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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Details of the latest Basking Shark sightings:
| Date | Time | Species | Location Name | Possible Number |
| 08 May 2010 | 13:00 | Basking Shark | East of Isles of Scilly | 1 |
| 09 May 2010 | 10:04 | Basking Shark | Carrick Roads | 1 |
| 09 May 2010 | 14:00 | Basking Shark | St. Antony Head | 1 |
| 09 May 2010 | 12:00 | Basking Shark | Carn Gloose | 1 |
| 10 May 2010 | 13:00 | Basking Shark | Isles Of Scilly | 1 |
| 10 May 2010 | P.M. | Basking Shark | St Austell Bay | 1 |
| 11 May 2010 | 20:30 | Basking Shark | Kennack Bay | 1 |
| 12 May 2010 | 19:00 | Basking Shark | Pendeen Watch | 2 |
| 13 May 2010 | 12:45 | Basking Shark | Pendeen Watch | 2 |
| 13 May 2010 | 06:30 | Basking Shark | Botallack Head | 2 |
| 13 May 2010 | 14:00 | Basking Shark | Aire Point | 1 |
| 14 May 2010 | 17:00 | Basking Shark | St Ives Harbour | 1 |
| 16 May 2010 | 14:45 | Basking Shark | Cape Cornwall NCI Lookout | 1 |
| 16 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | Porthgwarra | 1 |
| 17 May 2010 | 14:00 | Basking Shark | Lands End | 1 |
| 17 May 2010 | 20:00 | Basking Shark | Off Gywnver | 2 |
| 17 May 2010 | 11:00 | Basking Shark | Godrevy Cove | 3 |
| 17 May 2010 | A.M. | Basking Shark | Minack Theatre | 1 |
| 17 May 2010 | P.M. | Basking Shark | Sennen Cove | 1 |
| 17 May 2010 | 12:00 | Basking Shark | Nanquidno | 3 |
| 17 May 2010 | 11:00 | Basking Shark | Off Gywnver | 1 |
| 18 May 2010 | 17:30 | Basking Shark | Cape Cornwall NCI Lookout | 1 |
| 18 May 2010 | 16:30 | Basking Shark | Cape Cornwall NCI Lookout | 1 |
| 18 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | Whitesands Bay | 3 |
| 18 May 2010 | P.M. | Basking Shark | Botallack | 4 |
| 18 May 2010 | P.M. | Basking Shark | Whitesand Bay | 1 |
| 18 May 2010 | 16:45 | Basking Shark | Botallack | 4 |
| 18 May 2010 | A.M. | Basking Shark | Lands End | 4 |
| 20 May 2010 | 13:30 | Basking Shark | Lands End | 3 |
| 20 May 2010 | 13:30 | Basking Shark | The Cowloe | 1 |
| 20 May 2010 | 11:15 | Basking Shark | The Cowloe | 6 |
| 20 May 2010 | 12:00 - 15:45 | Basking Shark | Lands End | 9 |
| 20 May 2010 | 10:00 - 11:30 | Basking Shark | Holywell Beach | 3 |
| 21 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | Kennack Sands | 1 |
| 21 May 2010 | 15:30 | Basking Shark | Longships Reef | 1 |
| 21 May 2010 | 15:00 | Basking Shark | Lands End | 1 |
| 21 May 2010 | 20:00 | Basking Shark | Off Maen Dower | 1 |
| 21 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | Holywell Bay | 5 |
| 22 May 2010 | 17:00 | Basking Shark | Off Newquay | 10 |
| 22 May 2010 | 14:00 | Basking Shark | Carne Beach Gerrans Bay | 1 |
| 22 May 2010 | 14:00 | Basking Shark | Pendower Beach | 1 |
| 23 May 2010 | P.M. | Basking Shark | Gywner | 1 |
| 24 May 2010 | 12:00 | Basking Shark | Lankidden | 1 |
| 24 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | Plymouth Breakwater | 1 |
| 24 May 2010 | 14:30 | Basking Shark | Porthmeor Beach | 1 |
| 24 May 2010 | 15:00 | Basking Shark | Porthmeor Beach | 1 |
| 24 May 2010 | 13:00 | Basking Shark | Kenidjack Castle | 1 |
| 24 May 2010 | 15:00 | Basking Shark | Gamper Bay | 4 |
| 24 May 2010 | 14:00 | Basking Shark | Cape Cornwall | 1 |
| 24 May 2010 | 15:30 | Basking Shark | Lands End | 10 |
| 24 May 2010 | 11:00 - 13:00 | Basking Shark | Gerrans Bay | 3 |
| 24 May 2010 | 12:30 | Basking Shark | Gerrans Bay | 3 |
| 24 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | Lands End | |
| 24 May 2010 | 14:30 | Basking Shark | Longships Lighthouse | 1 |
| 25 May 2010 | 14:40 | Basking Shark | Kenidjack Castle | 1 |
| 25 May 2010 | P.M. | Basking Shark | Penlee Point | 1 |
| 26 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | Priest's Cove | 2 |
| 28 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | Porth | 1 |
| 28 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | The Gazzle | 1 |
| 30 May 2010 | 14:30 | Basking Shark | Porthgwarra | 5 |
| 30 May 2010 | 14:00 | Basking Shark | Penberth | 5 |
