The seas around the south west are amongst the richest areas for spectacular animals including whales, dolphins, basking sharks and turtles. Many of these fascinating marine animals are at risk from entanglement in fishing gear, habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change. Information about where these creatures live, feed and breed is very useful to enable Cornwall Wildlife Trust and its partners to take positive conservation action to protect these important species.
There is a simple way you can help by sending in your sightings of marine wildlife to become part of the Seaquest Southwest project. Your sightings will help us to learn more about where these creatures live, feed and breed, and help us to afford them protection.
Click on the map below to see details of the latest sightings:
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Below is a list of the marine sightings from August to end of October 2011:
| Date | Species | Location Name | Possible Number (Month's total) |
| August | Basking Shark | Cape Cornwall | 1 |
| August | Basking Shark | Cape Cornwall NCI Lookout | 1 |
| August | Basking Shark | Nanquidno | 1 |
| August | Basking Shark | Botallack Head | 1 |
| August | Basking Shark | Gwennap Head | 4 |
| August | Basking Shark | Pendeen | 1 |
| August | Basking Shark | Pendeen Watch | 1 |
| August | Basking Shark | Commando Ridge Bosigran | 1 |
| September | Basking Shark | From Scillonian III | 1 |
| September | Basking Shark | Gwennap Head | 4 |
| September | Basking Shark | Off Lamorna | 1 |
| October | Basking Shark | Gwennap Head | 1 |
| October | Basking Shark | Pendeen Watch | 1 |
| August | Bottlenose Dolphin | Gwennap Head | 4 |
| August | Bottlenose Dolphin | Nare Head Helford | 1 |
| September | Bottlenose Dolphin | Cape Cornwall NCI Lookout | 2 |
| September | Bottlenose Dolphin | Gwennap Head | 2 |
| September | Bottlenose Dolphin | Off Padstow | 1 |
| September | Bottlenose Dolphin | Off Trebetherick | 1 |
| October | Bottlenose Dolphin | Hot Point | 1 |
| August | Bottle-Nosed Dolphin | Rumps Point | 1 |
| August | Common Dolphin | Wolf Rock Lighthouse | 1 |
| August | Common Dolphin | Gwennap Head | 17 |
| August | Common Dolphin | Pendeen Watch | 1 |
| August | Common Dolphin | Off Lizard Point | 1 |
| September | Common Dolphin | From Scillonian III | 2 |
| September | Common Dolphin | Scillionian Crossing | 1 |
| September | Common Dolphin | Viewed from Scilllonian III | 1 |
| September | Common Dolphin | Gwennap Head | 6 |
| September | Common Dolphin | Porthgwarra | 1 |
| September | Common Dolphin | Treen Cliff | 1 |
| October | Common Dolphin | South of Peninnes St Marys, I.o.S | 1 |
| October | Common Dolphin | Just east of Eastern Isles I.o.S | 1 |
| October | Common Dolphin | 8 Km east of I.o.s | 1 |
| October | Common Dolphin | Western Traffic Corridor | 1 |
| October | Common Dolphin | Traffic Separate Zone | 1 |
| October | Common Dolphin | Hella Point | 1 |
| October | Common Dolphin | Carn Gloose | 1 |
| October | Common Dolphin | Gwennap Lookout | 1 |
| October | Common Dolphin | Gwennap Head | 5 |
| October | Common Dolphin | Runnelstone area | 1 |
| October | Common Dolphin | Porth Chapel | 1 |
| October | Common Dolphin | Penzamce Harbour | 1 |
| October | Common Dolphin | Off Predannack Head | 1 |
| August | Dolphin Species | Gwennap Head | 5 |
| August | Dolphin Species | Off St. Agnes NCI Lookout | 1 |
| September | Dolphin Species | Gwennap Head | 2 |
| September | Dolphin Species | Lamorna Cove | 1 |
| September | Dolphin Species | Mother Iveys Bay | 1 |
| October | Dolphin Species | Gwennap Head Lookout | 1 |
| October | Dwarf Sperm Whale | Off Penzance Station | 1 |
| August | Grey Seal | Gwennap Head | 25 |
| August | Grey Seal | Porthgwarra | 1 |
| September | Grey Seal | Gwennap Head | 23 |
| October | Grey Seal | Gwennap Head | 10 |
| August | Harbour Porpoise | Cape Cornwall | 2 |
| August | Harbour Porpoise | Botallack Head | 1 |
| August | Harbour Porpoise | Gwennap Head | 20 |
| August | Harbour Porpoise | Runnelstone | 1 |
| August | Harbour Porpoise | Porthgwarra Cove | 1 |
| August | Harbour Porpoise | Pendeen Watch | 1 |
| September | Harbour Porpoise | Cape Cornwall | 1 |
| September | Harbour Porpoise | Gwennap Head | 11 |
| September | Harbour Porpoise | Hella Point | 1 |
| September | Harbour Porpoise | Rosepletha Head | 1 |
| October | Harbour Porpoise | Just east of Eastern Isles I.o.S | 1 |
| October | Harbour Porpoise | 12 Km east of I.o.S | 1 |
| October | Harbour Porpoise | The Brisons | 1 |
| October | Harbour Porpoise | Gwennap Lookout | 1 |
| October | Harbour Porpoise | Gwennap Head | 9 |
| October | Harbour Porpoise | Porth Chapel | 1 |
| October | Harbour Porpoise | Lamorna | 1 |
| October | Harbour Porpoise | Off Kemyel | 1 |
| September | Leatherback Turtle | Off Pendeen | 1 |
| August | Minke Whale | Gwennap Head | 7 |
| August | Minke Whale | Porthgwarra | 1 |
| September | Minke Whale | From Scillonian III | 1 |
| September | Minke Whale | Gwennap Head | 5 |
| October | Minke Whale | 8 Km east of I.o.s | 1 |
| October | Minke Whale | October Km east of I.o.S | 1 |
| October | Minke Whale | Gwennap Lookout | 1 |
| October | Minke Whale | Gwennap Head | 5 |
| August | Ocean Sunfish | Gwennap Head | 10 |
| August | Ocean Sunfish | Gwennap Hgead | 1 |
| August | Ocean Sunfish | Runnelstone | 1 |
| August | Ocean Sunfish | Hella Point | 1 |
| August | Ocean Sunfish | Porthgwarra | 1 |
| August | Ocean Sunfish | Pendeen Watch | 1 |
| September | Ocean Sunfish | Gwennap Head | 1 |
| September | Ocean Sunfish | Off St Ives | 1 |
| September | Ocean Sunfish | St Ives | 1 |
| September | Ocean Sunfish | St Ives | 1 |
| September | Ocean Sunfish | Off St Ives Island | 1 |
| October | Ocean Sunfish | Gwennap Head | 2 |
| August | Risso's Dolphin | Gwennap Head | 4 |
| August | Risso's Dolphin | Porthgwarra | 1 |
| September | Risso's Dolphin | Gwennap Head | 3 |
| September | Risso's Dolphin | Porthcurno | 1 |
| October | Risso's Dolphin | South of Longships | 1 |
| October | Whale Species | Gwennap Head Lookout | 2 |
For more information about Seaquest Southwest and marine sightings please contact Tom Hardy, Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Marine Conservation Officer, on (01872) 273939 ext. 208.
