www. dolphindefenders .co.uk
Introduction
People who live near the Moray Firth are very
fortunate and privileged as the Moray Firth is home to
a group of bottlenose dolphins. It is very rare for
bottlenose dolphins to live in such cold waters, but
around 130 live all year round in the North Sea,
spending much of their time in the Moray Firth.
Anecdotal information suggests that bottlenose
dolphins have lived in the Moray Firth for over a
hundred years. Local people and tourists are able to
enjoy watching the dolphins, but we also have a
responsibility to help them survive for at least another
100 years. However, the environment in which we live
has changed a great deal over this time.The 21st
century has made life easier and more comfortable for
us, but for the dolphins this is not necessarily the case.
This pack will help you to learn more about the
lives of the bottlenose dolphins that live in the
Moray Firth. It will help you to understand the
activities that affect the dolphins.You will be able to
see how you can help to safeguard the population of
bottlenose dolphins to ensure they will still be living
in the Moray Firth 100 years from now.
Use this pack to help you plan and present talks to
inform others. By making a personal pledge to
actively do something to improve the lives of the
dolphins and by sharing your knowledge with others,
through your talks and presentations, you can
become a “Dolphin Defender”. Encourage everyone
to take care of this very special group of marine
animals and you will be part of a unique team of
people, not only sharing your lives with dolphins but
also safeguarding their lives for the future.
Contents
Teacher’s page – Curriculum Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Check List – Materials and Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
About the Moray Firth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
About dolphins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
About bottlenose dolphins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Risks and dangers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Investigation and activity sheets:
Dirty Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Chemicals and Metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Dolphin directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
More ideas and activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Planning talks and presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Finding out more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Dolphin Defenders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Twinning with a primary school in the Seychelles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
www. dolphindefenders .co.uk
2
Teacher’s Page
It is recommended that P6 and P7 children, working
in small groups, use this schools pack.
The contents of the school kit will help children to
prepare an oral presentation about the bottlenose
dolphins that live in the Moray Firth.
It will encourage children to work together
and co-operate.
It will promote understanding and develop
awareness of the need for conservation.
It may also encourage some children to
become actively involved in safeguarding the
dolphin population.
Factual information and science investigations
are included in the written sheets as well as
ideas for further activities and sources of further
information. Materials and equipment are included
to support the investigations.
The schools pack supports the 5-14 National
Guidelines, with particular reference to the
following areas:
English Language
Listening
Reading
Talking
Writing
Levels
Levels
Levels
Levels
D
D
D
D
Changing Materials
Variety and Characteristic features
Interaction of Living Things
Levels C and E
Levels C and E
Levels A to F
The Pack has some useful equipment and materials to help you
with your investigations and extra activities.
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pot of buffer solution, pH 2
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pot of buffer solution, pH10
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pot of water
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3 small dishes
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box of pH strips with
colour card
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empty pot and lid
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food chain worksheet
to photocopy
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length of ribbon
E
E
E
E
Environmental Studies – Science
Checklist
This is what you will find:
and
and
and
and
Buffer solutions or pH strips
are available from:
Scientific and Chemical Supplies Ltd
Unit 13
Airways Industrial Estate
Pitmedden Road
Dyce
Aberdeenshire
AB21 0DT
Tel: 01224 724849
www. dolphindefenders .co.uk
3
About the Moray Firth
The Moray Firth stretches from John O’Groats
to Fraserburgh, a distance of 800km. It is the
largest firth in Scotland and includes a number
of smaller firths.
Most of the Firth contains salty seawater but where
the rivers reach the sea, the fresh water and salt
water mix together.Twice a day, the tides move in
and out along the coastline.
The tidal movements, exposure to wind and waves
and the mixture of river and seawater create
different types of marine landscapes.There are
estuaries, sand dunes, rocky shores, mud flats and
salt marshes. Each area is suited to different plants
and creatures so the Moray Firth provides a home
for many different types of wildlife.
