SPECIES TO LOOK OUT FOR

Bottlenose dolphin

This is the archetypal dolphin ( pictured below and right), which can reach close to 4m in length with blue-grey coloration, a distinct beak and a prominent hooked (or falcate) dorsal fin. The bottlenose is a sociable cetacean that is mostly a coastal species around the UK. It adores bow-riding, lobtailing and breaching.

Short-beaked common dolphin

Only occasionally reaching beyond a couple of metres in length, this diminutive dolphin has an hourglass pattern, intermingling with a yellowish patch along its flanks and a white underside.

Often encountered in large pods, these entertaining dolphins are acrobatic, energetic and fast-swimming.

Harbour porpoise

The only porpoise in British waters, this petite species rarely shows more than a brief glimpse of its dark back and a low triangular dorsal fin before slipping back below the surface in a characteristic slowrolling motion. Never seemingly in a hurry, these introverted porpoises frequently keep their distance from boats.

Minke whale

Reaching a maximum length of around 9m, the minke is the smallest and most abundant of the baleen whales. Slim with a pointed snout, a white band across its flippers and an indistinct blow when surfacing, minkes often keep their distance and are usually seen alone off Britain’s coastline.

Basking shark

This is the second biggest fish in the sea after the whale shark. These gentle giants have a pointed snout, crescent-moon shaped tail and can grow up to 11m in length. Often the first sign of their presence is both dorsal fin and upper lobe of the caudal fin breaking the surface. The slowmoving creatures are passive filter feeders that survive on plankton.