GUIDE TO SPOTTING DOLPHINS ALONG DORSET'S JURASSIC COAST

Transcription

1 GUIDE TO SPOTTING DOLPHINS ALONG DORSET'S JURASSIC COAST

2 INTRODUCTION I think most people carry in their heads, the stereo typical image of dolphins swimming along side a boat in the Mediterranean Sea. Often people have even seen this occurence whilst on holiday. In Europe, the Bottlenose dolphin and the common Harbour dolphin are found mainly along Atlantic coasts - along the west coast of Ireland, parts of Normandy and Brittany, and the Spanish and Portuguese coasts. Not everyone realises that we have several herds of dolphins in UK waters or that we are lucky enough to have regular sightings along the Jurassic Coast where Get Lost Sailing run their sea safaris. Resident herds occur in small numbers off the south-west coast of Cornwall, and during spring and summer off the East Dorset coast and stretching up to Sussex and Kent. This guide will explain the best places and ways to spot dolphins along the Dorset coastline as well as give an explanation on their behaviour. This combined information should give you the best chance of spotting them. Good luck next time you try to find them! 1 Noel Hutchinson Get Lost Sailing Captain

3 Social Behaviour The bottlenose dolphin is a social animal, usually living in herds or pods of between half a dozen and 25 individuals. Sometimes however, these may smaller pods may join together to form herds numbering up to a thousand animals. The great thing about this when you are trying to spot them is that a group of animals is far easier to spot on the wide ocean than a solitary one. The smaller herds appear to be rather like an extended family, with individuals remaining together over a number of years. Sometimes members split off and form small sub-groups, particularly if they are of the same sex or broadly the same age. 2

4 Family groups seem to be based upon females with their calves. The calves can remain with their mothers for three, four, or even up to ten years, before going their own way. Sightings have been known within Swanage Bay when mothers have been with calves. the shelter of the bay seems to attract them when hunting together as a younger family. Males may join the group for short periods, or live in separate bachelor herds. 3

5 BABY DOLPHINS In Britain, a single calf about a metre in length is born sometime during the summer months, usually between March and September. This is when we run our sea safaris. Your best chance of seeing them is on the water during this time. The mothers are living in one hunting ground and are more active since they are trying to feed their young. Mating takes place twelve months before. The calf is nursed immediately by the mother, who may be assisted by other females. If necessary, they will help the calf up to the surface for its first breath and the mother may also be assisted if she is weak. The calf is suckled for around months, so its mother usually cannot breed again for two or three years. It is a long time before a young dolphin reaches sexual maturity between 8 and 15 years for males and 5-13 for females. However, both sexes can live for more than 25 years, and females have been known to live over 50 years. 4

6 Diet and Hunting When fish are running and the dolphins are hunting, you can see sea birds gathering overhead looking out for scraps. When you're on the lookout, spotting a dorsal fin is obviously a pretty good sign and just catching something out of the corner of your eye like a wave breaking the wrong way. On our safaris we are always on the lookout for them although we have to be careful. It's important to let the dolphins come to you rather than try and chase them. Although the dolphins take a wide variety of schooling fish including herring, mackerel, cod, bass, salmon, and sea trout, in many parts of its range around the world coastal populations are thought to favour bottom-living fish such as mullet, moray eels and flounder. It's the undersea geology along the Dorset coastline that makes the area so popular with the dolphins. There are a lot of tidal breaks around Durlston Head and underwater rocky ledges which attract small sea creatures and fish which in turn attracts the dolphins. On the Western side of Swanage Bay, there is another underwater ledge at Peverill Point. Again dolphins are often sighted along this piece of water. Finally, the same thing occurs at St Aldhelms and this marks the extent of the Durleston Marine Project dolphin watch area. 5

7 DURLSTON MARINE PROJECT The Durlston Marine Project is a community based marine awareness programme. It focuses on the Durlston Marine Research Area - a voluntary marine study area that extends 25km along the Purbeck coastline from St. Aldhelm's Head to South Haven Point. The project monitors activity of all sorts of marine life along this piece of coastland. In fact, just outside of Durlston Head, west of the castle, there is a dolphin and whale observatory. One of the great things about the project is that you can report sightings of dolphins and other animals and they keep a record of their behaviour. You can see a sample of this on the next page. But as well as that you can sign up to their alert system and hear about dolphin activity as it happens. 6

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9 DOLPHIN FACTS 1. Each dolphin has a unique signature whistle to identify it to family. 2. A dolphin's forehead is called a melon it looks like a melon and helps with echo- location. Just like a radar, dolphins send out a click 300 times a second the reflected sound helps them work out where they are. 3. Dolphins can dive to depths of up to 300 metres below the surface and stay submerged for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. 4. Most dolphins have a lifespan of about 25 years, but some can live up to Dolphins sleep by closing one eye at a time, resting one side of the brain, while the other stays alert to watch for predators. 6. A mother dolphin will stay with her baby (calf) for up to 3 years, protecting it and teaching it hunting skills. 7. Dolphins spend less than 5% of their time at the sea surface (that's around an hour a day). 8

10 Top 3 Ways and Places to Spot Dolphins OK. So if you've read this guide properly you know that dolphins travel in reasonably small groups. You know that they only really spend about an hour a day at the surface when they are hunting. So how in the name of the ocean do you spot them?! Well the good news for keen dolphin spotters is that they come to the surface to breathe every minutes. That's great if you're in an area that they live and frequent such as the Jurassic Coast in Dorset. It means you've got a chance of seeing them every day no matter what the weather. So below are the best ideas when trying to spot these fantastic creatures: Wait patiently on the shore and try to spot them as they come close in. There's a lot of luck needed here and it's best to have a pair of binoculars. The sea tends to form its waves in a reasonably uniform direction. This is due to the wind acting on the surface of the water. When dolphin spotting, keep a sharp eye out for something on the surface that goes against the pattern. It may well be a fleeting glimpse of a dorsal fin. Finally, when the fish are running and the dolphins are hunting, expect some commotion. You will inevitably see sharp eyed birds following a pod of dolphin so that they can get the fish that escape. Keep an eye out for birds gathering over a piece of the sea. 9

11 The Very Best Dolphin Spotting Places in Dorset So here it is. Armed with all the information in this guide that will increase your chances of seeing them, these are the very best places to visit: Durlston Head: the dolphins often hunt around here as mentioned previously. Did you know that there is a dolphin and whale observatory just west of the castle and tourist centre? Head along the South Coast path and you will find the wooden hut. Peverill Point: again, as mentioned before, the dolphins hunt along this underwater ledge. Head round to the west end of Swanage Bay by the coastguard tower and lifeboat station. As you look out to sea, you will see the red buoy that marks the end of Peverill ledge. On the Sea: by far the best way to spot these animals is to get on a boat and travel the length of their home! 10

12 Sea Safari Now that you've read the guide and you know where the dolphins hide out, why not join Get Lost Sailing on safari? Our route takes in the two hotspots of Durlston and Peverill. As well as this we run all the way down the cliffs to Dancing Ledge. This is the stretch of the Jurassic Coast where the dolphins are most often seen. There is always a chance of spotting them and they sometimes run along side the boat for some of the trip. They are only a couple of metres away when they do that! As well as dolphins you can spot all sorts of birds. At various times of the year these include, Puffins, Shags, Cormorants and Grebes. The best places to see these guys are in the sea caves that we visit. We hope to see you soon so you can enjoy all these special creatures with us. Book our 5* trips online at: 11