Thousands of birds, both wildfowl and wading
birds, live near the coast and the sea contains
millions of tiny creatures as well as shellfish and
fish, including salmon and sea trout returning to
the rivers where they hatched. Such an abundance
of wildlife has encouraged larger animals to make
their home in the Moray Firth. Whales, dolphins,
porpoises and seals are all mammals that live in
the Moray Firth.
The Moray Firth is particularly important because it
is home to a rare population of bottlenose dolphins.
In 1996 it was given a special status.The area of the
Firth west of a line drawn from Helmsdale to
Lossiemouth is called a Special Area of
Conservation (SAC).This means that it is protected
and there are many people working to ensure that
the sea and the animals that live in it will be safe.
Local people should be proud of their marine
environment and feel lucky to be part of such a
special area, to enjoy such beautiful surroundings
and abundant and varied marine wildlife.
People have lived and worked near the Moray Firth
for thousands of years.Their lives have changed the
landscape and affected the wildlife. In the last fifty
years oil related industries, tourism and leisure
activities have brought jobs to the area and towns
and villages have grown. However this has the
potential to have an effect on the wildlife of the
Moray Firth
To help protect our wildlife we must be careful not
to get careless, be watchful, not wasteful so that
local people and wildlife in the area can continue
to prosper together.
Find out more about:–
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the Moray Firth coastline, using an atlas
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river estuaries, sand dunes, mudflats, rocky shores and
saltmarshes
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the birds that live in the Moray Firth
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seals, other dolphins, porpoises and whales that live in or
visit the Moray Firth
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4
About Dolphins
Dolphins usually live for about 25 years but individual
animals have been known to live for 50 years. In the
Moray Firth the dolphins live in small family groups
mainly consisting of mothers and calves.
Dolphins have large brains and they are intelligent.
They can learn, through observation, how to perform
difficult tasks.They have good memories and will
cooperate with one another. Dolphins are sociable
animals and have a well-developed sense of play.They
seem to enjoy each other’s company and are very
responsive to humans.There are many incidents of
dolphins working and playing with humans.
Dolphins are able to communicate with one
another by making noises that we cannot hear.
Scientists use special instruments to hear the
sounds made by dolphins.They include whines,
creaks, chirps, clicks and whistles. Each dolphin
has its own unique whistle.
Dolphins are mammals like us.They are warm
blooded and breathe air.Their young are born alive
and fed on milk. But dolphins live all their lives in
the sea.They have adapted to live underwater.
Dolphins have a streamlined shape with a smooth
skin so they move through the water easily. They
have a powerful tail and broad flippers so they can
swim very fast, up to 50kph. While underwater,
dolphins can hold their breath for up to five
minutes and dive to over 500m.They have a
blowhole on top of their heads through which
they can breathe.
Dolphins belong to a larger family that includes
whales, dolphins and porpoises called cetaceans.
Within this family they are part of the group of
small toothed whales and dolphins called
Odontoceti.They have rows of sharp teeth which
they need to catch and eat their food.
Dolphins cannot see well underwater. Instead they
have very good hearing and use sound to help them
move around safely.This is called echolocation.
They make a “clicking” sound as they swim and
when that sound wave hits an object, the echo
bounces back to the dolphin.They can then build
up a picture of their surroundings. Submarines use
sonar in the same way.
Other useful sources to find
out more about Dolphins
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Dolphins have a dorsal fin. What is it used for?
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Dolphins breathe voluntarily. How is this different to us?
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Find out more about the family – cetacean.
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What other whales and dolphins belong to the
Odontoceti family?
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Find out more about echolocation.
www. dolphindefenders .co.uk
5
About the Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins are thought to have lived in the
Moray Firth for at least a hundred years.They were
first seen and written about in 1898 and have a
nickname “tumblers”.
