Fancy a quirky adventure this summer? Or maybe an escape for some peace and quiet from the frenzy of city life all while supporting conservation efforts? Then you might just like this…
Picture this – setting sail from Brighton Marina, leaving everything behind except the anticipation of possibly spotting a dolphin in the open seas (though we have to admit, sightings are rare), with just a gentle breeze for company. If that sounds like a bit of you, you’re in luck as this experience is currently being offered by the Sussex Dolphin Project (SDP), an independent organisation dedicated to crucial marine mammal research here in Brighton.
Shockingly, we used to have the least-researched dolphin population in Europe here, but Sussex Dolphin Project, formerly known as Brighton Dolphin Project, are on a mission to improve research in this area. They’re collecting data and raising awareness of the marine mammals, such as dolphins and porpoises, that are right on our doorstep.
We were lucky enough to take a trip on one of SDP’s sunset wildlife cruises. This relaxed one-hour boat trip gives you the chance to learn about local marine wildlife, all while cruising along the seafront. When we went out we were blessed with a flat sea, a beautiful sunset and a fair few seabirds. Billy, the guide on our trip, was both informative and entertaining – our fave fact of the night was that bottlenose dolphins can grow up to a whopping four metres in length! Although, sadly, we didn’t see any that evening.
We also took the opportunity to have a chat with Thea Taylor, managing director of the project, to find out more about the charismatic marine mammals you can find in our local waters.
In recent years, reports of dolphin sightings in Sussex have surged, and here at BOTI we are curious to know why this is?
“We’ve seen an increase in sightings year-on-year,” explained Thea. “However, whether this indicates more dolphins being in the area, or simply greater public awareness, we don’t know yet. A big part of our work is raising awareness of the marine life we have here and encouraging people to report their sightings to us. As a result, we would naturally expect sightings to grow. Further research is needed to understand where the balance is between dolphin numbers and reported sightings,” she added.
One fascinating aspect of the organisation’s work is researching what is suspected to be England’s only resident bottlenose dolphin pod. And we want to know – how often do they visit Brighton?
“Initial evidence suggests that the population travels as far as Beachy Head, west of Eastbourne,” said Thea. “We are working hard to get good photo identification images to be able to accurately log this population, but as they are highly mobile animals, they do not make our job easy!”
For those eager to spot dolphins in their natural habitat, timing is crucial. So, we thought it was worth asking an expert what everyone wants to know – what time of year are you most likely to spot a dolphin in Sussex?
“Bold and playful bottlenose dolphins [the dolphins in the pictures in this articles] and their shyer, more elusive relatives – harbour porpoises – can be seen year-round in Sussex. While common dolphins and white-beaked dolphins are seen less frequently.
“The peak sighting season spans from May to September, as this is when dolphins tend to come closer to shore. You’re most likely to see a dolphin from land in late August to early September. During this period, prey species are drawn closer to the shore, attracting dolphins to hunt closer to the beach, Thea told BOTI.
Fancy a trip with the team? The Sussex Dolphin Project run weekly educational sightseeing trips from May to September. These are far more than just a leisurely day out – they offer a great way to support the organisation’s work and their marine mammal conservation efforts.
BOTI tip: And for those without sea legs – they also offer land-watch training sessions – so keep an eye on their website for new dates dropping.
We also quizzed Thea on whether the Sussex Dolphin Project had any other exciting research they can share with us…
“We research dolphins in a number of ways including citizen science and using underwater passive acoustic monitoring devices called F-Pods. This technology allows us to monitor dolphins and porpoises 24/7 by picking up on their echo-location clicks. We currently receive data from four F-Pods, three in Selsey and one in Kingmere, which have already revealed some interesting insights on harbour porpoise distribution. A fifth F-Pod device is about to be installed on Brighton Pier shortly and we are excited to see what it reveals about cetaceans [Ed: we googled – it’s a sub-order of aquatic mammals that includes dolphins] in Brighton!”
If, like us, you haven’t heard of an F-Pod before, you can think of them like high-tech ears that are placed in the water, giving researchers a way to listen in on the lives of marine mammals without disturbing them.
How to get involved with the project
Anyone can get involved with the project’s mission and become a ‘citizen scientist’ – which is basically when members of the public contribute to scientific research by collecting data. Local Brightoners can get involved by reporting their dolphin sightings to the Sussex Dolphin Project. The organisation uses sightings data to identify individual dolphins and pods to better understand their behaviour, movements and breeding sites. By supporting the project you will be playing a crucial role in helping to better protect vital habitats for marine mammals that reside in this stretch of the Eastern English Channel. Pretty good, right?
So, what should you do if you spot a dolphin on our shores? The Sussex Dolphin Project encourages people to report their sightings using this form. If you see dolphins or porpoises from a boat or a jet-ski, please slow down, be quiet and respect their space (you can find more guidelines on how to interact with them here). And if you see a marine mammal that you think is in difficulty, you’re advised to report it to British Divers Marine Life Rescue, while deceased marine mammals should be reported to the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) and Sussex Dolphin Project – make sure you included photos if you can as these are vital for research.
You can also support the project by making a donation, attending events, or volunteering – which can be arranged through their website.
sussexdolphinproject.org
By Lauren O’Brien
Photo credits: Sam Bulley (taken two miles south of Hove), Claire Purvis (taken one mile out of Brighton), Marina Lewis-King (taken at Rampion Wind Farm)