Species Fact Sheets
30 species of whale dolphin and porpoise have been recorded in British and Irish waters. Summaries of the status of each species in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can be found here.
More information on individual species can be found on the Species Fact Sheets:
Each year, cetaceans face depletion in their numbers and possible local extinction due to continuous threats to their habitat, such as capture and drowning in fishing gear, marine pollution and over-fishing.
For more information on these issues please download our fact sheet:
Regional Fact Sheets
These regional information sheets give local species information and show you good whale and dolphin watching locations around the UK.
Click on each region to find out more:
Photo-ID Guidelines
Photo-ID Guidelines
For a number of species of whale and dolphin, it is possible to recognise individuals by the unique markings that some of them bear. These may take the from of a particular pattern of nicks in the dorsal fin, or pigmentation patterns on the fin, head, flippers or flanks. Recording such information on photographs (more accurate than drawings), particularly on a regular basis, allows one to learn a great deal about local populations of the species.
