HNS Cetacean Group
HNS has close links with the Hartland Marine Mammal-watch Group which is co-ordinated by Laura Carolan who is the Communications Officer for North Devon Coastal Landscape. The Marine Mammal-watch Group collects data on an ad hoc basis which is then fed into the national SeaWatch database, which is working to monitor the health and biodiversity of the UK’s marine ecosystems.
Many HNS members are already part of the Marine Mammal-watch Group, but if you’d like to join, you’d be very welcome. All you need to do is grab a pair of binoculars (and lunch, perhaps), and find a good viewpoint on the coast anywhere between Clovelly and Welcombe. It is almost impossible to view marine mammals in rough seas, so calm weather and a gentle swell is preferable. The objective is to scan the waters for 30 minutes up to an hour if possible, and record any marine mammal sightings. Even if you don’t see anything, this is still important data and worth recording. The best time for marine mammal watching is between late spring and late autumn, though sightings can be made at any time of the year, so keep your eyes peeled when you’re on a coastal walk. After a session of marine mammal watching, we then fill in a form (see example below) and forward them to Laura for collation.
Lorna Swan has offered to keep HNS updated with any interesting sightings or news from SeaWatch, so that over time, we will have a clearer picture of the health of the ocean surrounding our beloved Hartland peninsular. If you would like to join the HMMG, please email louswan64@gmail.com so that she can ask Laura to add you to the WhatsApp group, which is how we communicate our sightings, share data, forms and dates for group gatherings.