1. Summary Report 2014
Seaquest South-West is a marine recording and public participation project run jointly
by the Cornwall and Devon Wildlife Trusts
Common dolphins. Photo by Paul Semmens

2. 2
Cornwall boasts the largest coastline of any UK county, and our waters are home to some
of the world’s most exciting marine life. From the harbour porpoise, Europe’s smallest
cetacean; right up to the fin whale, the world’s second largest marine mammal.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) works tirelessly to protect Cornwall's marine wildlife and wild places for future
generations to enjoy. The Living Seas marine conservation team at CWT coordinate a series of different projects
within the county, all of which work towards achieving our three major aims; to collect data on marine
ecosystems, to create awareness of the threats facing marine life and to campaign for a better protection of our
marine habitats. Seaquest Southwest is one of these fantastic marine projects!
Seaquest Southwest is a citizen science marine recording project run in conjunction with Devon Wildlife Trust.
For over 20 years we have been recording the distribution and abundance of our most charismatic marine
wildlife; including dolphins, sharks, whales, porpoises, seals, sunfish and much more. Through educational
activities and public events such as the Seaquest roadshow, evening talks and boat trips, we aim to increase
people’s awareness of these species and the threats they are under. The project incorporates sighting records
sent in by the public with structured surveys conducted by trained volunteers, to better understand and
monitor these species around the South West. Only with evidence-based records of occurrence, behaviour and
ecology can we act to better protect and conserve these wonderful animals around our coasts.
Aims of Seaquest Southwest;
• to engage people with the marine
environment
• to collect data on marine wildlife
• to better understand and conserve marine
and coastal wildlife in the southwest.
Harbour porpoise. Photo by Niki Clear
For the last 3 years Seaquest Southwest has been coordinated and managed by a volunteer project coordinator.
In 2014 Tom Horton took on the role to continue the great work of dedicated staff and volunteers from
previous years. Tom led a series of public events throughout the year, alongside volunteer recruitment,
training days and structured surveys (Seaquest Sundays).
All data collated via the Seaquest project is shared locally with the Environmental Records Centre for
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (ERCCIS), and nationally with partners such as the Seawatch Foundation, and
governing bodies such as Natural England (NE) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).
This report summarises the activities and results of our Seaquest Southwest Project in 2014.

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Public Sea Watch at St Agnes Head. Photo by Nina Constable
Seaquest 2014: Key Facts and Figures
• 1,612 marine wildlife sightings of over 9,304 animals.
• 2,000+ people engaged with the project.
• 200+ people contributed sightings and/or survey data.
• 65 new volunteers were recruited and trained.
• 71 Seaquest surveys were conducted.
• 161 hours of sea watching during Seaquest Sundays.
• 11 public sea watches, with over 300 people attending.
• 4 evening talks through Autumn and Winter.
• 750 people attended the Seaquest Roadshow in just 5 days.
• 60 dedicated volunteers attended the Seaquest Marine Recorders Conference.
• 5 ‘Wildlife Safe’ talks for boat owners/operators throughout Cornwall.
• 2 Seaquest boat trips out of Penzance and Padstow.

