Wild Dolphin

kielder · #1 (**permalink**) 05-06-2008, 09:46 PM

I was just watching Springwatch tonight, and Simon said they are many Common Dolphin | Wild About Britain in the Moray Firth, and it is probably the best in the world too! I was just wondering if anyone else has seen any, or knows of locations in the UK where they are?

zan · #2 (**permalink**) 05-06-2008, 10:09 PM

I think the ones in the Firth of Forth are a resident population and are probably some of teh most reliable for sightings, but they live all around the British coasts, as do Porpoise and whales (although some species are summer migrants).

seamusagleann · #3 (**permalink**) 05-06-2008, 10:13 PM

on my tick list this summer!!!, friends of mine stay in nairn so a trip to chanory point is on the cards . hope to see big bill too on my visit .

Rob_D · #4 (**permalink**) 06-06-2008, 08:40 AM

Moray First looked a great spot for dolphins didn't it?

Sea Watch Foundation Sea Watch Foundation - Sightings has a list of recent sightings by region. Might help to find spots elsewhere.

I was lucky enough to see 50+ Common Dolphin off Prawle point in S Devon a couple of weeks ago, but needed a good telescope as they were always distant. They were accompanied by hundreds of diving gannets which I saw first. So watch out for large numbers of seabirds.

kielder · #5 (**permalink**) 06-06-2008, 10:59 AM

That website is great!, thanks for that Rob, and everyone else for their contribution!

Ann2 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-06-2008, 12:24 PM

Chanonry Point (Moray Firth) is a great place to see dolphins and another good place to see them is Cardigan Bay, West Wales. (Mwnt and New Quay are two of the easiest places in the Cardigan Bay area to see dolphins without taking a boat trip.)

Ann

rlchew · #7 (**permalink**) 07-06-2008, 09:48 PM

I have been to Chanonry Point (Moray Firth) on many occasions and always seen Bottle Nose Dolphins there.

I was there on Springwatch day .... no Dolphins during my visit but I did see Simon King

.

I also saw 2 or 3 Bottle Nose Dolphins off Skomer Island in west Wales a few weeks ago.

Richard

TORTUGA · #8 (**permalink**) 11-06-2008, 04:10 PM

If you are ever looking for Dolphins or Porpoise, always look for seabirds. If you can spot a bunch of sea gulls etc out at sea it can be an indicator of Dolphins.

West Wales is very good for spotting both, they also get the occassional Orca in around Skomer during the Seal breeding season.

kielder · #9 (**permalink**) 11-06-2008, 06:25 PM

Thankyou, I would love to go and do a Dolphin watch somewhere, just want to be sure there are likely going to be some.

sarahbest · #10 (**permalink**) 21-06-2008, 10:31 PM

I saw Common Dolphins two years ago on a boat trip from Saint David's in Wales. I've also seen bottlenose dolphins from the South West coast path in Weymouth! Seeing them from land was amazing! There are quite a few places to see them really.

aeshna5 · #11 (**permalink**) 22-06-2008, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kielder

I was just watching Springwatch tonight, and Simon said they are many Common Dolphin | Wild About Britain in the Moray Firth, and it is probably the best in the world too! I was just wondering if anyone else has seen any, or knows of locations in the UK where they are?

The dolphins in the Moray Firth are Bottle-nosed not Common Dolphins + those are the ones I saw Simon filming close in on Springwatch. Common Dolphins tend to hunt further out around the coast, though are seen from headlands too.