Today over 100 bottlenose dolphins live in the
Moray Firth. It is very rare for dolphins to live in
such cold waters. Most bottlenose dolphins live in
warmer seas, such as off the coast of Florida.There
are only 2 resident populations of bottlenose
dolphins that live in colder UK waters.The other
resident bottlenose dolphin population lives in
Cardigan Bay off the west coast of Wales.
The Moray Firth has a rich wildlife so the dolphins
have plenty of food and a safe place to rear their
young. Because the Moray Firth dolphins live in cold
waters, they have a thick layer of blubber to keep
them warm.They weigh between 180 and 300
kilograms and can grown to nearly 4 metres long.They
are much bigger than their cousins living in warmer
waters, who grow to about 2.5 metres and weigh less.
Scientists from Aberdeen University have been
studying the bottlenose dolphins in the Moray
Firth since 1989.They try to build up a complete
picture of their lives. But dolphins are very difficult
to study as they live in the sea and most of the
time is spent under the water. However the
scientists have made many discoveries about the
bottlenose dolphins. They know that the female
dolphins will give birth every 5 years.The young
dolphin is around 1.3m long when it is born.The
young are born between March and September
and stay with their mother for at least 3 years.
For at least 18 months the young dolphins feed on
their mother’s milk. Adult dolphins feed on squid,
sand eels and a variety of fish, including salmon
as they return to the Moray Firth. Worryingly, the
scientists have also discovered that the population
may be declining.
Today the law protects the bottlenose dolphins.
But our help is needed too. People in the area
have to take care of the bottlenose dolphins by
understanding their needs and making sure they
provide the proper environment for them to live in.
More to do
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Compare your height and weight to a bottlenose dolphin.
How many times heavier and longer is a bottlenose dolphin
than you?
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Cut a piece of string or ribbon to the length of a bottlenose
dolphin. Now compare the length of your “dolphin” to
objects and spaces in your room.
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Find out about the work done by the scientists at Aberdeen
University by visiting their website at:
www.abdn.ac.uk/zoology/lighthouse
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6
Risks and Dangers
Sadly the numbers of bottlenose dolphins living in the
Moray Firth may be declining.To help protect the
dolphins, part of the Moray Firth has been designated
a SAC (Special Area of Conservation).This means that
the area will be carefully managed to ensure that the
dolphin population stays healthy.This will also benefit
all the other animals that live in the area.
chemicals in washing and cleaning powders.They end
up in our dirty water. Even in small quantities,
chemicals can be harmful to small marine animals and
fish. Dolphins at the top of the food chain will eat
many fish or other small marine animals. The
chemicals will become more concentrated and
potentially more dangerous.
Today the bottlenose dolphins face many potential risks
and this is partly due to the way we live and our demands
that cause the damage to our environment.We spoil or
pollute the environment. Pollution is a major problem in
many parts of the world today. Some of the problems
that affect the Moray Firth are described below.
LITTER
The modern world is sometimes described as a
“throwaway society”.Vast amounts of unwanted
packaging, equipment, cars, furniture and much more
are thrown away.This rubbish has to be disposed of in
landfill sites or by incineration. Some of this rubbish is
left lying around ending up on our shores and beaches.
Many beaches are littered with rubbish carelessly
thrown away or flushed down toilets. Plastic waste is
the biggest danger. Marine animals and birds may eat
the waste plastic or may get caught in it. Both
situations will cause suffering to the wildlife.
SEWAGE
Dirty water, both domestic and industrial, is called sewage.
It is treated at a wastewater treatment plant. Sometimes
sewage or sewage sludge may be piped directly into the
rivers and sea without being treated properly. Dolphins,
swimming in polluted water, may be affected by human
disease-organisms, known as pathogens.
OIL
Waste oil from cleaning oil tanks, from careless oil
disposal at garages or oil leaks can end up in the sea.
Occasionally a major oil spill from a tanker or oil
installation covers large areas of water.
