The first MARINElife survey for the globally threatened Balearic Shearwater on behalf of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) was completed on the 14th July off Portland Bill.
The survey team of Mark Darlaston, Kevin Lane and Neil Gartshore
recorded 37 Balearic Shearwaters during the dedicated transect
survey. Further surveys will be conducted during the summer to
better understand the distribution of this seabird off the south
west coast.
Additionally, casual records continue to come in and the same day a
single Balearic Shearwater was recorded fishing for scraps in the
Shambles off Portland Bill by Chris Caines, skipper of the Tiger
Lily out of Weymouth.