NEWS FEED
Did you know that a dedicated team of volunteers have been looking out for dolphins off Dorset County Council’s Durlston Country Park for 28 years?
As well as this core of dedicated dolphin watchers, visitors to the Bournemouth, Poole and Purbeck Coast and residents on and off the water share their experiences with dolphins through the media and with marine conservation bodies.
Durlston Dolphin Watch was established in 1988 with volunteers monitoring from the Coast Path between Durlston Head and Anvil Point. From this vantage point bottlenose dolphins can be observed up to 1 mile out at sea. Volunteers record numbers, size, markings, travelling direction, behaviour and formation.
Up to 25 regular dolphin watchers give 30 hours per week of dolphin observation and have built up a vital data set. Reports from the public as well as The National Coast Watch Institute keepers at Peveril Point, St Albans Head and Portland Bill, allow the rangers to send text alerts giving recipients up to an hour’s notice to get to Swanage or Durlston for possible dolphins sightings.
A clear photograph of a dorsal fin offers the chance to identify individual dolphins, including a pod known as Benty, Nick, Spot, Bob and Lumpy.
Sighting details can be logged via face book, e-mail or via the Durlston website, where visitors can learn of recent and past sighting; find out how to volunteer; or subscribe for Durlston Dolphin Text Alerts.
Countryside Ranger Paul Jones said, “Our band of dedicated volunteers regularly catch sight of passing dolphins but so have many visitors, including school groups and wedding parties! Reports from the public are vital to help protect these amazing creatures and ensure they continue to visit our coast.”
We are always on the look out for more volunteers for data input and analysis as well as monitoring. When asked what has kept her Dolphin watching for 21 years Judith Lodge replied “It is a bonus if we see dolphins as it is still nice peaceful way to spend and hour watching birds and boats .”
