Event: National Whale and Dolphin Watch Week

When: August 13-21

Where: Along the entire coastline of UK and in UK waters

Website : www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk

The marine conservation charity the Sea Watch Foundation is inviting divers to take part in this year’s National Whale and Dolphin Watch week.

The week helps inform scientific research and raises awareness of the 28 species that live in or visit UK waters.

Anyone can take part in NWDW 2005, which this year takes place from August 13-21. The Sea Watch Foundation web site www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk provides downloadable species guides and sightings forms and information on how to send in your sightings.

The species you will see will depend to some extent on weather conditions, but sightings range from harbour porpoises and bottlenose dolphins to minke whales.

The Sea Watch Foundation has been organising an annual watch week across the British Isles for the past four years. The week provides a unique opportunity to gather information from a large number of people over a short period of time across the entire British coast – thus providing a snapshot of the numbers, and behaviour of these wonderful creatures.

As well as raising awareness of the whales and dolphins in our seas, the findings of the weeks have helped inform current scientific thinking on many of the species.

During the week, the Sea Watch Foundation web site will also include a running total or species spotted. The week is supported by British Gas, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

For more information please visit - www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk