The Green Blue - The Wildlife Trusts
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The Green Blue
Making the environment second nature
A joint BMF and RYA Initiative
Marine megafauna of the UK
wildlife, boating and the law
Central to our enjoyment of boating is our interaction with the Code of conduct Top tips for spotting
natural environment, taking in the scenery or catching a glimpse Whales, dolphins, porpoises and marine wildlife
sharks are highly intelligent animals • Calm, still days with high cloud
of the varied and wonderful marine wildlife that our rich waters and vessels can unintentionally are best.
provide. However, some of our actions as boaters can have a disturb, hit and injure them. If they • Circling and diving birds indicate
approach your boat or bow-ride, enjoy shoals of fish, these attract
detrimental effect on this wildlife, and it is important to the spectacle but maintain or reduce dolphins and porpoises.
recognise that we all have a responsibility to protect the UK’s to a slow speed and keep a constant
• Cliff tops, headlands and boats
course until they leave. Do not be
marine biodiversity now and for future generations. provide the best views.
tempted to follow them.
• Keep quiet! Being calm, still and
A recent change in legislation, (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Amended), The golden rule when watching quiet will allow you to view the most
cetaceans, or any other wildlife, is to be natural behaviour.
means that anyone can now be prosecuted for disturbing wildlife and ignorance of
aware of any changes in their behaviour
the law will not be deemed a suitable excuse. All types of craft have the potential to • Be especially aware that noise transmitted
which may signify disturbance and
through the hull and over water can travel long distances.
cause disturbance if handled without care, so it is vitally important that we know what to look always give them the space and time to
decide what happens. • Always keep a good distance away and use binoculars to get a better view.
out for and how to act when we encounter wildlife.
Please follow these guidelines:
Disturbance Reckless disturbance is harder to • who you are
define but it is generally assumed to (name/address/email/phone) At sea On shore
It is important to remember that DO NOT APPROACH MOVE AWAY APPROACH QUIETLY AND
be when a person knows (or should • how certain you are of the HEAD ON SLOWLY NO CLOSER THAN 100M
‘reckless’ disturbance is a legal term, EITHER ON LAND
know), that they may cause identification
any kind of disturbance can have a 100m 100m OR SEA
disturbance but they continue with • how many you saw
negative effect on wildlife, but reckless
their activity anyway. This deliberate
disturbance can land you with a heavy • what it/they were doing
disturbance can occur anywhere and LEAVE AFTER NO CLOSER
fine or even a prison sentence. Plus, any other details e.g. weather, 15MINS MAX THAN 100M
there are no geographical boundaries, AND AT FIRST
All types of craft have the potential to i.e. you can be prosecuted whether animal’s condition including marks SIGN OF APPROACH
or scars etc. DISTURBANCE SLOWLY FROM
cause disturbance if handled without the wildlife is within a protected area THE SIDE
care, so it is vitally important that we such as a SAC, a SSSI, a Marine If you would like to learn more,
know what to look out for and how to Conservation 2One (MC2), or a become a regular dolphin surveyor or
act when we encounter wildlife. Nature Reserve or not. have marine mammal records to give, BE AWARE OF
Disturbance simply means affecting please contact The Wildlife Trusts ANY SIGNS OF DISTURBANCE
the way in which wildlife would What to do if you see through www.wildlifetrust.org
normally behave and having a a marine animal? • Keep your distance. Never go • Spend no longer than 15 minutes For more information about Wildlife
detrimental effect on their breeding, Data Protection Act closer than 100m (200m if near the animals Safe (WiSe scheme) operation
ALL sightings are important, even the
feeding, resting and numbers; for All the information you provide will be another boat is present) • Avoid mothers with youngsters around animals, or to find an
LACK of a sighting is important to
example, a passing boat causing a logged and may be passed on to third • Never drive head on to, or move accredited operator to join on a
researchers. Please report all • Maintain a steady direction and
flock of resting seabirds to take flight; parties (e.g. Seawatch Foundation, between, scatter or separate slow ‘no wake’ speed watching trip go to
sightings as soon as you can online
engine noise interfering with the Marine Conservation Society) for animals. If unsure of their www.wisescheme.org
at www.wildlifetrusts.org with the • Don’t call other vessels to the area
acoustic communications of whales conservation and management movements simply stop your vessel.
following information: • Never swim with cetaceans for For more information about basking
and dolphins affecting the way they purposes, or displayed on websites for
• what you saw (photos, video or a • Never chase or harass wildilfe your safety and theirs. shark hotpots in Scotland download
hunt for prey. Speeding vessels educational purposes. Personal details
description are invaluable) • Always allow them a clear Cetaceans and basking sharks are the leaflet at www.snh.org.uk
causing bank erosion through (apart from names) will NOT be escape route protected by law making it illegal to
excessive wash can also lead to • where you saw it/them passed on without prior permission
disturbance of habitats. In effect, • Move away slowly if they show disturb or harass them.
