Record sightings of whales, dolphins and seals in UK, says Wildlife Trusts

More than 800 sightings of whales, dolphins and seals have been recorded in British waters this year.

One project saw 320 whales, dolphins and porpoises spotted off the Yorkshire coast, conservationists said.

And 483 grey seals including seven pups were recorded in Cumbria, a 34% rise from last year.

The Wildlife Trusts said there had been "a sea-change in people's attitudes" but UK waters were still at risk from invasive species and plastic rubbish.

The organisation is a combination of 46 individual wildlife trusts around the country, each of which are charities run by members and volunteers.

The Yorkshire project saw trained citizen scientists recording hundreds of individual sightings.

More grey seals have been reported than ever before at South Walney nature reserve in Cumbria - with 483 seals including seven pups, up from 360 the previous year

Photographs captured a pod of bottlenose dolphins travelling from Scotland to Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire, the furthest south they had been officially identified.

Bex Lynam, North Sea Wildlife Trusts' marine advocacy officer, said: "It's likely the bottlenose dolphins came south following shoals of fish; it's thrilling to see playful dolphins and ocean giants like whales.

"Ten years ago, seeing a bottlenose dolphin off the Yorkshire coast would have been rare.

"We need to collect more data about how and why they are using these waters if we are to better protect them."

Researchers also logged minke whales feeding off Staithes, in North Yorkshire.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust said it had reported more grey seals at South Walney nature reserve than ever before. Last year it had recorded 360.

A seal was also discovered commuting between the Isle of Man and Cornwall, revealing for the first time how far seals would travel for food and a place to have pups.

Plastic rubbish is mistaken for food by marine wildlife and is a danger to animals, the Wildlife Trusts says

Photographs sent by the Manx Wildlife Trust to the Cornwall Seal Group revealed the animal, nicknamed Tulip Belle, has been a regular visitor to the South West since 2001, returning to the Calf of Man to have pups every couple of years.

Joan Edwards, The Wildlife Trusts' director of living seas, said "more people than ever" were volunteering to help the coast, amid growing concern over wildlife, climate change and pollution.

But the trusts said wildlife was "increasingly being disturbed by people" including people on personal watercraft frightening dolphins and kayakers scaring seals.

(Source: BBC)

Dr Doolittle of the ocean

Dr Sharon Doake from County Down has anything but your regular nine to five job. She gets paid to listen to whales, writes Amy Stewart in BBC. Read on: 

The 33-year old from Gilford is, what some might say, the Doctor Dolittle of the ocean.

When ships look for oil, the equipment used can affect mammals' hearing and it's her job to prevent that.

While others may slog over a computer, she spends her time offshore, looking and listening for the sights and sounds of dolphins and whales.

Dr Doake is what is known as a marine mammal observer, or more dramatically, she's the Whale Listener.

And, as far as she knows she's the only person from Northern Ireland who does that job.

An Orca whale that Dr Doake photographed while at work

When large, survey ships search the seabed for oil, the equipment used creates sound.

This is necessary for finding oil but it can be noisy and can affect marine life that travels through or comes to feed in the area.

"Sound to them is like eyesight to us and if it's damaged it can be disastrous for them," Dr Doake says.

"It can physically damage them or it can just scare them off coming to the area which, if it's a feeding ground, is a problem.

Sharon Doake with the PAMS system she uses to hear whales
and other marine mammals

"Animals, like whales and dolphins are most affected but there's evidence and research that it may be worse for whales as the sounds they make are low pitched, like the sound created by the equipment.

"It's not bad to use this equipment but it's just that we need to mitigate any effect it can have," she adds.

Dr Doake finds the animals in two ways - by scanning the surface, usually for dolphins - and as whales spend less time at the surface, by using a water-based microphone known as Passive Acoustic Monitoring Systems (PAMS) which visualises the sound of their calls.

One of Dr Doake's favourite memories is the first time she spotted
a rarely seen blue whale, the largest animal on earth

Depending on where Dr Doake is working, she may have to shut down operations if she locates the large mammals.

"Asking a company to shut down operations is such a big judgement call, as every time you do it, it costs them a lot of money, so it's quite a big decision to make," she says.

Dr Doake comes across all species of whale and dolphins in her work although she says her first time seeing a blue whale in Australia is her favourite memory "because of the sheer size".

"With whales, in a way you don't want to see them, we want to be interfering as little as possible," she adds.

Sharon Doake pictured at work

Offshore sexism
Meanwhile, there are other challenges to a life at sea.

One of the more frustrating aspects, she says, is what she sees as the gender imbalance on rigs.

"I'm often the only woman or one of three women on a ship of, maybe, 50 men.

"You can get treated differently. It can be a very sexist environment and you do come across sexist attitudes.

Dr Doake sees dolphins regularly as they spend much more time
at the surface than whales

"I've been told not to help in the deployment of equipment and been told: 'You can't do that, you're a woman.'"

Dr Doake studied Zoology at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) and then undertook a PHD, which led her to a life off land.

It's not all whales and dolphins - she sees the odd turtle too

"I had originally wanted to be a vet but didn't get into the course," she recalled.

"It was a blessing in disguise because my job now is so unusual, varied and provides opportunities for me to travel.

"I've worked in all over the world including New Zealand, South America, and Australia."

She listens for creatures but also spends time on deck looking for them

She returned to the ocean last week for another six-week stint, closer to home this time, in the North Sea.

The dolphins and whales are in good hands.

Irma: Cuba airlifts dolphins to safety from deadly hurricane

Officials move mammals to aquarium in south of country before historic storm rips across north, says a report on the Independent. Read on:

Teams of rescue workers in Cuba airlifted a group of dolphins to safety from Hurricane Irma, hours before winds of up to 160mph struck the area.

The mammals were housed in an aquarium on the island of Cayo Guillermo, off the north central coast of the country, where theCategory 5 storm swept across the archipelago.

Officials removed the six sea creatures from the water and placed them on mats, then wrapped them in giant blue sheets to prepare them for the evacuation.

Workers carried the sea creatures to a waiting helicopter to be evacuated as Hurricane Irma threatened the area Agencia Cubana de Noticias/Facebook

Trainers then massaged the mammals’ head to minimise the distress caused, footage on a local news channel Mediodia showed.

Rescue workers then carried the dolphins on poles on their shoulders to a waiting helicopter - which flew the mammals to safety in the southern province of Cienfuegos.

The mammals during their transit (Agencia Cubana de Noticias/Facebook)

The dolphins were put in a swimming pool in a special aquarium where keepers said the habitat gave “similar conditions to their natural life”.

But Dolphinarium manager Gonzalo Carrero Escobar said: “If the weather situation does not allow us to keep them there, they will be displaced to the saltwater swimming pool of a hotel.”

Staff massage the dolphins' heads to reduce the distress they suffer during the evacuation (Agencia Cubana de Noticias/Facebook)

It came hours before Hurricane Irma ripped across the north of Cuba, with winds of up to 160 mph battering areas including Camaguey Archipelago.

Television footage showed huge waves crashing over sea walls and power lines downed as the deadly storm swept past. It is the latest episode in a trail of devastation that Irma has left after pummeling through the Caribbean, leaving 21 dead in its wake.

Millions fled from Florida in the past two days as the Category 5 storm is set to batter the southern coast of the state today.

The National Hurricane Centre has issued hurricane and storm surge warnings for the area, where officials ordered a mass evacuation from low-lying areas under threat from the violent winds.