| 04 June 2010 | P.M. | Basking Shark | Whitesand Bay | 1 |
| 04 June 2010 | 11:30 | Basking Shark | Nanjizal Valley | 2 |
| 04 June 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | Priest's Cove | 1 |
| 04 June 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | Off Treen | 1 |
| 04 June 2010 | P.M. | Basking Shark | Gwennap Head | 6 |
| 05 June 2010 | 06:45 - 07:45 | Basking Shark | Mousehole | 7 |
| 05 June 2010 | 14:00 - 17:00 | Basking Shark | Gwennap Head | 6 |
| 05 June 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | Longships Lighthouse | 20 |
| 05 June 2010 | A.M. | Basking Shark | Off Pencra Head | 1 |
| 05 June 2010 | 15:00 | Basking Shark | Gwennap Head | 6 |
| 07 June 2010 | 12:15 | Basking Shark | Mousehole | 6 |
| 09 June 2010 | 13:32 - 14:50 | Basking Shark | Praa Sands | 3 |
| 09 June 2010 | Not Recorded | Basking Shark | Whitesand Bay | 1 |
| 09 June 2010 | 17:00 | Basking Shark | Prussia Cove | 5 |
Below are the latest Cetaceans (marine mammal) sightings:
| Date | Time | Species | Location Name | Possible Number |
| 03 May 2010 | 15:05 - 15:15 | Bottlenose Dolphin | Sheep Rock | 6 |
| 05 May 2010 | 16:02 | Dolphin | Cape Cornwall NCI Lookout | 2 |
| 11 May 2010 | 13:00 - 13:10 | Grey Seal | Cape Cornwall | 2 |
| 12 May 2010 | 14:00 | Bottlenose Dolphin | Trevega Cliff | 4 |
| 12 May 2010 | 15:00 | Harbour Porpoise | Botallackl Head | 1 |
| 13 May 2010 | 21:00 | Bottlenose Dolphin | Porthmeor Beach St. Ives | 2 |
| 13 May 2010 | 09:30 | Dolphin | Droskyn Point | 4 |
| 13 May 2010 | A.M. | Grey Seal | Black Rock Falmouth | 5 |
| 13 May 2010 | A.M. | Grey Seal | St Anthony Head | 2 |
| 15 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Common Dolphin | Padstow | 80 |
| 15 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Harbour Porpoise | Padstow | 2 |
| 16 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Common Dolphin | Padstow | 80 |
| 16 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Harbour Porpoise | Padstow | 2 |
| 17 May 2010 | 10:30 | Dolphin | Porthmeor Beach St. Ives | 10 |
| 17 May 2010 | 16:30 | Harbour Porpoise | Brisons | 1 |
| 17 May 2010 | 11:15 | Risso's Dolphin | Pendeen Watch | 10 |
| 20 May 2010 | 11:40 | Common Dolphin | Newquay Bay | 100 |
| 20 May 2010 | A.M. | Grey Seal | Black Rock Falmouth | 1 |
| 20 May 2010 | A.M. | Harbour Porpoise | Near Manaces | 2 |
| 22 May 2010 | P.M. | Bottlenose Dolphin | Helford River Mouth | 2 |
| 22 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Common Dolphin | Off Padstow | 25 |
| 23 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Common Dolphin | Off Padstow | 45 |
| 23 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Common Dolphin | Off Newquay | 45 |
| 24 May 2010 | 08:00 | Bottlenose Dolphin | Porthmeor Beach | 10 |
| 24 May 2010 | 16:30 | Bottlenose Dolphin | Manacles | 1 |
| 24 May 2010 | 14:00 | Bottlenose Dolphin | Mouth of Helford River | 2 |
| 24 May 2010 | 11:45 | Bottlenose Dolphin | St Ives Bay | 8 |
| 25 May 2010 | 17:15 | Bottlenose Dolphin | Helford River Mouth | 2 |
| 26 May 2010 | Not Recorded | Ocean Sunfish | Holywell Bay | 1 |
| 30 May 2010 | 17:00 | Bottlenose Dolphin | Hor Point | 8 |
| 30 May 2010 | 15:00 | Risso's Dolphin | St Michael's Mount | 2 |
| 31 May 2010 | 13:20 | Common Dolphin | Bossiney Haven | 18 |
| 31 May 2010 | 14:00 | Grey Seal | Porth Nanven | 2 |
| 02 June 2010 | Not Recorded | Ocean Sunfish | Off Newquay Bay | 1 |
| 03 June 2010 | 11:20 - 11:55 | Minke Whale | Wicca Pool | 1 |
| 04 June 2010 | 11:30 | Killer Whale | Nanjizal Valley | 3 |
| 05 June 2010 | 11:10 - 16:35 | Bottlenose Dolphin | St. Ives Bay | 8 |
| 05 June 2010 | 09:00 | Dolphin | Off Chapel Porth | 8 |
| 05 June 2010 | Not Recorded | Grey Seal | Padstow | 1 |
| 06 June 2010 | Not Recorded | Common Dolphin | Padstow | 20 |
| 06 June 2010 | 14:00 | Common Dolphin | Off Tubby's Head | 4 |
| 09 June 2010 | Not Recorded | Bottlenose Dolphin | Black Rock, Falmouth | 6 |
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.
