Stuck for Christmas Presents this Year? We’re here to help with a sea watchers wish list!
We have come up with a list to give you ideas of what you can buy a sea watcher for Christmas or if anyone you know is struggling to find you that perfect pressie…you can always drop a couple of hints using our handy guide!
1) Before you begin…please don’t forget about us on Easy Fundraising!
Before you buy online sign up with Easy Fundraising and use their website to go to the website to make your purchase. The retailer will then pay a percentage into the Sea Watch Foundation account. You can also install a donation reminder to your tablet, laptop or phone to remind you each time you shop online!
2) Ever wanted to adopt a dolphin?
Our adopt a dolphin scheme has been voted the best animal adoption scheme by BBC Wildlife…and at £3.50 a month it won’t break the bank! Choose from Chris, Smoothy, Lumpy and many more. The perfect present for any animal lover out there, not just those who are dolphin crazy!
3) Already adopted a dolphin?
Why not visit West Wales and book a boat trip to try and spot your finned friend?
While you are in the area we can always use your help if you have a couple of hours to spare! From data collection to public awareness to land watches, there are plenty of ways you can give your time to help us!
4) Nowhere near Cardigan Bay?
Fear not as we have plenty of boat operators who can take you on a trip to spot cetaceans! The perfect gift for a cetacean lover, a couple of hours out at sea! Here is a list of our recommended tour operators who will help you in your quest!
5) For the land watchers out there, you can’t go wrong with a good pair of binoculars, an essential piece of equipment to help you identify the cetaceans.
What looks like a porpoise may on closer inspection, be a dolphin! What looks like a dolphin may in fact be a whale! Anything is possible in our waters!
We’ve teamed up with the generous crew at Opticron to be able to offer you a special discount on your binocular purchases from now until Feb 15th 2017. You’ll need to call them up to take advantage of the deal using 01582 726522 (Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm) and please use the reference code “Sea Watch Foundation Promotion” when you call. You’ll receive a 10% discount on your order and we’ll get 10% of all net sales in order to continue with our work. Order by lunchtime on Thursday 22nd for Christmas delivery.
We’ve selected our three top-picks (see below) or please visit the Opticron website to browse the full range
Marine 3 7×50 – ruggedized for use on board boats, massive depth of field means less re-focussing required. Price £159
Discovery WP –8×42 as a general purpose binocular, 10×42 for sea watching and other long distance viewing. Prices from £179
Countryman BGA HD – High quality optics with ED objective lens and covered by 30 year warranty. Prices start at £309
Opticron is open Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm UK time. Callers should select option 2 when they call on 01582 726 522. Free postage only applies for delivery to UK and Northern Ireland addresses. Republic of Ireland and overseas addresses will incur additional delivery charges depending on the location.
6) Whether you have a lot or little experience of land watches, an identification guide is vital as even the most experienced landwatcher will at times need to double check their species!
Sea Watch Director Peter Evans has compiled his experience and provided an identification guide for us…and at £5 a piece you cannot go wrong! To order yours today, visit our shop.
7) For those of you who have done landwatches before, you may have learnt that binoculars are no good if you’re so cold you can’t feel your fingers!
Why not invest in a good pair of thermals, a good hat and gloves combo and maybe even some hand warmers…these will all help you bear the British weather for as long as possible!
8) Got everything a sea-watcher needs?
Then why not buy one of our new volunteer t-shirts? There are dolphin-defender t-shirts for kiddies too. Visit our shop for a browse…
9) Struggling to buy for a child?
Why not buy them a copy of The Magic Dolphin, a wonderful children’s book encompassing everything an animal lover craves…strong animal characters, excitement, fun, real behaviour, and accurate scientific information from the marine biologists who study them. What makes this story even more enthralling is the dolphins featured are our very own adoptable dolphins – real, alive, and swimming around wild and free in Cardigan Bay! We have special combo deal this Christmas too, so you can buy both the book and a real-life version of the featured pendant too. Here’s the link!
10) Finished all your shopping? Or saving your pennies this year?
Why not donate your time to the Sea Watch Foundation. You can do this by carrying out land watches and heading to your nearest headlands, or help to spread the word about conservation and help promote the Sea Watch Foundation. We are always here to help you with ideas so please do not hesitate to get in touch, we would love to hear from you!
Compiled by Angharad Carrington-Edmunds, Sea Watch voluntary Regional Coordinator for Pembrokeshire.
