Bottle-nosed Dolphin in Essex

[Captain Kev]

Crikey it’s a Pod of BDMLR members, Thanks for your input guys

A question: Lots of Dolphins/Porpoises seem to live quite happily in harbours around the world, I’ve seen them myself in Florida happily swimming along with the fishing boats and generally flourishing within the busy day to day movements of a busy fishing port, do you think it is possible that Dolphins can get used to boat traffic, learn how to avoid the dangers and somehow pass this on to their young?. Maybe even learn to decipher the boat noise from their echo-location so as not to get confused?

If this is so, presumably our own Dolphins in time may get used to this environment as well, and with what seems like an increase of Cetacean movements around our shores perhaps we can look forward to more frequent interactions with these brilliant creatures.

If there’s enough food for them within the estuaries and harbours, do you think this is a realistic possibility?

[faye]

Lots of Dolphins/Porpoises seem to live quite happily in harbours around the world, I’ve seen them myself in Florida happily swimming along with the fishing boats and generally flourishing within the busy day to day movements of a busy fishing port, do you think it is possible that Dolphins can get used to boat traffic, learn how to avoid the dangers and somehow pass this on to their young?. Maybe even learn to decipher the boat noise from their echo-location so as not to get confused?

You're right Captain Kev. Cetaceans do live around coastlines all over the world and live there quite happily Bottlenose dolphins and Porpoises are coastal species and it'd be great to see more of them coming back to our shores.

If this is so, presumably our own Dolphins in time may get used to this environment as well, and with what seems like an increase of Cetacean movements around our shores perhaps we can look forward to more frequent interactions with these brilliant creatures.

Yes hopefully dolphins will get used to their new busy environemt. Unfortunately the problem tends to be humans not being able to get used to the Dolphins presence and continually harrassing the animal.

If there’s enough food for them within the estuaries and harbours, do you think this is a realistic possibility?

There seems to be plenty of food in our estuaries

[eeyore]

Totaly different question - Faye , or others in the bdlmr pod did you see the news in the papers a few days ago about a dead whale washing up in latvia (minkie I think but not sure), the newsies thought that it was pretty unusual but i thought the baltic was jammed with such things , and I just wondered what your take on it was ?

[Snowgoose]

I was out on a boat in the Moray Firth last week and felt very priveleged to have seen what appeared to be dozens on Dolphins and a couple with tiny babies. They were a delight to watch an appeared to be putting on a show for us. They came by the boat and jumped along side.
The largest number were seen between Channory Point (the best land point for viewing the Dolphins) and Fort George.
In the same area there is a good sized colony of Seals living on a sand bank alongside the shore and their curiosity brought them close to the boat to check us out.
Minky Whales have also been sighted in the Firth very recently it is a real pleasure to have so much happening in our local waters.

[Willow]

Hi Snowgoose! Wow! What a truly magical experience that must have been! I've promised myself, and my daughter, that one day we'll visit the Moray Firth...and I'm itching all the more to go now! I wonder if Sundance (my daughter's "adopted" dolphin) was amongst the ones you saw... How lucky you are to have all that beautiful sealife on your doorstep, so to speak! Do let us know if you see them again...Have you heard any more news about the Minke whale sightings?

A very warm welcome to WAB by the way...

Willow

[faye]

did you see the news in the papers a few days ago about a dead whale washing up in latvia (minkie I think but not sure), the newsies thought that it was pretty unusual but i thought the baltic was jammed with such things , and I just wondered what your take on it was ?

Hi eeyore,

I didn't see the news article but I kinda think the same as you.... Maybe it was just unusual for the whale to strand?? Perhaps the ocean there is so big that the majority of sick or dying animals don't make it to land and die at sea?

Chas still doing well although alot of jetskiers getting very close to him. I completely understand why they want to get so close to him but it's proving hard to get across to them that Chas is a protected species. If this was a protected species of bird would controls over geting so close not be more enforced?

[mim]

Originally Posted by eeyore

Totaly different question - Faye , or others in the bdlmr pod did you see the news in the papers a few days ago about a dead whale washing up in latvia (minkie I think but not sure), the newsies thought that it was pretty unusual but i thought the baltic was jammed with such things , and I just wondered what your take on it was ?

Hi eeyore, apparently it was a Humpback Whale, and according to Latvia's Nature Musuem the last whale that was seen on Latvia's coast was a Fin Whale 30 years ago. Hope this helps. From one of the BDMLR pod

[rlchew]

Did anyone see "Working the Sea" on BBC 1 tonight at 7.30 p.m.?

Although the programme was primarily about the fishing boats working the Thames Estuary from Leigh-on-Sea, it did have some very good film of Chas in Holehaven Creek off Canvey Island. A very lively and energetic Bottle-nosed Dolphin!

Richard

[eeyore]

jhas anyone got any pics of chas they would like to upload ?

[bendog]

Yes, I saw him on the TV show, he definitely looks happy there.