**PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AT THE END OF EACH MONTH. REMEMBER
TO STATE WATCH TIMES AS WELL AS SIGHTING TIMES, EVEN IF NO CETACEANS WERE SIGHTED.
|
Statement
|
Explanation
|
| SPECIES |
This can be abbreviated as follows:
BND= Bottlenose Dolphin. HP= Harbour Porpoise. MW=
Minke Whale. Any other sightings that you have, please write in full. |
| TIME OF WATCH |
Please state the times when watching even if
no cetaceans were see. |
| TIME OF SIGHTING |
Please give start and finish times of sighting/encounter. |
| WIND DIRECTION/FORCE |
Using the Beaufort Scale from 1. (the sea calm
and like glass) to 9. (sea very rough and gale blowing.) |
| SEA STATE |
(0 = Glassy) (1= smooth) (2= rippled)
(3= slight) (4= moderate) (5= rough) |
| LOCATION |
Record the nearest headland or distance from
land. |
| ACTIVITY |
|
| Travel |
Movement in a particular direction |
| Milling |
Non-directional slow movement. |
| Feeding |
Pursuit and/or capture of prey (identify if
possible) |
| Breach |
Vertical jump, two-thirds or whole body out
of water. |
| Spy Hop |
Head out of the water as dolphin remains vertical. |
| Tail Slap |
Tail flukes hitting surface of water. |
| Resting |
Motionless state at or near surface. |
| Suckling |
Calf nudges at mother's genital area. |
| Flipper Slap |
Pectoral fin surface, on its side or on its
back. |
| Cartwheel |
Vigorous throwing of body. |
| Surface Rush |
Repeated acceleration on surface, whole of
back often exposed. |
| Belly Slap |
Breaching and landing on ventral area of body. |
| Side Breach |
Breaching and landing on side of body. |
| Half Breach |
Half of body out of water. |
| Back Breach |
Breaching and landing on its back. |
| Rubbing |
Against hard surfaces such as rocks. |
| Sliding |
One individual slides over another. |
| Head Lift |
One individual lifts up anothers head. |
| Bow/Wave Riding |
Riding the wave created by a moving ship or
large whale. |
| Aggressive Behavior |
Head butting, tooth scrapes. |
DISTINGUISHING
FEATURES |
Some fins have marks, shade patterns or nicks.
Make a drawing if possible. |
The above information is related to the dolphin; for the porpoise, the fleeting
glimpse that you get will be about all that you see, unless you are very lucky!!
