Rare sighting of northern bottlenose whale in Wales

A northern bottlenose whale was recently sighted off the coast of north Wales. It was seen last week in Cardigan Bay near Porthmadog.

Northern bottlenose whales are usually found in deep, offshore waters and it is rare for them to be encountered so close to land in the UK. In 2006, a young bottlenose whale swam up the Thames and sadly died despite rescue attempts.

Cardigan Bay is famous for its resident bottlenose dolphins while Bardsey Island off the coast of north Wales is home to Risso's dolphins, the focus of a long-term WDC conservation project.