Appreciating wildlife

** Read our NEW Wildlife Afloat section **

Wildlife law in the UK is complex, taking various forms and varies between countries. The WiSe Guide to Wildlife Conservation Law provides general guidance of that which is applicable in England and Wales

For more sepcific information about marine wildlife download the WiSe Guide to Marine Wildlife Legislation

Did you know?

• In the UK we have the second largest fish in the world, the Basking Shark.
• The world's oceans support an estimated 10 million species but only 3% have been identified to date.
• Annually the UK hosts over 5 million migratory waterbirds.

Advice

• Keep a good pair of binoculars to hand – by keeping your noise and wash down you may even see breeding pairs in spring
• When you go ashore, use recognised landing places
• Small craft like personal watercraft, canoes and ribs can reach shallow, more sensitive areas. Avoid stirring up the bottom unduly, or disturbing vegetation and wildlife
• Slow down if you are creating excessive wash – it can erode banks, disturb nesting birds and damage sensitive vegetation
• If you keep a constant speed and direction when you spot whales and dolphins to avoid surprising or startling the animals
• Tell others what you have seen and help keep accurate records by reporting your sightings
• Find out whether the areas you visit are protected, and why. There may be vulnerable seabed species, so beware of dragging your anchor.

Useful information

Take a course to get the most out of watching wildlife from your boat.
www.wisecheme.org.uk

Report sightings of whales and dolphins to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
www.wdcs.org.uk

Identify those birds with the online id guide at RSPB.
www.rspb.org.uk

Find out about conservation activities in your area.
www.wildlifetrusts.org

The hard facts and legal aspects from Government web sites.
www.english-nature.org.uk
www.snh.org.uk
www.ccw.gov.uk
www.ehsni.gov.uk

Find out more about protection of marine wildlife through the Marine Conservation Society.
www.mcsuk.org.uk

More on species, habitats and global threats see WWF.
www.wwf.org.uk

Wildlife afloat

You may be surprised by what creatures might pop up on a cruise around the coast of Britain

This part of the site gives you a run-down of the animals, both rare and common, that you can be looking out for in UK waters, and where appropriate gives you some pointers on how your boating activities can be tailored to reduce impact on their natural world. Select a month on the left to see what you could see (at sea).

January

February