Small marine creatures and fish are easily affected by
oil in water.These animals are part of the dolphin’s
food supply and become less plentiful.
CHEMICALS
Poisonous or toxic chemicals from industry,
agriculture and incineration can be leaked into the
atmosphere, the land or the sea. In our homes we use
MARINE TRAFFIC
Powerboats and jet skis are becoming more popular.
They travel very fast and are very maneuverable.They
may cause injury to marine animals and can cause
distress and confusion, as their engines are very noisy.
In a noisy atmosphere, echolocation used by dolphins
could be affected.
FISHING NETS
Marine animals may become tangled up in discarded
fishing nets. Using a fine meshed net for fishing creates
a particular danger for dolphins.Their echolocation
system cannot detect the thin strands. Gill nets used
to catch coastal salmon are fine meshed but it is
against the law to use them.
How you can help
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look at the Problem pages for more information and
investigations to do.
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help to keep your local beach clean and litter free. Support
a “Beach Cleanup”.
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tell a responsible adult
be illegal.
if you see fishing nets that may
www. dolphindefenders .co.uk
7
Dirty Water
In our homes we use clean water and make it dirty.
Industry also uses water and makes it dirty. Some of
this dirty water or sewage can end up being piped
straight into the sea.
If there is a lot of untreated dirty water or sewage
in the sea algae grows very rapidly.You may have
seen areas of water with green algae growing,
perhaps near a water outlet pipe.
We would avoid swimming in these places as we
know it would be a health risk. Dolphins, however,
may swim in a contaminated area and could be
affected by human disease organisms called
pathogens from the raw sewage in the water.
Today, much of our raw sewage is treated at
wastewater treatment plants and after treatment
the “clean” water is piped back into the rivers or
sea. Checks need to be done to ensure that this
water is safe both for us and for all the wildlife that
lives in or near the sea.
liquids.Too much acid or alkali is harmful to plants
and animals.The water needs to be neutral to be
safe to be returned to the rivers or sea.
There are 3 pots containing different water in your
pack. Put a teaspoonful of water from one pot into
a small dish. Label it A. Using a pH strip, place it in
the water in the dish for 15 seconds. Match the
colours on the pH strip with the pH colour card.
Write down - Dish A contains water with pH …….
Repeat this process with the 2 other pots. Label
each dish and write down the result each time.
Liquids with a pH of 1 to 6 are called acid.
Liquids with a pH of 8 to 14 are called alkali.
Liquids with a pH of 7 are called neutral.
Although each of the pots of water looks the same,
only one of them is safe for plants and animals.
Which one is it?
Do this investigation to check for clean water. pH
strips test how much acid or alkali there is in
How you can help
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find out how a wastewater treatment plant cleans
dirty water.
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try not to use too many chemicals like bleach in your home.
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use biodegradable washing powders.
www. dolphindefenders .co.uk
8
Oil
Occasionally we read of a major disaster if an oil
tanker runs aground and spills its oil cargo into the
sea.The shoreline, the sea and all the creatures that
live in or nearby are affected. We read and hear
about it wherever it occurs in the world.
Pour about 50ml of water into the empty pot in
your pack or use a jam jar with a lid. If you can use
coloured water it will be easier to see your result.
Now slowly pour the same amount of cooking oil
into the same pot. Be careful not to shake the pot.
But most of the oil that pollutes the nearby rivers
and sea occurs without us being aware of it. Garages
and some local industries use oil products that may
be disposed of carelessly. Oil seeps into the ground
or is poured down drains, eventually finding its way
via rivers into the sea. Oil leaks from tankers or oil
installations at sea. Oil storage tanks on ships are
cleaned regularly. At oil refineries, oil spillage may
occur. All this oil eventually ends up in the sea. Even
the methods used to clean up the oil by using
detergents, after a major oil spill, can sometimes
make the situation worse as some detergents
contain toxins causing further damage.
What has happened to the oil and water?
