booked by emailing the address below. Training sessions will cover all the basics of cetacean ID and how to collect data effectively.

If you register a watch with us, and send back your data to us before August 15th at [email protected], you could also be in with a chance to win some amazing prizes in our raffle, kindly donated by our 11 event sponsors Rip Curl, Made of Sundays, Dani Williams Illustration, The Felt Meadow, Heron on the Roof, Falcon Boats, Lee Renée Jewellery, Deep Blue Tales, Padstow Sealife Safaris, Giuditta Migiani Art, and Newquay Sea Safaris and Fishing.

Casual sightings are also welcome throughout the week, but will not be entered into the prize draw. You can submit any casual records using the online sightings form.

The team at Sea Watch will offer online training and advice on how to take part: https://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/nwdw-2021-online-training/