• when you saw it/them being given by the individual. Please signs of disturbance such as longer Report all incidents to the Police
disturbance can be caused by noise, (include time) contact us if you have any objections dives or erratic behaviour (08452 777444).
wash or by just being too close. to this.
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Marine megafauna of the UK
Please report sightings as soon as you can online at www.wildlifetrusts.org
dolphins and whales To find out more about how to behave if you see wildlife while afloat go to www.thegreenblue.org.uk
White-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus
• 18 – 22m Minke whale Balaenoptera acuturostrata
• 2.5 - 2.8m • Exceptionally large size, pointed head, small dorsal fin far • 6.9 - 10.5m
Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus • Tall dorsal fin with pale ‘saddle’ behind, indistinct beak along the back (behind centre) • Pointed head, white band on flippers, dorsal
• 2.2 - 4m fin two thirds along back
• Large, stocky, plain grey colouring
Common dolphin Delphinus delphis
Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba • 1.6 - 2.6m
Long-finned pilot whale Globicephala melas
• 1.8 - 2.5m • Slender, torpedo shape & ‘hourglass’ pattern • 3.8 - 6.3m
• Slender, torpedo shape with pale ‘V’ shoulder blaze Risso’s dolphin Grampus griseus • All black body, bulbous head & low, wide dorsal fin
• 2.6 - 3.8m
• Tall dorsal fin, scarred body, no beak Orca (killer whale) Orcinus orca
• 3.8 - 9.8m
• Large size, tall dorsal fin, distinct black & white colouring
Bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
• Large, stocky (adult 2.2 - 4m)
• Tall, curved dorsal fin
• Short, stubby beak Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena Atlantic white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus acutus
• Plain grey colouration, with • 1.3 - 1.9m • 1.9 - 2.8m
possible muted colour pattern • Yellow patch near tail, indistinct beak Basking shark
• Small, no beak, triangular dorsal fin
• Often jumps or breaches and bow rides Humpback Megaptera novaengliae Cetorhinus maximus
• Usually in small groups close to shore • 11.5 – 15m • Up to 11m long
but can be seen in larger groups offshore • Low stubby fin with hump, large knobbly flippers • Large dorsal fin, snout and mouth. Snout
Harbour porpoise and large tail flukes , dorsal and tail fin often seen at same
White-beaked dolphin Phocoena phocoena Orca (killer whale) time on surface
Lagenorhynchus albirostris • Small size (adult 1.3 - 1.9m) but chunky Orcinus orca
• Medium-sized, robust body Risso’s dolphin • Small, blunt and triangular dorsal fin • Largest member of the dolphin family,
(adult 2.5 - 2.8m) Grampus griseus • Blunt head, no beak Fin whale extremely robust body (adult 3.8 - 9.8m)
• Tall, dark dorsal fin • Large, robust (adult 2.6 - 3.8m) • Dark grey/black back, paler patch on flanks Balaenoptera physalus • Very tall, erect dorsal fin, more prominent in Humpback
• Short, stubby beak, often white but not always • Tall (sometimes very tall) curved dorsal fin • Quietly rolls through water, rarely jumps • Second largest animal on earth adult male (1-1.8m tall). Female and juvenile’s Megaptera novaengliae
• Obvious pale grey ‘saddle’ behind dorsal fin, • Rounded head, no beak • Often alone or in small groups (adult 18 – 22m) dorsal fin is smaller and curved • Large rounded body (adult 11.5 – 15m)
otherwise body is variable dark grey with greyish • Dark grey back and flanks, often heavily scarred, • Most common cetacean in our inshore waters. • Small, falcate dorsal fin far behind centre on • Conical head with indistinct beak • Black or dark grey on upper side
white blazes especially the head. Older animals look almost Very shy the back • Distinctive black and white body, oval white • Low, stubby fin with hump, far behind centre
• Thick tail stock white • Only porpoise found in northern hemisphere, • Slender, pointed head with single central ridge patch above and behind eye, grey saddle behind • Can easily be distinguished from large tail fluke
• Powerful swimmer. Active and acrobatic • Surfaces slowly but can be active (spy-hopping, not a dolphin • Asymmetrical colouring on lower jaw dorsal fin and long knobbly flippers