The smaller animals and plants in the sea are
affected by oil in the water and so dolphins may find
their food supply is not as plentiful. It is thought
that a big oil spill may cause toxic or poisonous gas
that affect the dolphins as they breathe or the oil
may damage their skin.
Try this investigation and find out why oil is a
problem in water.
Now put the lid on the pot and shake it. Leave the
liquids to settle again for a few minutes.
What has happened now?
Add a few drops of washing up liquid to the pot of
oil and water. Shake it again and then leave until the
bubbles have dispersed.
What has happened now?
Oil and water do not mix together. Liquids that do
not mix together are described as immiscible. Even
when they are stirred or shaken, they will separate
again. So oil will float on the sea and can cover
surface dwelling wildlife, such as birds sitting on
the surface.
When detergent is added to the oil and water it
mixes with the oil and forms an emulsion or cream.
In the sea this emulsion lumps together and sinks,
coating the seabed with an oily cream
How you can help
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take waste oil to local council collection point.
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watch out for oil on beaches and tell someone.
www. dolphindefenders .co.uk
9
Chemicals and Metals
In our world today we enjoy many comforts and
luxuries. We live in homes with central heating, use
electrical goods for our entertainment and easier
living, use cars, bicycles, trains and planes to get
around more quickly.The list is endless. But all
these goods are manufactured – they have to be
made for us in factories. All sorts of different
industries are needed to provide all the things we
want in our modern world.
Industries have to dispose of large quantities of
toxic industrial waste including chemicals and
metals like lead and mercury. No completely safe
way has yet been found to achieve this, although
industrial waste is no longer dumped in the sea as it
used to be. Agriculture, producing so many different
foods that we want, uses pesticides and fertilisers to
guarantee big crops.These chemicals - phosphates
and nitrates - leach into the ground water or are
wind-blown and end up in the rivers and sea.
Even the detergents and cleaners we use in our
homes contain chemicals - phosphates - that reach
the rivers and sea as toxic waste.
The toxic chemicals can encourage the growth of
algal blooms. Small marine animals feed on the algae.
The smaller animals are eaten by larger marine
animals.The toxin becomes more concentrated. At
the top of the food chain are dolphins.
See what can happen to the dolphins when you
complete the food chain worksheet.The sheet and
instructions you need are in your pack.
How you can help
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use cleaners and detergents which are phosphate free.
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watch out for algal bloom in the sea and tell an adult
www. dolphindefenders .co.uk
10
Dolphin Directions
Just a few metres under the sea, it is very dark.
Using sight to find your way around is not very
successful. However sound waves travel five times
faster in water than through the air so dolphins use
sound to find their way around.They make clicking
sounds and when the sound waves hit an object in
their path the echo returns and the dolphins can
build up a “picture” of their surroundings. It is
called echo-location. Submarines use “sonar” to
find their position underwater in a similar way.
Try this investigation to help you understand how
dolphins use echo-location.
Choose a space as the “sea”. A volunteer is needed
to be a “dolphin”, another volunteer is needed
as the “target”. The “dolphin” needs to be
blindfolded and must use their hearing to find
their way to the “target”.
A group of other volunteers place themselves
between the “dolphin” and the “target” as
“obstacles” in the way. If the “dolphin” moves too
close to an “obstacle”, the “obstacle” makes a
noise. Everyone else remains silent.The “dolphin”
hearing the sound should move in a different
direction to avoid bumping into the “obstacle”.
Make sure everyone stays within the space allocated
as the “sea”.
Can the “dolphin” find its way safely to the “target”
and avoid all the “obstacles” in its path, just by
listening to the sounds? A dolphin swimming in the
sea can do this very easily and quickly.
Today, however, there is more noise in the sea. Oil
rigs use machinery under the water, more boats are
in the Firth with noisy engines and small jet skis
whizz about noisily. It is not known how much this
noise affects the dolphin’s ability to move around.
