Wildlife groups are joining forces to encourage more people to open their eyes to the natural wonders of the North Yorkshire coastline with a weekend of wildlife-watching with the main focus being on Scarborough’s Castle Headland.
“It’s the perfect location,” said Sea Life’s Todd German. “We’ll have a special stall set up right below cliffs that are teeming with nesting seabirds.
“The view out to sea offers a great chance of seeing porpoises too.”
The event takes place on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th of May, and for a donation of £5 observers can listen to scene-setting talks at 9am both days at the Sea Life Centre. Details are on the website www.sealife.co.uk/scarborough. Proceeds will be split between Sea Watch, which monitors the movements of whales, dolphins and porpoises around our shores, and marine charity The Sea Life Trust.
Sea Life staff, Sea Watch volunteers and the RSPB will spend 20 minutes each previewing the delights to be discovered…and there are follow up talks at 5pm both days too.
The Scarborough Sea Watch weekend is aimed at getting everyone involved in looking at the rich animal life that lives of Scarborough and the Yorkshire coast.
Harbour porpoise photographed off Marine Drive in Scarborough.
Photo by Stuart Baines/ Sea Watch Foundation
“The Sea Watch Foundation have joined forces with the Scarborough Sea Life Centre, the RSPB, the Capturing Our Coast Project and others to provide interesting talks on all they might see, from the harbour porpoise that are common off the Marine Drive, to peregrine falcons and seabirds on the cliffs and seals that thrive in the area.” says Sea Watch Assistant Regional Coordinator, Stuart Baines.
“Along with Robin Petch [Regional Coordinator for Yorkshire] I hope to inform and interest as many people in our marine inhabitants. There is plenty of opportunity for folks to get involved with a total audience over two days of potentially 160 people in seated talks and any number on the Marine Drive” explains Stuart.
A team of marine experts from the “Capturing our Coast Project” based at the University of Hull Scarborough Campus will also be supporting this exciting event. The CoCoast Project is recruiting over 3000 volunteers nationally to help monitor rocky shore life. The aim of the project is to discover and learn more about the creatures that somehow thrive in the harsh world where land meets sea. For more information about the project visit www.capturingourcoast.co.uk.
“We’re confident people will be amazed and inspired by just how much there is to see,” said Todd.
For more details contact Todd German on 01723 373414 or visit the ‘Scarborough Porpoise‘ Facebook page.
