Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch (MWDW) has been at the forefront of marine mammal science on the Isle of Man since 2006.
We work voluntarily year round to ensure the safeguarding of whales, dolphins, and porpoises (cetaceans) in Manx territorial waters through non-invasive research and public awareness efforts.
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This weekend would have seen the arrival of our 2020 Dolphineers who were due to be with us for 6 months. We are very sorry that Tom, Freya, Amy and Simone are no longer able to join us, and we sincerely hope to work with you in the near future. As this year marks 10 years of working alongside Dolphineers, we wanted to take the time to thank each and every one of you for all your hard-work and dedication over the past decade. It has been a pleasure to work with all of you. Here are some photo's starting with 2010. I simply couldn't find pics of everybody, so if any of our ex-dolphineers would like to comment with any photo's please do.
Please also take the time to read though our Diary of a Dolphineer (link in comments) which begun in 2014. It makes for interesting, if not, entertaining reading.
🌊 When you can't go to the sea, we bring the sea to you! Did you know over our 14 years of study we have actually had a few sightings of humpback whales right here in Manx waters!
🐋 In 1967, American biologist Roger Payne began listening to the sounds of the humpback whale and discovered they sing beautiful songs with repeating phrases.
📀 In 1970, Roger and colleagues recorded these songs and released a vinyl bringing attention to the whales and the intense hunting pressure they were facing.
💚 This most popular natural history recording of all time launched the 'Save the Whale' movement and arguably the conservation movement itself. In many ways those of us studying cetaceans today have Roger Payne to thank for sparking the world's interest 40 years ago.
🎞 Watch here a short BBC clip of Dr Payne talking about those early days of studying cetaceans *CAUTION: contains old whale hunting footage.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-42267618/when-the-world-sang-with-whales
🎧 Listen here and unwind to 35 minutes of the beautiful 'Songs of the Humpback Whale' drive.google.com/file/d/1gCJyhcLxfuGCRGEAboHMZTts-giEeSs0/view?fbclid=IwAR2Zaa35qv3yy9Avpyd2KfNdP...
#closertonature
Recent sightings in Manx waters
| Date | Time | Species | Total | Duration | Location | Observer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19/03/2020 | 15:30 | Harbour Porpoise | 2 | 5 |
Fort island |
Liz Charter |
| 18/03/2020 | 17:15 | Risso’s Dolphin | 10 | 20 |
The Arches, Marine drive |
Brian Liggins |
| 18/03/2020 | 17:00 | Risso’s Dolphin | 7 | 15 |
The Burroo, south of the Calf of Man |
Aron Sapsford (Calf wardern) |
| 18/03/2020 | 10:45 | Harbour Porpoise | 3 | 15 |
South of the Calf Sound |
Sue Whittaker |
| 14/03/2020 | 16:30 | Bottlenose Dolphin | 2 | 15 |
Port Erin bay |
Beth Amy |
| 13/03/2020 | 11:30 | Risso’s Dolphin | 5 | 30 |
The Arches, Marine drive |
Mike Kelly, Brian Liggins |
Diary of a Dolphineer
Online blog written by our summer interns each year
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