Try this investigation to help you understand how
noise pollution might affect dolphins.
Organise the group of volunteers as before with a
“dolphin”, “target” and “obstacles”.This time all
the “obstacles” make a noise at the same time. If
other people are watching this investigation they
can make other noises.
Can the “dolphin” find its way safely to the “target”
as easily when there is such a lot of noise?
How you can help
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don’t take jetskis or motor boats near the areas where the
dolphins live.
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watch the dolphins from the shore.
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use an accredited motor boat company that has agreed to
follow a “code of conduct”.
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tell a responsible adult if you hear or see boats that may be
too noisy.
www. dolphindefenders .co.uk
11
More Ideas and Activities
Visit the Moray Firth Wildlife Centre at Spey Bay.
There are many activities and ideas to enjoy at this
centre, including a big jigsaw of a dolphin and a lifesize inflatable whale. Check their website on the
information page for special events.
Join in a beach cleanup and survey organised by the
Marine Conservation Society.Their website is on
the information page.
Find out more about the Special Area of
Conservation in the Moray Firth.
Write a list of all the different sorts of pollution
that can damage the environment.
Find out how wastewater is treated before it is
returned to the rivers or sea.
Choose one way that we can limit the amount of
pollution from our homes. Draw a poster to
inform others.
Packaging is a source of waste and creates litter.
Check how much packaging is thrown away in your
dustbin. Collect more data from your class and
produce a survey.
Use the ribbon in your pack. Measure how long you
are and compare your length to a dolphin. Do a
comparison sheet with other items and objects.
Start each sentence –
“A dolphin is as long as…”
Find out if you could become an eco-school.
Check this website:
www.eco-schools.org.uk
Explore the possibility of “twinning” with a primary
school in the Seychelles to share your knowledge of
marine wildlife. Check the Moray Firth Partnership
website on the information page.
Planning Talks and Presentations
Brainstorm ideas at your first meeting and then
make a plan.
Use visual aids – drawings, photographs, posters
etc.
Make sure you are familiar with the Moray Firth
area and know why it is a special place.The page
“About the Moray Firth” will help you.
You may do a practical demonstration, chosen
from the schools pack.
Find out all you can about dolphins and especially
the bottlenose dolphins that live in the Moray
Firth.The dolphin pages in the schools pack will
help you.
Do the investigations and activities and become
familiar with the risks and dangers faced by the
dolphins today.
Make sure everyone has a role to play in preparing
the presentation. Use their special skills and talents.
A presentation must have a start, middle and an end.
START
tell your audience what you are going to
talk about
MIDDLE talk about it
END
briefly remind your
audience what you
have said
Your presentation should be interesting and to the
point.
Practice is essential.
Write your reports first but try not to
read from a script – use “cue cards” to
remind you what to say.
Keep to the time allowed for your
presentation.
Speak slowly and clearly and look at your
audience.
Encourage your audience to ask questions.
Enjoy yourself. Your audience will be
interested and support you.
Good Luck!
www. dolphindefenders .co.uk
12
Finding out more
There are lots of books that will have more facts about whales and dolphins for you to read. Look in the library
and check the index in encyclopedias and books about the sea and marine mammals.
The organisations listed below have a special interest in marine environments.
Moray Firth Partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.morayfirth-partnership.org
27 Ardconnel Terrace, Inverness IV2 3AE
Tel: 01463 225530
Scottish Natural Heritage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.snh.org.uk
Contact your local office for more information.