4. 4
‘Ad-hoc sightings’ are casual records of marine life, reported as-and-when animals are
observed.This is in contrast to ‘effort-based’ data which comes from trained volunteers
conducting surveys over a specific time period to actively search for the animals.
Ad-hoc sightings of marine wildlife are always encouraged, and can be sent to Seaquest Southwest via the CWT
website at www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/marinesightings. Alternatively the information can be emailed to
seaquest@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk or reported by phone to the Marine Conservation Officer on 01872 240777 ext
208. If possible, photos should always be included with sightings as they help to confirm species identification.
1,212 ad-hoc records for whales, dolphins, porpoise, seals, basking sharks and ocean sunfish were sent into Seaquest
during 2014. These involved a minimum of 4,497 animals, and stretched the length and breadth of Cornwall.
In short 2014 could be described as a rather unusual year for marine animals.
Basking shark numbers were extremely low with a total of only 76 sightings involving 110 animals. The majority of
these were from a period of two weeks in late April to early May.
In contrast we had large numbers of cetaceans, including a number of unusual records such as 8 orca (described
from 3 separate locations though sadly not confirmed with pictures); 100 Risso’s dolphins (three times the ‘typical’
number), 2 sightings of pilot whales, a Sei whale (only the 15th record for the UK); and a dwarf/pygmy sperm
whale (a first for Cornwall).
2014 was a record year for barrel jellyfish, with the largest numbers reported since 2002. There were with 75
sightings of 384 animals, although they were most definitely under-recorded. Jellyfish sightings across the board
were high in 2014, presumably as a response to one of the warmest summers in recent years.
Intriguingly, numbers of ocean sunfish, were down by about 60% from last year. In addition to the lower numbers
we also noted that in 2013 they were seen regularly in large shoals of up to 20 individuals, whereas in 2014 the
largest group size was reported as 4. We’re seeking information from a ‘sunfish expert’ as to whether this was a
national trend, and if so what may be behind it, so watch this space for updates on the story!
Number of animals recorded
SPECIES No of records No of individuals
Common dolphin 122 1440
Harbour porpoise 341 1254
Grey seal 356 731
Bottlenose dolphin 105 567
Cetacean species 46 120
Basking shark 76 110
Risso's dolphin 28 100
Ocean sunfish 81 93
Minke whale 22 27
Common seal 12 13
Dolphin species 6 11
Dwarf sperm whale 1 10
Orca (killer whale) 3 8
Striped dolphin 4 4
Leatherback turtle 3 3
Pilot whale 2 2
Sei whale 2 2
Seal species 1 1
White sided dolphin 1 1
Total 1212 4497
Table 1: Numbers of ad-hoc species records reported to Seaquest Southwest during 2014.
Seaquest Ad-Hoc Sightings

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Map 1: Seaquest Southwest Sightings for cetaceans, seals and basking sharks during 2014.
Map 2: Seaquest Southwest bottlenose dolphin sightings during 2014.

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Graph 1: Records of the six most frequently reported species from 2010 to 2014.
Map 3: Seaquest Southwest orca sightings during 2014.

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Seaquest Surveys
Rather than relying solely on 'ad-hoc' or casual sightings records, a better understanding of
marine and coastal wildlife is achieved through ‘effort-based’ surveys, either from land or
from boats.These surveys are carried out by trained volunteers, and have been a key focus
of Seaquest Southwest in recent years.
Seaquest surveys were introduced to encourage volunteers to head to their local sea-watch site and record marine
wildlife seen over a dedicated (known) period of watch time. Volunteers are given formal training by Cornwall
Wildlife Trust, and all follow the same survey protocols and methodologies. These surveys can be conducted on any
day at any time, but one Sunday a month is set as a ‘Seaquest Sunday’ where as many volunteers as possible head
to the coast at the same time in order to get a snap-shot of the marine wildlife from all around Cornwall. The data is
then used to monitor populations, understand behaviour, highlight activity hotspots and make a real contribution
towards effective protection and conservation for these species.
During 2014, 64 new volunteers were trained to take part in Seaquest surveys. A total of 71 Seaquest surveys were
carried out over almost 161 hours of sea watching. These surveys yielded 151 sightings; averaging 0.94 sightings per
hour of sea watching.
The 71 surveys were located at 22 different sites around the coast, using binoculars, telescopes and very keen
eyes! National Coastwatch Institutions (or NCI stations) continue to be popular sites for sea watching, and are
recommended sites for Seaquest surveys due to their prominent locations with good views out to sea. Gwennap
Head NCI (including Hella Point) was the most popular site in 2014, with 32 hours 15 minutes of surveying. St Agnes
Head NCI was second, with 26 hours and 45 minutes. Boscastle NCI (19 hours), Bass Point near the Lizard NCI (over
15 hours) and St Ives NCI (over 12 hours) were also very popular watch points this year.
During 2014 Godrevy had the highest number of marine sightings per hour of sea watching, averaging 4.5
sightings per hour of sea watching. The majority of these sightings were grey seals – perhaps not surprising as
Godrevy is known to be a key haul-out site and pupping location for the species.
Please note that the seals at Godrevy are very easily disturbed, even by people sitting quietly on the cliff-top.
If you are planning on surveying (or visiting) this site, you should avoid causing disturbance to these animals
and adhere to the Cornwall Marine and Coastal Code which you can find online at www.marinelifecode.org.uk.
Gwennap Head during a Seaquest Public Seawatch. Photo by Tom Horton

