We are very fortunate to have cetaceans visiting us in Torbay. Most people either  miss seeing them or are surprised that they frequent our cold waters. At  talks I give, I’m told by people that Dolphins only use warm waters, so why are they in the Bay

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Lets first introduce you to the species that could be seen in the Bay or just off Berry Head or Hopes Nose.

• Bottle- nosed Dolphin.

• Common Dolphin.

• Risso’s Dolphin.

• Harbour Porpoise.

The Bottled – nosed Dolphin (Tursiops truncalus) approx 2.5-3.0 metres in length and weights 200- 275 kg.  This cetacean is the one we are most likely to see from the cliffs and shore. The body coloration is grey turning to paler grey on the flanks. The dorsal fin is centrally placed and large curved ( symater shape).It also has a short stubby beak. We see them in numbers of 3 – 12 individuals and often performing acrobatics. Some experts are saying there are two types, near shore and off shore. Later in this article I will explain how we can help the experts in there work.

Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis.) approx 1.7 – 2.5 m in length. It has a low tapering forehead to a long slender beak, and a pale figure –of – eight patterns on its flanks. The dorsal fin is centrally placed, slender and sickle-shaped. Very animated, often breaches and bow rides. The largest numbers seen was two weeks before Christmas from Sharkham Point, 50 – 70 in number.

Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus) approx 2.6 – 3.8m in length, weighing about 500kg. A very robust looking individual with many distinctive scars and scratches, caused by other Risso Dolphins, dark grey to pale grey in colour and older ones nearly white. Risso’s have been seen coming towards Berry Head at a leisurely pace on the surface.

Harbour Porpoise ( Phocoena phocoena ) approx 1.5 – 1.7m in length, weighing 50 – 60 kg. This is one of our smallest cetaceans in our European waters, it has a small rounded head and no beak, the body is dark grey with a white underside. The dorsal fin is small and triangular shaped. Again most often seen in the Berry Head area.

Unfortunately cetaceans are under pressure, one of the most well publicised one at the moment is the slaughter of cetaceans by pair trawling.

This process of fishing is conducted in mid channel, two boats sling a net between them and trawl for large shoals of bass. The dolphins are also chasing the bass and feeding on them and they become trapped in the nets and drown. The majority of dolphins that drown are common dolphins. The bodies are discarded and washed up on our coastline, but how many more do not get washed up.

New cod restriction have now just come into place and hence further problems could well occur i.e more fishing boats turning to pair trawling for bass.

The Government are testing dolphin friendly nets with escape hatches, but teething problems have been experienced and also when they did the trials their were no dolphins about!!!  Many organisations are fighting the issue to ban or find a solution, one lady in particular has spent many years and energy in trying to find a solution and this is Lindy Hingley of Brixham Seawatch, a very committed lady.

The boats come from many countries, it’s an international problem

And therefore solved internationally. These conservation organisations need your support to canvas governments.

Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust carry out work in the near coast waters to help understand cetacean movement in the Bays waters and surrounding waters.

The Dolphin & Marine Awareness Project was the first stage in helping us inform people of the need to conserve these cetaceans, but also to compile data to help others form the larger picture. A code of conduct was produced, helping boat users to understand how to behave when dolphins visit the bay. More information has to be collected, how many dolphins visit us, are they the same ones that visit Lands End, how frequently do they use this area, and many more questions.

So how do we go about collecting this information?

Firstly to acknowledge that we need your help.

• Set up a sightings network.

• Systematic watches from a particular headland.

• Photo fin ID.

• Sea users to send in all sightings (yachts, sailors).

• POD underwater recording of dolphin movement. 

Many areas are covered by other organisation i.e. dead and alive strandings, but the offer of our support is important.

During the year we will be carrying out a course on cetacean sightings and recording and from that helping people to feel confident in becoming observers, the information collecting will be passed on to organisations carrying out the research work.

We hope to talk with other organisations up and down the coast to set up a network, letting each other know when cetaceans are passing through our area and which direction they are going and possible ID by fin photo who they are.

A new pilot project has been set up by WWF-UK, English Nature, The Wildlife Trusts and Marine Environmental Research Consultants called WISE, a training and accreditation scheme for marine ecotourism operators. The scheme will assist potential operators to operate in a low impact, sustainable manner. The benefits of marine ecotourism, education of the public, protection of species concerned by training and accreditation of people on the water with data collection and understanding the need to conserve megafauna, are but a few.

If you are interested, contact us and discuss how you can help by visiting the Seashore Centre at Goodrington or phone us on 01803 528841.