Details of local offices are given on the SNH website
Marine Conservation Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.mcsuk.org
9 Gloucester Road, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5BU
Tel: 01989 566017
Lighthouse Field Station
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www.abdn.ac.uk/zoology/lighthouse
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.wdcs.org
Brookfield House, 38 St Paul Street, chippenham,Wiltshire SN15 1LY
Tel: 0870 870 0027
Friends of the Moray Firth Dolphins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.loupers.com
4, Craigview, Findochty, Banffshire, AB56 2QF
Tel: 01542 833867
Scottish Wildlife Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.swt.org.uk
Cramond House, Cramond Glebe Road, Edinburgh EH4 6NS
Tel: 0131 312 7765
Interpretation Centre for Moray Firth Dolphins
North Kessock, c/o Highland Council, Inverness Area Cultural &
Leisure Services,Town Hall, Inverness
Tel: 01463 724225
Moray Firth Wildlife Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.mfwc.co.uk
Spey Bay, Moray, IV32 7PJ Tel: 01343 821314
Macduff Aquarium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.marine-aquarium.com
11, High Shore, Macduff, AB44 1SL
Tel: 01261 833369
The internet will provide you with a vast source of information. All the websites listed contain access to good
resources to help you and provide links to other websites that might be useful.There are many other organisations
and sources of information which may be helpful to you. Only a few are mentioned here. If you find other useful
sources of information, add them to this list
www. dolphindefenders .co.uk
13
Dolphin Defenders
Find out more about the campaign in your area and
become a Dolphin Defender.
A Dolphin Defender can work as part of a team
within their school to achieve their goals.
A Dolphin Defender is someone who wants to take
positive action to help to safeguard the bottlenose
dolphins that live in the Moray Firth.
If you and others wish to become Dolphin
Defenders, for more information visit our website.
Through talks and presentations, a Dolphin
Defender will share their knowledge about the
dolphins and encourage others to be more caring
and aware of the plight of the bottlenose dolphins.
What personal pledges can you make to help the
dolphins? The pages in your schools pack describing
the risks, dangers and problems faced by the marine
wildlife in the Moray Firth will help you.
A Dolphin Defender will make a personal pledge to
help safeguard the future of the local population of
bottlenose dolphins.
Some Suggestions
l
Take part in a beach clean-up
l
If you are on the beach - take your litter home
l
Watch the dolphins from a recommended site or from an
accredited boat
l
Don’t flush unnecessary items down the toilet
l
Be watchful. Tell an adult if you see something that may harm
the dolphins
l
Try to buy detergents and washing powders that don’t
contain too many chemicals
Remember, the Moray Firth is a unique and beautiful area. The
population of bottlenose dolphins that live here make it more
special. You can help to ensure that they are safeguarded.
Become a Dolphin Defender!
www. dolphindefenders .co.uk
14
Twinning with a Primary
School in the Seychelles
The Seychelles are tropical islands, near the
equator, in the Western Indian Ocean, between
India and Africa.The main islands are made from
granite, like some in Scotland, and covered with lush
and green tropical vegetation. Others are coral
islands and atolls. Most of the people live on the 2
main islands, Mahé and Praslin.
(the clear, turquoise water and white beaches are
really like the brochures!), it is amazing how little
the people know or even care about it.
The children mainly speak Creole but are taught in
English. Much of the environmental education in
the Seychelles is carried out through the schools'
'Wildlife Clubs'.
There is an opportunity to link your school with a
school in the Seychelles providing an opportunity to
share and compare your environment and culture
with that of tropical islands. The Moray Firth has
dolphins, seals, wading birds and rocky shores and
reefs.The Seychelles has turtles, sharks, giant
tortoises and coral reefs. It might sound a world
away but you will find that you have a lot in common!
The sea is very important to the Seychelles. The
country has 3,000 times as much sea as land - over
1,374,000 km2 of water around its 115 islands! As
an island nation, the sea plays an important part in
everyone's lives. It is important for food, tourism,
recreation, transport etc. just as it is in Scotland.
Although the sea is the Seychelles' greatest asset
Things are changing though. Today educational and
awareness programmes are being introduced another thing we have in common!
Once the links have been formed, we can
develop projects, where we can share and compare
our results.
If you are interested in linking your school with a
school in the Seychelles, please contact:
Sarah Welton
e-mail: [email protected]
www. dolphindefenders .co.uk