Common Dolphin at Shoreham harbour

I have been following up several sightings of a dolphin/s reported at Shoreham Harbour on 30th December. One sighting mentions 2 dolphins which occurred outside of the harbour. Photographs show that the dolphin seen inside the harbour was a common dolphin.

© Mike Hobbs, Watchkeeper at Shoreham National Coastwatch.

All the other sightings are of a single dolphin inside the Harbour. So it might be possible that there were two dolphins and that only one of them entered the harbour. Sightings also suggest that the dolphin was around for longer than we originally thought on the 30th December and may have been around for a couple of days or more.

© Mike Hobbs, Watchkeeper at Shoreham National Coastwatch.

Comparing the picture of the Shoreham Dolphin with the Brighton dolphin back in 22nd September, (See earlier web entry) they are not the same dolphin; the dorsal fin is much more curved in the Brighton pictures. I am trying to track down any possible images of the dolphin that the Brighton Dolphin joined up with at Seaford back in 22nd Sept?

© Mike Hobbs, Watchkeeper at Shoreham National Coastwatch.


There is a small chance that this Shoreham dolphin is the one that the Brighton dolphin hooked up with, but this can only be confirmed if a photograph as taken of the Seaford dolphin that we could compare. These two dolphins have been spotted in east Sussex (Hastings area) since the original 22nd sighting - so they may still be around. It is unusual to see common dolphins, especially two dolphin together, so the chances are that they are the same animals but only photographs will prove this conclusively.

Reported sightings include those from the Shoreham National Coastwatch, based at the mouth of Shoreham Harbour who also provided the photographs for this entry, the Port Authority and Sea Watch Foundation

Grey Seal, Eastbourne Harbour

I received reports of a seal that had been seen and photographed at the Eastbourne Harbour. Most sightings have been common seals, but the photographs look like grey seals.

The head shape is definitely grey rather than common, but the colouration and lack of markings is unusual.

Possibly a juvenile as no size was indicated for the seal. There can be quite a difference and markings and patterns of both common and grey seals.

common seals

Common seals are still very active off Sussex in the winter months. A seals is still being observed from time to time between Eastbourne Harbour and Pevensey.

A common seal was also seen off Hove Beach on 26th October

Common dolphin sighting

A common dolphin was sighted very close to the shore on Saturday 22nd September at Brighton, between the Brighton Pier and the Brighton Marina.

Sunday it moved along the coast to Seaford, again in the shallow, feeding and playing with another common dolphin.

During a heavy storm later on Sunday they both disappeared and have since turned up at Eastbourne. This is a very interesting sighting, especially as common dolphins are usually found in the deeper waters off shore and even then not often along the Sussex Coast.

I was also called by BDMLR on the Friday re a porpoise in the outer Brighton Marina – I was at the hospital visiting my mum so only got a brief message they left my wife. Hope to find out more.

Sad death of marine conservationist

It is in great sadness that I report that the Australian marine conservation pioneer and renowned shark expert Ron Taylor has died at the age of 78. (9th September 2012)

Along with Jacques Cousteau, Ron and Valerie Taylor have pioneered ocean conservation and both were a great inspiration to me in my youth. I am sure between them they have inspired more people into marine science and conservation as well as raising awareness of the beauty and mystery of the underwater world.

They also brought to our attention the fragile balance of the underwater world and how humans are ever increasingly impacting on this marine habitats.

It was a great privilege to have Ron and Valerie Taylor provide the foreword and some of the narrative for a children's book on oceans I wrote a few years ago called 'Oceans' for a series called 'Voyages' (into) by Kingfisher publishers.

Ron and Valerie Taylor started in a series of nature documentary programmes for Anglian TV series 'Survival' shown in my youth. As with Cousteau, it was the passion that came across, as well as the subject matter, that made it fascinating to watch.

For more information about Ron Taylor, visit the link below

http://anmm.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/ron-and-valerie-taylor-and-their-quest-to-protect/

He will be greatly missed by many. Out thoughts go out to Valerie in this sad time.

Eastbourne Seal

I received a fascinating seal sighting from Ellie who was kayaking with her family off Seaford beach when a seal swam past about 10 feet from shore, it was heading towards Newhaven way. There were lots of people in the sea but the seal nether showed an interest in them or avoided them. It swam past about 2 feet from Ellie's kayak. The time was about 3.00pm.


She later found out from a friend that she had also seen a seal off Eastbourne Beach which was heading towards Seaford way. This seal was seen about 11.00am. This seal may be the same seal seen in Eastbourne harbour from time to time.

Pevensey seal sighting

A seal was observed today by the freshwater outlet at Pevensey Bay. This was a common seal and probably the one that has been visiting Eastbourne Harbour on and off this summer. The observer also provided an anecdotal sighting of a seal in the same location about a month ago.