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Gwennap Head, our most popular site, has once again demonstrated its importance as a feeding ground for
a number of cetacean species. Seaquest surveys from Gwennap showed seven different species recorded in
the area, and the data averaged 0.89 sightings per hour of watch time. The most frequently reported species
from this site was the harbour porpoise, but there were also regular sightings of common dolphins, bottlenose
dolphins, grey seals and ocean sunfish.
St. Ives and St. Agnes, two more very popular watch points, are also renowned for their importance for dolphins
and porpoises. St Ives, with 1.52 sightings per hour, is an important feeding area particularly for bottlenose
dolphins, while St. Agnes, with 1.16 sightings per hour, is located along a renowned super-highway for dolphins
and porpoises travelling up the north coast.
Grey Seal. Photo by Dan Murphy
Harbour Porpoise in St Ives. Photo by Dan Murphy

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St Agnes Head also proved to be an important area for ocean sunfish, with over half of all records last year
reported from this one headland. These strange and unusual creatures visit our coast each year to feed on
jellyfish. Juvenile herring gulls can often be seen helping to rid the sunfish of their parasite burden. They are
often seen at the surface, resembling a silvery plastic bag until their fins pop up above the surface. A few lucky
Seaquest volunteers have seen these animals breaching clear! Other sites that yielded sunfish records during
2014 included Pendennis Point, Nare Point, Porthcurno and Penzance.
Overall 151 sightings were recorded in 2014, from almost 161 hours of surveying. This equates to roughly an
animal an hour on every seawatch! The success of these effort-based surveys has remained fairly constant over
the years, but Seaquest want to see more effective monitoring play a larger role in the conservation of Cornish
megafauna. In order for this to happen we need to continually expand and develop. During 2015 we hope to
see more volunteers taking to more sites along the coast, in order to build up even more detail of when and how
these fantastic animals use our coast. So dust off those binoculars and get out onto the cliffs, there’s plenty out
there to see: you just need a bit of time and splash of good luck!
Ocean Sunfish. Photo by Richard Morton

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Location Number
of Surveys
Total
hours
spent
watching
Total
number of
sightings
Number of
sightings
per hour
Number
of Species
Seen
Species Seen
NCI
Station
Watch
Points
Gwennap
Head NCI and
Hella Point
12 32:15 29 0.89 7 Bottlenose Dolphin, Common
Dolphin, Grey Seal, Harbour
Porpoise, Ocean Sunfish,
Dolphin species (indet.),
unknown cetacean species.
St Agnes NCI 11 26:45 31 1.16 4 Bottlenose Dolphin, Harbour
Porpoise Grey Seal, Ocean
Sunfish.
Boscastle NCI 8 19:00 9 0.47 3 Grey Seal, Harbour Porpoise,
Ocean Sunfish.
Bass Point NCI 8 15:45 5 0.32 2 Harbour Porpoise, Dolphin
species (indet.),
St Ives NCI 5 12:30 19 1.52 3 Bottlenose Dolphin, Grey Seal,
Ocean Sunfish.
Polruan NCI 5 8:45 1 0.11 1 Harbour Porpoise
Cape Cornwall
NCI
3 7:30 9 1.2 2 Grey Seal, Ocean Sunfish.
Porthscatho
NCI
2 6:00 2 0.33 1 Grey Seal
Nare Point
NCI
1 1:30 0 0 0
Other
Sites
Lizard Point 3 6:00 5 0.83 2 Grey Seal, Harbour Porpoise
Rosemullion
Head, Helford
2 4:00 1 0.25 1 Grey Seal
Navax Point,
Godrevy
2 4:00 13 3.25 1 Grey Seal
Rospletha
Cliffs,
Porthcurno
1 1:30 0 0 0
Porthtowan
Cliffs
1 2:00 2 1 1 Grey Seal
Godrevy Point 1 2:00 14 7 1 Grey Seal
Mayon Cliff,
Sennen
1 2:00 8 4 2 Minke Whale, Harbour
Porpoise
Kellan Head,
Porth Quin
1 2:15 0 0 0
Cudden Point,
Mountys
1 2:00 1 0.5 1 Grey Seal
Basset's Cove,
Rudruth
1 2:00 2 1 1 Grey Seal
Pendennis
Point,
Falmouth
1 2:00 0 0 0
Penzance 1 1:00 0 0 0
Total
71
Total
160:45
Total
151
Average
0.94
Total
8
Table 2: Details of Seaquest Sunday surveys though 2014.
If you still have sightings to send in, or think that some of your data hasn’t been included then please get in
touch on seaquest@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk

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Increasing public participation and educating a wider audience in the importance of our
marine environment is key to achieving the aims of the Seaquest project. During 2014
Seaquest Southwest organised a whole host of public events, evening talks, boat trips and
social events to engage with people of all ages and abilities.
Public Sea Watches
Seaquest ran 11 public sea watches in 2014, with over 300 volunteers and members of the public attending.
These events were a fantastic opportunity for volunteers to socialise and visit new areas of the coastline, as
well as engaging with a wider public audience. These events also produced valuable species data and sightings
records; including a basking shark and a pod of bottlenose from Hella Point, a breaching ocean sunfish and a
number of barrel jellyfish at St. Agnes Head, and a few brief glimpses of shy harbour porpoises at various spots.
The Seaquest Roadshow
The largest event of the summer was the Seaquest Southwest Roadshow, which travelled around some of
Cornwall’s top tourist destinations for one week in August.
The sites included;
• The Minack Theatre near Porthcurno
• The National Maritime Museum in Falmouth
• Gweek Seal Sanctuary
• The Royal Regatta at Fowey
• Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay
We are very grateful to these attractions for hosting us. Over 800 members of the public visited the roadshow to
learn about the wealth of marine species that frequent Cornish waters.
Public Engagement & Outreach
Public Seawatch at Gwennap Head, June. Photo by Nina Constable

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Seaquest Evening Talks
Seaquest Southwest organised 4 evening talks in Autumn/Winter 2014. Peter Jones talked about the work of
the Seawatch Foundation, Duncan and Hannah Jones from Marine Discovery presented their work on harbour
porpoises around Mounts Bay. Dr. Matt Witt and Dr. Lucy Hawkes from Exeter University talked about their
basking shark research, and Dr. Nick Tregenza from Exeter University and Chelonia, talked about his career
working in acoustic marine mammal monitoring.
Marine Recorders Conference
The 3rd annual Marine Recorders Conference was held at Newquay College in November, and was attended
by over 50 volunteers from all around the county. The focus of this successful event is to promote the wealth
of citizen science marine recording projects in Cornwall, and inspire people to get involved. This year the
conference featured talks from the Seasearch and Shoresearch projects, Intertidal Discovery and the Marine and
Coastal Code group. Jason Birt from Cornwall College also gave a very interesting presentation on the vital role
that citizen science projects play in the wider field of marine research.
Other Events
To inspire volunteers the project also organised socials such as the summer BBQ and two exciting boat trips.
Working with the Wildlife Safe (WiSe) organisation we also held a series of five public talks at sailing clubs
throughout Cornwall. These were funded through sponsorship by the Cornwall Marine and Coastal Code
Group and were designed to encourage boat owners (and operators) to behave in a responsible manner when
using our seas, in order to reduce disturbance to marine wildlife. The talks were attended by over 80 people,
and it is hoped that they will become an annual event in future years.
Matt Slater, CWT Marine Awareness Officer, delivering a talk during the Seaquest Roadshow. Photo by Tom Horton
Orca. Photo by Gillian Day

