|
|
|
 Sent
to you
by e-mail
|
|
Simply
enter your details and hit the send button
more
info |
|
Click Here
Links
Advertise
Terms of Use
Contributors
About Us
Contact Us
|
 |
Go back
| Bookmark
| Print Page 
| E-Mail Us 
Breeding
Area for Rare Dolphins Found off Llyn Peninsula
____________________________________________________
Posted: 20th October
2006
Photo: CCW |
A rare sighting of a group of Risso’s dolphins, including calves, has been made off Bardsey Island, at the tip of the Llyn Peninsula.
Field workers from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) were delighted to see the group of five mothers and five young calves, during their research on the island which takes place each year. This very unusual sighting illustrates the potential importance of the area to Risso’s dolphins for breeding and as a place for rearing their young.
Simon Keith, lead WDCS field worker on the Bardsey research project said:
"The work we do on Bardsey is providing a better understanding of the distribution, numbers and behaviour of
Risso's dolphins and harbour porpoises around the Island, information that can be used to inform conservation plans. This is the first time we have seen so many young calves in the same pod, which is incredibly exciting and emphasises the need for ongoing
research."
The research is funded by the Countryside Council for Wales' (CCW) Species Challenge Fund. The fund provides grants to voluntary groups and individuals for projects to conserve high priority species that are in decline, some even on the brink of extinction. WDCS is delighted that the fieldwork on Bardsey is a beneficiary of one of these grants.
Dr Mandy McMath, CCW Marine Mammals Ecologist said: "Risso’s dolphins are a species about which little is known. The waters around Bardsey Island are one of few places along the UK where Risso’s can be seen from land. I am delighted that this project is bearing fruit, and gathering much needed information so that the marine environment is managed in a way that ensures Risso's dolphins' long-term
conservation."
More information about dolphins in Welsh waters is available in CCW's free booklet
'Dolphins, porpoises and whales in Welsh waters'. To get a copy call 0845 1306229.
UK Safari News
|
|
|
