Locals urged to join dolphin watches on north Norfolk coast

Running from Saturday, July 25, to Sunday, August 2, the campaign aims to build a clearer picture of how often whales and dolphins visit local waters.  

Though bottlenose dolphins are still a rare sight off north Norfolk, a pod of eight to 10 was photographed just 400 metres off East Runton on August 14 last year by Sheringham photographer Chris Taylor. 

Resident pods are more commonly associated with Cardigan Bay in Wales, the Moray Firth in Scotland, and the south coast of England and Yorkshire.

The mammals were previously photographed just 400 metres off East Runton (Image: Chris Taylor)

Norfolk regional coordinator for the Sea Watch Foundation, Di Westwood, will be at the Marine Event at West Runton on July 28, encouraging people to set up their own watches along the coast. 

Coordinators hope that more local eyes on the sea this summer will show whether Norfolk’s occasional visitors are becoming more frequent. 

Simple instructions on how to take part and submit sightings are available on the charity’s website.