Marine life in Cornwall

Bottlenosed dolphin Cornwall is surrounded on three sides by sea and boasts some of the richest and most diverse marine life around the United Kingdom.

Basking sharks, turtles and dolphins are regular visitors to our waters. An increasingly common visitor includes the strangely shaped Ocean Sunfish that usually arrives in early Summer on the Gulf Stream and stays in local waters until the Autumn. Atlantic Grey seals breed here using the sea caves around our coast as safe haul-outs. There are many activities going on around our shores, such as rowing, sailing, diving, snorkeling and of course, the ever popular rock pooling and beach combing.

There are a lot of organizations in Cornwall involved in the conservation of our marine life, I have mentioned just a few of them below.

Free 2011 dolphin calendar

I designed some calendars for family and friends and thought that others may appreciate them.

This one is of a friendly looking bottlenosed dolphin.

Visit my 2011 calendars page for the full range of calendars which you can download for free or buy.

Educational interactive CD

“Secrets of the Sea – exploring Helford’s marine life”

This interactive CD contains information on the biology, geography, historical and present day use, conservation and management issues relating to the Helford Estuary.

Helford's unique marine heritage is revealed in a structured and exciting way, which appeals to all age groups, adults and children alike. As well as field identification keys for the most common species found on the Helford it has links to other sources of information and resources.

There are also animated games for younger users, striking photographs, panoramic video clips and atmospheric sound effects to enhance your experience!

Activities and information in the schools section is fully linked to the National Curriculum with special teachers notes and resources to aid learning.
For schools who can't get to the shore there are field trips students can navigate their way around a virtual estuary, identify species they find at specific 'sites' and collect data without even getting their feet wet!

Published by Helford Marine Conservation Group

£7.99 each including Post and Packaging

Buy Now

Penzance branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club

Penzance branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) Clubhouse is situated on Albert Pier in Penzance and has it's own bar.

They welcome all divers, either local or visiting, and hold regular social events, in the club and at local venues around the Mounts Bay area. The bar is open from 8.30pm for a weekly club night on Thursdays.

Ray Dennis is the Conservation Officer of the Penzance branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club, and writes a regular newsletter for the Group.

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Helford Marine Conservation Group

Helford Marine Conservation Group is a voluntary organization working to safeguard the marine life of the beautiful Helford River, to increase its biological diversity and to raise awareness of its marine interest and importance.

The Helford Marine Conservation Group Members Section welcomes anyone interested in the care and conservation of the Helford Estuary. The society run a wide range of events and activities and you can find out more on on their web site which I manage on their behalf.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Turtle The Cornwall Wildlife Trust is also involved in the conservation of out marine life and run or support many marine related projects or groups.

Seaquest south-west are a specialist group of Cornwall Wildlife Trust volunteers involved in the recording the larger marine creatures around our coast.

Ray Dennis has compiled a couple of lists of the marine creatures sighted, stranded or landed in Cornwall, which he has kindly offered to let me publish on this site.

Other related items which may be of interest: