A COUNTRY park and a wildlife trust have called for volunteers to spot dolphins off the Dorset coast.
Durlston Country Park and Dorset Wildlife Trust are looking for Durlston marine watchers to record typical dolphin observed behaviour, while the trust places an ‘intelligent cetacean recorder’ off the coast of the park.
The device, which will be in place until the end of June, will record the acoustics of passing aquatic mammals, or cetaceans, including porpoises, dolphins and toothed whales.
The echolocation sounds it will capture could include searching and hunting for prey, navigating, social interaction or even defensive or territorial behaviour.
The park and the trust would like marine watchers to record dolphin behaviour during the time when the device is in place, including breeching, tail slapping, and leaping.
The information collected, when paired with the echolocation recordings, will help to give an understanding of what mammals are doing off the Durlston coast.
Training can be provided and volunteers would ideally have their own binoculars, or a camera with a zoom lens.
Observations would be made while patrolling, or while stationed at Durlston Castle, along the coast path or in the dolphin watch shelter.
While seeing dolphins is not guaranteed, there will be opportunity to watch sea birds, including peregrine falcons.
If you are interested in becoming a Durlston marine watcher, email: durlston@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.
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