• Usually travels in groups of 5 to 50 breaching and head/tail slapping) (grey on the left, white on the right) • Large rounded, paddle-shaped flippers • One of the most energetic of large whales
Atlantic white-sided dolphin
• Can be confused with: Atlantic white-sided • Usually seen in groups of up to 15 • Fast swimmer. Fin visible soon after blow • Fastest dolphin (30knots). Highly active, • Large groups can be observed, but most likely to
Lagenorhynchus acutus
dolphin • Can be confused with: bottlenose dolphin • More commonly seen in small groups breaching, tail-slapping, spy-hopping and logging be found solitary in the UK
• Medium-sized dolphin, robust body
Striped dolphin Common dolphin (adult 1.9 - 2.8m) Minke whale • Usually seen in tight family groups of 2-30 Basking shark
Stenella coeruleoalba Delphinus delphis • Tall, curved dorsal fin Balaenoptera acuturostrata Long-finned pilot whale Cetorhinus maximus
• Small, slender, torpedo-shaped • Small, slender, torpedo-shaped (adult 1.6 - 2.6m) • Short, stubby beak, black on top, pale • Smallest baleen whale in Atlantic Globicephala melas • Second largest fish in world (adult to 11m)
(adult 1.8 - 2.5m) • Curved, dark dorsal fin, often has pale grey grey/white lower jaw (adult 6.9 - 10.5m) • All-black, large (adult 3.8 - 6.3m) • Large, angular dorsal fin
• Curved, dorsal fin centre • Body has colourful, bold markings. • Sickle-shaped dorsal fin two thirds along back • Low, rounded, swept-back and wide-based • Pointed snout over cavernous mouth
• Long, well-defined beak, prominent forehead • Long, narrow beak Entire dorsal surface • Slender, pointed head with single dorsal fin (white inside)
• White/light grey V-shape ‘shoulder blaze’, swept • Clotted cream or yellow patch on sides near head is dark grey or black. Long white then central ridge • Bulbous, rounded forehead (melon), • Swims slowly at surface, feeding
back and up toward dorsal fin forms part of distinct hourglass pattern, creating yellow/ochre blaze on flank • Distinct white band on flippers, dark grey/black no obvious beak • Often see snout, dorsal and tail fin together on
• Very active and agile, often jumping and dark V-shape under dorsal fin • Thick tail stock head and body with grey areas on flanks • Long, thin flippers surface
bowriding •• Very active and agile, often • Active and acrobatic • Fast swimmer. Blowhole and dorsal fin visible at • Light grey streaks over eyebrow and saddle behind • Seen most often in summer
• Sometimes travels in large groups of up jumping/somersaulting • Can travel in groups of up to 1,000 but generally same time when surfacing dorsal fin Other cetacean species recorded in our waters,
to 1,000 • Sometimes travels in large groups of 50-1,000 in smaller groups of up to 30 closer inshore • Usually solitary • Slow swimming. Groups can be synchronised. as either sightings or dead strandings, include:
• Rare visitor from southern waters • Can be confused with: striped dolphin and • Can be confused with: common and • Can be confused with: other baleen whales Often floats on surface (logging) and spy-hops Sowerby’s beaked whale, northern bottlenose whale,
• Can be confused with: common dolphin Atlantic white-sided dolphin white-beaked dolphins (bigger, no white patch on flippers) • Seen in family groups of 5-20, can be spread out Cuvier’s beaked whale, and pygmy sperm whale.
Illustrations not to scale. All images copyright of Martin Camm/www.wildlifeartcompany.com Illustrations not to scale. All images copyright of Martin Camm/www.wildlifeartcompany.com
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Marine megafauna of the UK
Please report sightings as soon as you can online at www.wildlifetrusts.org
seals, summer visitors and jellyfish To find out more about how to behave if you see wildlife while afloat go to www.thegreenblue.org.uk
Moon jellyfish
Aurelia aurita
• Up to 40cm across.
• Four rings in bell, short tentacles. Lion’s mane jellyfish
• Mild sting. Cyanea capillata
• DO NOT TOUCH • Up to 2.5 m across; trailing tentacles can
reach in excess of 30m.
Grey seal • Bell divided into 8 lobes; younger individuals
Halichoerus grypus usually orange or tan in colour.
