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A third Loggerhead Turtle was found washed up
on south west coasts in four weeks. The most recent was found on
the Isles of Scilly on 13th February and rescued by BDMLR
volunteers and taken to the Blue Reef Aquarium at Newquay.
Unfortunately this one died, but the first two are recovering
well.
There have been 19 Loggerhead Turtles washed
up on the coast of UK and Ireland since 29th December 2007,
that’s including the three in the west country. The seas around
our coast has warmed considerably in the last 30 years so may
have become more hospitable for turtles, and there is a
possibility that more may be found. If further turtles are
found, the public are urged to contact the marine strandings
hotline on 0845 201 2626. They should not be put back into the
sea for they will die.
Britain’s Sea Birds are facing a deadly new
threat from a population explosion of Snake Pipefish, a species
which was virtually unknown around the UK in 2002 and has
undergone a massive, baffling and dangerous expansion since
then. They are related to seahorses, are very bony and can grow
to 18” long and have very little nutritional value. Seabirds,
already affected by depletion of Atlantic and
North Sea fish stocks of their usual prey are turning to
pipefish to supplement their diet. They have been found in the
nests of puffins, kittiwakes, terns and other sea birds, and
although the adults are feeding on them the chicks are choking
to death on the rigid and bony bodies. Implications for the
future generations of sea birds are
alarming. The explosive growth of the Snake
Pipefish numbers in the past 5 or 6 years has been one of the
most mysterious events affecting British coastal waters in
recent years.
 A
grey seal pup was spotted at Godrevy with nylon fishing net
around its neck. If this net is not removed it is likely to
cause the death of this seal, for it will cut into its flesh as
it grows. Several people have phoned in with sightings of the
seal, and BDMLR are hoping to effect a rescue. There is a good
chance that the pup will eventually haul out on its own, and
members of the public are being reminded not to attempt to
rescue the pup on their own, this is a wild animal, and so the
best thing is to contact the Seal Sanctuary or BDMLR straight
away, at the number mentioned above.
There were very few sightings during
February. Only two reports of Bottlenose Dolphins, both in the
Falmouth area, 2 were seen at the mouth of the river near Black
Rock, and a single one was seen to surface once near The King
Harry Ferry as it headed up river. There was a sighting of 5
Dolphins off Fire Beacon Point, near Boscastle on the 9th, and
these were probably Bottlenose Dolphins also.
There
were 5 reported sightings of Harbour Porpoises, 3 of which were
near The Brisons off Cape Cornwall, and they were also seen off
Porthgwarra and The Lizard. The only other reported sightings
were of Minke Whales, one off Swanpool on the 1st of February
and the other off Porthallow on the 4th February, these were
probably sightings of the same animal.
Strandings this year, up to the
end of January have been 4 Common Dolphins, 6 Harbour Porpoises,
one Striped Dolphin, 7 Grey Seals, including a pup, and one
Loggerhead Turtle and 2 Triggerfish.
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