Harbour
Porpoise
The most regularly seen cetacean in the North Sea. The
best time to see them is in late summer and on a day with little rough water.
Given the right conditions, sightings of 2 or 3 animals are very likely.White-beaked Dolphin
The have been several sightings of White-beaked Dolphins in the last few
summers, but they rarely stay around for long periods. They normally stay
well offshore and Souter lighthouse is the best place to look for them.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Normally very scarce away from favoured areas in the North Sea, but 2004
was a particularly good summer for them. In September 2004, one became a
local celebrity by staying around the marina at Sunderland for nearly a
month.
Minke Whale
The smallest baleen whale and the most likely to be seen of our coast in
the summer months. They never stay around long and sightings are usually
of animals surfacing two or three times before disappearing not to be seen
again.
Fin Whale
The second largest animal on the planet. Fin Whale sightings are very
scarce and they are not seen off the Durham coast every year.
Killer Whale (Orca)
This impressive animal is a very rare visitor to the southern sector of
the North Sea, but they are regularly seen off northern Scotland and pods
occasionally wander down the coast. The dorsal fin of this species makes
them unmistakeable.
Other species that could
be seen off the Durham coast include Humpback Whale, Sperm Whale,
Long-finned Pilot Whale, Short-beaked Common Dolphin, Risso's Dolphin and
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin, but these are all very rare on our strip of
coast.
