Whale watchers and dolphin devotees encouraged to join nationwide survey
Grab those binoculars and your camera, as it is almost time for the Sea Watch Foundation’s National Whale and Dolphin Watch!
This nine-day citizen science event, hosted between July 25 and August 2 2026 is dedicated to studying the marine mammals which call British waters home.
This is the perfect opportunity for avid whale watchers and dolphin devotees to aid in conservation efforts.
Daily surveys will seek to catalogue the 31 cetacean species (whales, dolphins and porpoises) which call the UK home, including harbour porpoises, bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins and minke whales.
During National Whale and Dolphin Watch 2025, over 1,600 sightings, nearly 13 000 individual animals and 15 different species were recorded, including seals, basking sharks, tuna and sunfish.
In this the event’s 25th year, it hopes to make it the most successful yet and smash those numbers.
In tandem with the survey, events will also be held around the UK including beach yoga, scavenger hunts, pub quizzes and two online evenings of talks with scientific experts from around the UK.
Simone Evans, Sightings Officer for the Sea Watch Foundation, said: “Celebrating 25 years of the National Whale and Dolphin Watch and 35 years of the Sea Watch
Foundation is a proud moment for UK marine conservation.
"Our work simply wouldn’t be possible without the thousands of volunteers who have scanned the seas over the last few decades. This year, we want to make our landmark event the biggest and most impactful yet.
"Grab your binoculars, head to the coast, and help us celebrate thirty-five years of science, community, and conservation!”
These valuable records are important for the protection of cetaceans and other marine life, and conservation efforts to limit the negative impacts of human activities, allowing Sea Watch Foundation to track and map sightings across the UK.
If you spot a whale, dolphin or porpoise, you can report it to Sea Watch Foundation either via their website or their free Sea Watcher app and contribute to ongoing monitoring work.
Cetaceans spotted in the local area should also be recorded on Whae Track, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trusts flagship app.
If you would like to learn more about UK cetaceans and get actively involved, details on how to take part in Sea Watch Foundation’s nationwide event can be
found on their website: www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk.
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