• 2.1 - 3.3m • Strong sting.
• Flat profile, male even has hooked nose, nostrils parallel, blotchy coat • DO NOT TOUCH.
Dustbin lid, barrel Portuguese man-of-war
or root mouth jellyfish Physalia physalis
Rhizostoma octopus • Float is up to 30cm long.
• Up to 1m across • Gas-filled float, very long
Common or harbour seal trailing tentacles
Phoca vitulina • Solid, rubbery bell and thick,
frilled arms • Strong sting
• 1.2 - 1.9m • DO NOT TOUCH
• ‘Dog-like’ face, V-shaped nostrils (joined at base) and spotty coat
Sunfish
Mola mola
• Up to 3.3m in length
• Represent a fish head with a tail, with a
laterally flattened body Blue jellyfish
Cyanea lamarckii
Mauve stinger • Up to 30cm across
Pelagia noctiluca • Blue bell with radial lines
• Up to 10cm across • Mild sting
Grey seal Halichoerus grypus • Deep bell with small ‘warts’, glows at night • DO NOT TOUCH
• Large seal (adult 2.1 - 3.3m) • Strong sting
• Head has flat profile i.e. straight line from top of • DO NOT TOUCH
head to nose. In male exaggerated to give a
hooked or ‘Roman nose’
• Variable grey coat is covered in thick blotches,
unique to each animal. Male usually dark with
lighter blotches and female light with dark
blotches.
• Nostrils parallel to one another, not always
obvious Leatherback turtle
• Usually seen in rocky areas, but also in estuaries Dermochelys coriacea Compass jellyfish
and bays • Up to 3m long Chrysaora hysoscella
• Breeds on beaches, pups are white • Ridged soft shell, black with white spots • Up to 30cm across
By-the-wind-sailor • V-shaped markings on bell
Common or harbour seal Velella velella look like compass points.
Phoca vitulina Sunfish • Up to 10cm across • Stings
• Smaller seal (adult 1.2 - 1.9m) Mola mola • Upright ‘sail’, blue-purple colour, • DO NOT TOUCH
• Muzzle short and concave. Face has dog-like • Large unusual looking fish (adult 3.3m) Leatherback turtle occurs in vast swarms
appearance • Fish head with a tail Dermochelys coriacea
• Coat has mottled pattern of spots, varies in • The side fins are small and fan-shaped. However, • Largest turtle in world (adult to 3m)
colour from light grey to dark brown the top and bottom fin are lengthened, often • Distinctive, soft shell with longitudinal ridges
• Nostrils joined at base in ‘V’ shape making the fish as tall as it is long • Black with white spots
• Frequents sandbanks in estuaries but also • Range from brown to silvery-gray or white, with a • When at surface only back and sometimes
occurs on rocky coasts variety of mottled skin patterns head visible
Illustrations not to scale. All images copyright of Martin Camm/www.wildlifeartcompany.com Illustrations not to scale. All images copyright of Martin Camm/www.wildlifeartcompany.com
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The Green Blue The Wildlife Trusts The Green Blue is the joint There are 47 Wildlife Trusts across environment programme created by the whole of the UK, the Isle of Man the British Marine Federation and and Alderney. Together, we are the Royal Yachting Association for UK’s largest voluntary organisation anyone who enjoys getting out on dedicated to protecting wildlife and the water or whose livelihood wild places whether they be in the depends on it. We help boat users, country, in cities or at sea. We are boating businesses, sailing clubs supported by more than 800,000 and training centres to reduce their members, with more than 50,000 impact on the natural environment. belonging to our junior branch, By working towards an Wildlife Watch. environmentally self regulating Our expert staff are helped by a boating community we can save formidable workforce of more than money, avoid red tape and safeguard 35,000 volunteers. the waters and habitats we enjoy For more information or to join your and rely upon for future generations. local wildlife trust, go to The Green Blue promotes www.wildlifetrusts.org sustainable management and development of coastal and inland waterways by: • Providing information and raising awareness through publications, events and site visits. • Conducting research on key topics. • Encouraging new environmentally friendly products and services relevant to boaters. For more information visit our website www.thegreenblue.org.uk The Green Blue A joint BMF & RYA Initiative supported by RYA House, Ensign Way Hamble, Southampton SO31 4YA Tel: 023 8060 4100 Fax: 023 8060 4294 info@thegreenblue.org.uk www.thegreenblue.org.uk © Copyright The Green Blue 2010 The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts Registered Charity No. 207238
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