Sowerby’s Whale in Cardigan Bay
A Sowerby’s Whale is seen in Cardigan Bay: a rare sighting and possibly a first for the Welsh coast.
New Quay, Wales (2nd September 2023) – A rare Sowerby's Whale Mesoplodon bidens was spotted in Cardigan Bay by SeaMôr Dolphin Watching Boat Trips New Quay on September 2, 2023. The whale was seen for a short period of time before it swam back into deeper water.
"This is a very rare sighting," said Claudia Afeltra, Communications and Outreach Officer at Sea Watch Foundation. "There have only been 13 confirmed sightings of Sowerby's Whales in the UK since 2007. While the sighting has not raised immediate concerns for the whale's well-being, as it appeared healthy and naturally retreated to deeper waters, we will closely monitor its movements”.
Sowerby's Whales are deep-diving oceanic species that typically live in waters over 1,000 meters deep. They are rarely seen in shallow waters, so this sighting is a significant event. Sowerby's Whales are small to medium-sized beaked whales. They are about 5-7 meters long and weigh up to 2 tons. They have a long, slender beak and a small, hooked dorsal fin. Sowerby's Whales are deep-diving animals and can stay underwater for up to 2 hours. They feed on squid and fish.
Sowerby's Whales are listed as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The main threats to their survival are entanglement in fishing gear and habitat loss.
The Sea Watch Foundation is a charity that works to protect whales, dolphins, and other marine life. They are calling on the public to report any sightings of Sowerby's whales to them. This information can help them to better understand the distribution and behavior of this rare species.
To report a whale sighting, please visit the Sea Watch Foundation website or email us (sightings@seawatchfoundation.org.uk)!
About SeaMôr
SeaMôr Dolphin Watching Boat Trips is a family-run business that has been operating in Cardigan Bay for over 20 years. They offer a variety of whale watching and dolphin watching tours, as well as wildlife cruises and fishing trips.
The SeaMôr crew is passionate about marine conservation and is committed to raising awareness of the threats facing whales, dolphins, and other marine life and alongside Sea Watch Foundation are calling for members of the public to continue to work towards conserving the marine environment and the animals within it.
Sea Watch Foundation
2 Sep 2023
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