June 8th is World Oceans Day. Join CBMWC as we celebrate with a variety of events and activities which we’ll be announcing here soon and also on our facebook page. Stay tuned to get involved.
For more information on World Oceans Day click here.
Once again CBMWC and Dolphin Survey Boat Trips are teaming up to carry out a number of all day (minimum 8 hour) cetacean surveys throughout Cardigan Bay. As in 2012 several of these surveys will also be run in conjunction with Friends of Cardigan Bay (FoCB). This is your opportunity to join a cetacean survey with researchers collecting important information on marine species in Cardigan Bay and the surrounding waters. It’s a great opportunity to see some fantastic marine life, to contribute to dolphin conservation in Cardigan Bay as well as an opportunity to join a team of experts!
Last year’s sightings included of course Cardigan Bay’s famous bottlenose dolphins, a fantastic encounter with common dolphins (an unusual sight in Cardigan Bay), harbour porpoises, Atlantic grey seals and seal pups (on surveys during the pupping season September/October), sunfish, numerous jellyfish species, possible Minke whale sighting and an amazing sighting of a thresher shark. And for those keen twitchers amongst us there were many wonderful sightings of sea birds including gannets, Manx shearwaters, razorbills, guillemots, fulmars, puffins, skuas, scoters, wonderful views of nesting auk colonies in particular on New Quay headland – a fantastic sight from April until end of June when the adults and their chicks head out to sea. Need we say more? Other than beautiful sunsets over Cardigan Bay and the Irish Sea, of course.
This year these surveys will be conducted aboard either MV Sulaire or Dolphin Survey Boat Trips’ brand new motor vessel, due to be launched mid-April – so new it doesn’t yet have a name! The new vessel is a state of the art catamaran, which are famous for their increased stability and thus perfect for long days at sea. The vessel will be equipped with facilities for making hot drinks as well as a heated wheel-house, state of the art electronics, a toilet, seating and a table area for those wishing to risk dining at the Captain’s table! The new catamaran will of course be fully licensed, insured and equipped with all necessary safety equipment for these trips.
2013 dates:
Saturday 30th March
Friday 12th April
Friday 26th April
Saturday 4th May
Sunday 19th May*
Wednesday 29th May*
Friday 7th June
Sunday 16th June*
Wednesday 26th June*
Friday 5th July
Saturday 20th July
Monday 29th July
Friday 9th August
Monday 19th August
Saturday 7th September
Friday 27th September
Saturday 12th October
Saturday 26th October
*In conjunction with FoCB
Please note in addition to these scheduled dates, we will also be running all day surveys at short notice to take advantage of any ideal weather conditions. If you would like to be included on a mailing list to be notified of these short notice surveys then please contact CBMWC on info@cbmwc.org with your email address. Also keep an eye on our website, Facebook page and Twitter feeds for updates.
For more details and to book your place on one of these unique boat trips please call CBMWC on 01545 560032 between 10am and 4pm. The cost is £55 per person for the day, payable in advance. Full refunds will be given if trips are cancelled by DSBT. Places must be booked in advance due to limited spaces. All trips will depart from New Quay harbour and will last approximately 8 hours (occasionally longer depending on survey route for the day). Trip details will be confirmed upon booking.
Hot drinks will be provided but please bring your own food, warm clothing, binoculars, sensible shoes and don’t forget your camera!
Please remember that these are wild animals, sightings cannot be guaranteed and that you are joining a scientific survey.
For more information about boat trips, please visit our boat trip page.
Our visitor centre is now open daily from 9am to 4pm. We hope you’ll come and visit us!
Help us clean our coastline between 13-19 May 2013!
Keep Wales Tidy, along with local community groups, McDonald’s restaurants, schools and businesses will be organising events across the country to clear beaches of unwanted litter and debris.
The event follows the success of the charity’s Coast Path Clean Up Weekend which took place last year ahead of the opening of the Wales Coast Path.
CBMWC has organised its own beach clean event on Sunday 19th May in conjunction with Quay West Holiday Park, New Quay. We’ll be cleaning Traeth Gwyn – the long sandy beach east of the town beach. Please meet either at Quay West’s reception at 9:45am or find us on the beach between 10am and 12pm if you would like to join us. Wear sturdy shoes, but we’ll provide gloves, bags and litter picks.
We hope to see you there!
This months BBC Wildlife Magazine features CBMWC’s very own Science Officer Sarah Perry on the experts panel.
Turn to page 93 where you’ll find the Q&A section and you’ll be able to read Sarah’s answer to a question on bottlenose dolphins.
The issue also features other great articles including an article on looking for mermaid’s purses – the eggcases of sharks, skates and rays which can be found on beaches around the UK. Why not spend some time this Easter holiday on your local beach searching for a different type of Easter egg!
April issue of the BBC Wildlife Magazine is available from the 13th March
http://www.discoverwildlife.com/issue/april-2013
Limited places are still available to volunteer at the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre (CBMWC) for the early part of our season (March-May). Find out more and apply
CBMWC’s science officer Sarah Perry will be running the Virgin London Marathon on 21st April in aid of the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution), the charity that saves lives at sea.
As well as being our science officer and studying for a PhD Sarah is also volunteer crew on the New Quay lifeboat. Please show your support for her efforts and the RNLI by sponsoring her. You can sponsor her online through Virgin Money Giving
Click here for more information about the RNLI
Thank you
The shop and Glasshouse cafe at the Welsh Wildlife Centre in Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire will be open for the whole of the Febuary half term Saturday 9 February to Sunday 17 February, 10.30am to 4pm.
There are also a number of activities planned for the week, including willow weaving and nest box making.
To find out more, visit the events page at the Welsh Wildlife Centre
Our ecotourism partner Dolphin Survey Boat Trips have a new boat coming for the 2013 season and they need your help to name it. The new boat is a white, 10m long catamaran (twin hull) and it will become our primary research vessel.
To enter, email your suggested boat name to steve@cbwmc.org. Entries must be received by 5pm on 31st January. Steve, owner and skipper of Dolphin Survey Boat Trips will be picking the winning name and the lucky winner will receive a two hour boat trip for two onboard the new vessel.
Good luck!
Looking for something different to buy your loved ones this Christmas? Then let us help you…
You can adopt a Cardigan Bay dolphin for a year for just £30 or buy a Dolphin Survey Boat trip gift voucher, with prices from £20.
Not only are these great presents, but you will also be supporting our vital research and education work.
Beau 139. Picture copyright Steve Hartley/CBMWC
Throughout the summer we were running a dolphin drawing competition in our ground floor education and activity room, which was newly opened this year. Jessica Clark’s (aged 5) lovely drawing of a dolphin catching a fish was chosen as the winner by Steph and Beth, our volunteers who had been running the activities during the holidays. The prize was to name a dolphin and lucky number 139 has been renamed Beau. First seen and photographed in 2005 Beau has two calves that we know of – 222 first seen in 2006 and 235 in 2010. Between 2005-2011 she has been seen 14 times and this year she was seen on 28th June near Cwm Tydu.
