CONSERVATION ISSUES - AGM REPORT: January 2007

Bottlenose Dolphins were seen every month in 2006, with a total of 137 reported sightings, 112 of which were on the north coast with only 25 on the south. Without an easily recognised dolphin like Benty, it is more difficult to be sure of which pods are in the area, but from the records it seems that the north coast pod is also being seen along the south coast as far as Mounts Bay and Porthleven, and the few that are seen from The Lizard toward Falmouth and Polperro, are a different pod. Common Dolphins were not seen in March, May or December 2006 and of the 29 reported sightings 19 were along the south coast, from Plymouth to Wolf Rock. Those along the north coast were also well spread out, from Cape Cornwall to Bude. 

There were only 6 sightings of Risso’s Dolphins, 3 reports were of single animals, 2 were seen off Cape Cornwall, and 3 off Geevor, but the other report, from 38 miles out in the Channel off Falmouth, the pod was of 100 or more.

No Whitesided Dolphins were reported during 2006 and no Whitebeaked Dolphin off Cornwall, although there were a couple of sightings off South Devon during June.

There was a vast increase of sightings of Harbour Porpoises in 2006 over those reported in previous years. They were seen every month, and all round the coast from Sharpnose Point on the north coast up near Morwenstow, all the way around to the Tamar Estuary where they were seen in Western Mill Lake; 128 reported sightings altogether. Most sightings were of just 1 to 6 animals but the largest pod seen was of 20 off Pendeen on the 26th July.

There were 24 reported sightings of Whales, 5 of which were unidentified, 10 reports were of Minke Whales, all single animals except for a sighting of 3 off The Scilly Isles. Five were of Pilot Whales, but I think 3 of those were of the same whale on the 5th November, first in Talland Bay, then off Pendennis Head and later off Rosemullion. There were 2 reports of Fin Whales, which again could have been the same animal, 5 days apart off Dodman and Portloe,  in the same area, and there were single sightings of a Sperm Whale off Fowey and a Killer Whale breached not far off some surfers a Gwithian in September.

The first Basking Shark turned up on January 21st off The Lizard and were seen every month up to October with a total of 491 reported sightings with about 85% of the sightings and the largest groups being on the north coast. One Hundred or more were off Newland Island off Trevose Head on July 21st  and on July 25th 70 were reported off Newquay, and  a positive count of 68 off Pendeen. The last one seen off Cornwall was on October 16th, again off The Lizard,  but one was seen off Salcombe south Devon on November 7th. 

Other Sharks seen were a Blue Shark and a Thresher Shark in July, both in Gerrans Bay and a large unidentified shark, thought to be a Porbeagle, off Porthtowan.

Ocean Sunfish started arriving on June 4th with one off Port Gavern, and they were seen every month up to October, with a total of 93 reported sightings. Nearly all sightings were of single fish, there were a few of 2 and 3, and one of 4 fish, but 6 fish were seen off Pendeen on August 4th. There were no reports in November, but the last one seen and reported was on December 13th off Porthgwarra. 

Only two Leatherback Turtles were reported, both by surfers, one in Constantine Bay the other off Newquay, both in September; and two small unidentified turtles, one with a knobbly shell, were reported in November. It was in November also that By-the-Wind-Sailors Velella velella began stranding on at least 10 Cornish beaches from Watergate Bay on the north coast to Par on the south. Arriving with them were 2 species of Violet Sea Snail, Janthina janthina and Janthina pallida. These are essentially tropical or sub-tropical  specialised snails that lead a pelagic existence, drifting on the oceans surface, floating by a means of a raft of bubbles bound by mucus and are often found on European shores stranded with their principal prey Velella velella.

Goose Barnacles also started arriving, stranded on a few beaches, from October onward, not in huge numbers, but stranded on plastic buoys or drums, and among them were found another rare creature, the Columbus Crab, Planes minitus, also known as the Gulf-weed Crab. It has a limited swimming ability and rarely strays far from its drifting base which is the floating weeds of the Sargasso Sea, and was first discovered by Christopher Columbus. These crabs would have survived a dramatic drop in sea temperature on their 5000 mile and three month journey, from about 25º to perhaps 12º; they have not been spotted in British waters for more than a century.      

Other Rare Creatures turning up in 2006 were A Ray’s Bream Brama brama, and two Pufferfish, Lagocephalus lagocephalus. Other items found stranded have been Caribbean beans Entada gigas and Caesalpina bondoc   

Conservation Officer Raymond Dennis

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