MEMBERS of the public have been urged to help with a survey of the wildlife of Cardigan Bay.

In 2018 Wales is celebrating the Year of the Sea and its outstanding coastline which includes a 1,400km coastal path, 230 beaches and 50 islands.

Wales is almost entirely surrounded by the sea which is home to a wide range of species including birds, seals, whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

Sea Watch Foundation has monitored whales, dolphins and porpoises in British and Irish waters for over 40 years with the help of volunteer citizen scientists who have reported presence, location and numbers of cetaceans from around the country.

For the past 16 years this has been spearheaded through an annual national recording event, the National Whale and Dolphin Watch. The event this year is taking place from Saturday, 28 July until Sunday, 5 August, and it marks the long-lasting collaboration between citizen scientists, wildlife enthusiasts, the general public and researchers alike.

A spokesperson said: “Lots will be happening during this National Whale and Dolphin Watch’s Year of the Sea event from beach cleans to cliff walks, to land watches all around the shores and boat watches offered by the many recommended boat operators Sea Watch collaborates in the region.

“All you need to bring with you is patience, a lot of enthusiasm, binoculars, and sightings forms and a cetacean identification guide (downloadable from the Sea Watch website).”

Find out more about the event at www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/nwdw

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