|
The
Dolphins of Cardigan Bay
|
|
Many
visitors come to stay in or near New Quay to see wild Dolphins, for in
all of Britain, the New Quay area is probably the best place to see
them. In the New Quay area they can be seen from the shore and from
boats which take groups out from New Quay on a regular basis. One
cannot guarantee to see the Dolphins on a given day, but the chances
are good for the dedicated Dolphin watcher. Information on sightings
can be found at The Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife site.
Dolphins
are best
observed on days when the sea is calm, as they are much easier to spot
then. The pier at New Quay is usually a good vantage point as is
anywhere along Rock Street - the closest of the New Quay Terraces to
the sea.
Right: Tourists crowd the pier at New Quay watching
a group of 7
or more Dolphins as well as a Grey Seal
|
|
|
|
|
Over
the last few years Dolphins have undergone a massive change in the
public's perception. From mere sideshow attractions in the seventies
when, as inmates of various Seaquaria they were taught to do tricks,
they have today attained an almost mystical significance. Sick children
are now taken to swim with Dolphins, and amazing healing powers have
been claimed in the media. This however, is not possible in Britain,
where the law prohibits approaching wild Dolphin.
|
|
|
Whatever the truth of this, Dolphins are now
regarded with far more respect than in the past, and as a consequence
there is far more interest in this animal group.
Initially a large part
in this change of perception
must have been brought about by the TV series 'Flipper', in which a
Dolphin becomes the friend and helper of a young boy in his various
fictional adventures. Subsequent films such as 'Free Willy' - featuring
the related Orca or Killer Whale, have also worked to change the
public's perception and awaken the interest in Dolphins and their kin.
|
|
Naturally, there has been an
awakened interest in the Dolphins of Cardigan Bay, and these animals
are now regarded as a tourist attraction with special Dolphin watching
boat trips going out of New Quay on a regular basis. There is an
ongoing debate about the effect of such trips. While they undoubtedly
help to raise the public's awareness of Dolphins and their
conservation, there are those who believe the boat trips disturb the
animals and are not beneficial.
|
|
|
Cardigan Bay is one of
two important locations off the British coast for Bottlenose Dolphins.
The other area is Scotland's Moray Firth, which supports a population
of around 130 animals. A survey by the University of Aberdeen has
suggested that there may be as many as 127 Dolphins off the Cardigan
coast, although other researchers have suggested that this number may
well have been inflated by migratory Dolphins in the Irish sea joining
up temporarily with local groups. One wonders how many Dolphins may
have been resident in the past when fish stocks were much higher. An
Admiralty survey undertaken in 1748 notes that the herring industry in
Cardigan bay employed 97 small sloops, 38 of which were employed
between Aberaeron and New Quay. The record catch of herring was made on
the night of October 5th 1745 when 47 boats of about 12 tons netted
just under one and a half million fish, a total of 1,100 barrels!
|
There are certainly two major
local groups of Dolphins, one off New Quay and the other off
Llangrannog. Although these Dolphins may be seen locally throughout the
year, they have also been observed off the Irish coast. Timings of
these observations suggest they can swim across to Ireland in
just a few hours. Our Dolphins are Bottle-nosed Dolphins -
scientific name Tursiops
truncatus,
just one of thirty-two species of Dolphin world-wide belonging to a
family of marine mammals called the Delphinidae that also includes the
Pilot Whale and the Killer Whale or Orca.
|
|
|
|
Dolphins
have demonstrated a wide range of sounds and are believed to have a
unique 'language' of their own. They emit clicking sounds or whistles
almost constantly. The clicks are short pulses of about 300 sounds per
second, emitted from a mechanism located just below the blowhole. They
are used for the echolocation of objects and are resonated forwards and
amplified by an organ called the melon. This makes up much of the bulge
in the Dolphin's forehead just behind its 'beak'. Echoes from these
clicks are received at the rear of the lower jaw and transmitted to the
middle ear. The Dolphin's echolocation system is similar to that of a
bat, enabling the dolphin to navigate in complete darkness and to
detect its main prey, fish and squid. The whistles come from deeper in
the larynx and are used to communicate alarm and emotion.
|
 |
Bottle-nosed
dolphins live in temperate and tropical waters, many of them staying
within 100 miles of land. Many live in bays and protected inlets, where
the water is relatively shallow. Bottle-nosed dolphins range as far
south as Argentina and South Africa and as far north as Norway in the
eastern Atlantic.
|
|
|
Dolphins mate in spring and early summer with the
gestation lasting from 10 to 12 months. The females almost always give
birth to one calf at a time. After the calf is born, it immediately
swims to the surface for its first breath of air. The females nurse and
protect their young for more than a year with the males taking no part
in caring for the young.
Dolphins, in common
with many other marine
creatures living close to the coast are threatened with pollution and
degradation of their environment. Concerns include sewage, dumping at
sea, oil exploration using sonar methods and harassment from pleasure
boats whose owners try to get too close to the Dolphins.
Dolphins
are 'top predators'. At the top end of the
food chain they can easily accumulate high concentrations of any
environmental non-biodegradable pollutants ingested or absorbed by
species lower down the food chain.
In the light of these concerns, local residents
presented a petition to the Ceredigion Council, and in 1992, the
'Heritage Coast' area was created from New Quay to Tresaith. Since
1996, the sea area adjacent to the Heritage Coast has been designated a
Special Area of Conservation under the European Habitats Directive. A
number of species and features, were taken into consideration in
creating this area. These include:
-
Bottlenose Dolphins,
Tursiops truncatus
-
The Grey Seal, Halichoerus
grypus
-
The
River Lamprey, Lampetra
fluviatilis
-
The Sea Lamprey,
Petromyzon
marinus
-
Sandbanks slightly covered by sea water all the
time
-
Reefs - both rocky and living (Biogenic) reefs.
-
Submerged
or partially submerged sea caves
|
|
There are now nine
organisations with statutory
responsibilities for the site, which are working together, as
‘relevant authorities’ (RAs). Their aim is to establish a scheme of
site management for the area.
Dolphins
are very intelligent and supremely adapted
for their environment, but however intelligent they may be, they have
absolutely no way of influencing their future. For years they have
suffered directly from the misguided acts of Mankind seeking profit.
Now they are threatened indirectly from a whole range of human
activities. Their future as a species lies with us. We can
only hope that common sense and a genuine feeling for the other species
with which we share this planet will prevail, and that the Dolphins
will survive.
© Rod Attrill
|
|
|