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Marine Conservation Zones
2015 is a big year for marine conservation, with a public consultation for additional Marine Conservation Zones
(MCZs) now well underway. Cornwall currently has eight fully designated MCZs, but these sites alone are not
enough. Our seas desperately need a network of protection in order to recover from past damage and decline.
Defra therefore decided that MCZs will be designated in three rounds; the first round (known as tranche I)
consisted of the sites that have already designated, the second round (tranche II) is now underway, and tranche
III is expected in 2016.
The new sites that have been recommended in Cornwall (inshore) are:
• Mounts Bay
• Land’s End (the Runnelstone)
• Newquay and The Gannel
• Tintagel to Hartland Point
Each site has a number of listed features (both species and habitats) which will become protected if the site is
designated. Cornwall Wildlife Trust has been heavily involved in collecting data to support the designation of
these sites, and a large amount of this data has come from the Seaquest project.
For more information on MCZs and how you can help, visit www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/livingseas.
Ocean Giants
The Wildlife Trusts are also campaigning to include large mobile species such as basking sharks, minke whales
and porpoises, in MCZ designations. Mobile species are currently excluded since MCZs only protect habitats
and wildlife on the seabed. The 29 species of whales, dolphins, porpoises, and basking sharks regularly found
around the UK coast are therefore still at risk from damaging activities, and some species are in decline. The
Ocean Giants campaign seeks to protect the nutrient-rich places these animals need most for feeding, breeding
and socialising.
As with all avenues of marine conservation, decisions on which sites to protect must be firmly evidence-
based. Seaquest data is therefore vital towards this campaign, and throughout 2015 you can be sure you are
contributing essential data and to the protection of our seas!
You can find out more about the ocean giants campaign and sign the e-petition at
www.wildlifetrusts.org/oceangiants
2015 Seaquest Voluntary Coordinator
During 2014 Tom Horton did an absolutely fantastic job at coordinating the Seaquest project, and we would like
to take this opportunity to thank him for all his hard work. We have now appointed Tom’s successor, and are
delighted to introduce Hannah Towner as the newest member of the Seaquest team! You will be hearing from
Hannah before long, and we know she is already looking forward to spending many a happy hour seawatching
over the summer!
2015 Seaquest Programme
The Seaquest programme for Spring/Summer 2015 can be found on the back page of this report. In addition
to the activities listed here we also hope to bring you boat trips, evening talks and at least one BBQ – details of
these will all be confirmed by Hannah in the coming weeks.
Thanks for all your input into Seaquest Southwest during 2014. We hope you have enjoyed being part of the
project and will continue to join us at one of our many events throughout 2015. See you on the cliffs!
Caz, Dan, Tom and Hannah.
The Seaquest Southwest Team
Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
Looking ahead to 2015...

14. Public Sea Watches
Join marine experts at different locations around
the Cornish coast. Conduct a marine wildlife survey,
learn more about the amazing marine life in Cornish
waters, meet other volunteers and enjoy a cliff-top
tea and cake!
From 11.00am - 2.00pm.
• Sunday 22nd
March – Lizard Point
• Sunday 19th
April – Towan Head, Newquay.
• Sunday 17th
May – Dodman Point, near Gorran Haven.
• Sunday 21st
June – St Agnes NCI station.
• Sunday 19th
July – Gwennap Head NCI station.
• Sunday 16th
August – Barras Nose, near Tintagel.
Seaquest Sundays
Effort based surveys to record our marine wildlife
from your favourite sea watching point.
From 11.00am -1.00pm. You must be a trained
volunteer before conducting these surveys.
Bring: binoculars, survey forms and a pencil,
compass, warm clothes, waterproofs, sun block, hat,
food and drink.
• Sunday 29th
March
• Sunday 12th
April
• Sunday 3rd
May
• Sunday 7th
June
• Sunday 5th
July
• Sunday 2nd
August
Seaquest Training
Short course on how to conduct effort-based surveys
and get clued up on your marine wildlife ID skills.
Cost £5. Booking essential. Contact Seaquest for
more information seaquest@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk
• Sunday 15th
March, 10am – 1pm
• Saturday 27th
June, 1pm – 4pm
• Thursday 17th
September, 5.30pm – 8.30pm
Seaquest Southwest Roadshow
For one week only, Cornwall Wildlife Trust is
going to be touring the Seaquest Southwest project
around Cornwall.
Visiting some of the busiest tourist spots, the
roadshow will provide information, games and
activities to teach people about our wonderful
marine life. Details to follow.
• Monday 24th
to Friday 28th August.
Annual Recorders Conference
Join dedicated recorders, other Seaquest
volunteers and marine experts to share results and
findings from a season of sea watching. Including
presentations and updates from conservation
projects across Cornwall. Full details will be
confirmed later in the year. Keep the date free!
• Saturday 28th
November 10.00am - 3.00pm
Seaquest Southwest
Spring/Summer Programme
March 2015 – August 2015
Protecting Cornwall’s wildlife
and wild places
Cornwall
Wildlife Trust
For more information on any of the above events, please email
seaquest@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk or call 01872 240777 ext 208.
Registered charity number 214929