Sea Watch Volunteers with common dolphins
Sea Watch Volunteers with common dolphins

Sea Watch Foundation has several bases around the coasts of the British Isles, but its head office is on Anglesey in North Wales.

What excites the group about recording wildlife and what motivates them to get involved?

“Marine mammals are considered highly vulnerable to the effects of human disturbance, fisheries conflicts, underwater noise and pollution. Without the help of volunteers across the UK, we could lose these much-loved species which act as vital indicators of ecosystem health. Sea Watch Foundation have been monitoring these animals since our inception in the early 1990s, collecting data which are crucial to the protection of these species. We have been collecting data for sixty years and have the largest database of its kind (>330,000 records) in Europe.  Long-term datasets are invaluable for understanding species presence around our coasts and any future changes in their abundance, distribution and movements, alerting us to any negative trends and threats. Therefore, it is imperative that we continue to collect vital data into the future and expand our sightings database.”

You can find out more about Sea Watch Foundation on:

Instagram: @seawatchfoundation

Facebook: @Sea Watch Foundation

BlueSky: @seawatchfoundation.bsky.social

TikTok: @seawatchfoundation