on 01/04/2020
With 400 miles of unspoilt coastline, it’s no surprise that you can find some fantastic places to spot dolphins and other sea life whilst in Cornwall! Seals, basking sharks and even puffins can be found in Cornwall, as well as dolphins. See what wonderful wildlife you can find!
Dolphins are regularly spotted across the coast of Cornwall, but more frequently in the warmer months. There are two species of dolphin that are seen most frequently, the bottlenose dolphin and the common dolphin. They are very sociable creatures. They’re often seen in their pods off the coast of Cornwall breaching and leaping out of the water, which is truly spectacular.
Most often seen during the warmer Summer months
Land’s End – The most westerly point of the British mainland with spectacular views of the ocean where dolphins are often seen tracking around.
Mount’s Bay – Pods of dolphins are often spotted swimming around the Mount’s Bay area. Dig out your binoculars and see if you can spot any!
Lizard Point – The most southerly point in the country with far reaching sea views, making it a fantastic spot for dolphin watching. Dolphins as well as basking sharks, seals and large numbers of sea birds are spotted here.
Cornwall is home to lots of grey seals, with its numerous coves and rocky caves that make a perfect habitat for the creatures. We are lucky to see so many grey seals in Cornwall, as the species is globally rare and is only present in the north Atlantic. Grey seals are frequently spotted across the coast of Cornwall and some of their habitat locations, such as Mutton Cove at Godrevy, make for a popular wildlife attraction with locals and visitors. Cornwall even has a Seal Sanctuary in Gweek, which is a sanctuary for rescued seals and injured seal pups. Once recovered, the injured pups are released back into the sea.
Numbers increase from autumn to January
Godrevy (Mutton Cove) – Home to a large colony of grey seals, which can be seen throughout the year.
Sennen – Small numbers of grey seals can be spotted around the harbour throughout the year.
Gweek – Home to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, a charity that rescues and rehabilitates grey seal pups.
As the sea gets warmer, Basking Sharks can be spotted across the Cornish coast. These magnificent creatures come closer to the coast during these warmer months to find plankton. Basking Sharks are passive filter feeders, eating mostly tiny crustaceans, such as plankton. They are extremely unlikely to attack humans, however there is a specially designed code of conduct for the general public to use when approaching Basking Sharks, so that people don’t disturb the sharks in their natural habitat. They are a protected species, so must be observed from a distance.
During the warmer months, from May until October
Basking sharks have been spotted in St Ives, Land’s End, Pentire Point and The Lizard
Cornwall is home to two puffin breeding colonies, one near Boscastle and another near Padstow. There is an island just off Padstow known as “Puffin Island”, where puffins are spotted when they return to breed from March to April. Unfortunately, the puffin in Cornwall is in decline, however there are still some locations where with binoculars, you may be lucky enough to see some of the beautiful birds.
From March, during mating season, until July when they return to sea
Puffins have been spotted in their breeding habitats near Padstow, near Boscastle and also off the coast of the Isles of Scilly islands.
