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Wales Online
03-06-2025
- General
- Wales Online
Rare visitor to Welsh waters found stranded on North Wales beach
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An unusual visitor to Welsh waters met a 'sad ending' when it became stranded on a beach in Gwynedd. Striped dolphins are common enough in the Mediterranean but they are rarely seen in the Irish Sea. So when one was reported on the sand at Pwllheli, medics from British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) were quick to respond. The stranded cetacean was reported on Friday, May 30. Striped dolphins are relatively small and colourful, getting their name from two signature grey stripes running down their sides. Although widely distributed in the world's temperate and tropical oceans, they prefer deeper offshore waters. In Britain they are seen occasionally off Scotland's northwest coast – visitors to Wales are typically vagrants separated from their schools. On arrival in Pwllheli, BDMLR medics administered first aid. They suspected the outcome might not be good and after carrying out a full examination their fears were confirmed. A spokesperson said: 'Striped dolphins that we see stranded in the UK almost always have serious health issues. Sadly, this particular dolphin was thin, with injuries to its tail, and taking everything into consideration, euthanasia was deemed the kindest option. 'We would like to thank our medics in Wales for their efforts and the members of the public who kindly carried out first aid until our medics arrived.' Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community (Image: BDMLR) A similar fate befell a Striped dolphin found stranded near Cardiff in 2018. This too was underweight and in poor condition. Striped dolphins are capable of amazing acrobatics, including back somersaults, tail-spins, and upside-down porpoising. One unique behaviour has been termed 'roto-tailing' – they make high arching leaps while rapidly rotating their tails. They are incredibly curious and playful. But this can be their undoing – it may be one of the reasons why they are targeted in Japanese fisheries, often driven ashore to be killed. In March a mass stranding of Striped dolphins at Durness, on the north coast of Scotland, had a slightly happier outcome. Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday BDMLR medics found four were already dead. The surviving three were all juveniles – one was in such poor condition it had to be euthanised. However the other two were successfully returned to the sea, swimming off strongly. 'Both a sad and happy outcome for a species that has previously not done well when stranding in the UK,' said BDMLR at the time. Stranded dolphins, seals and whales can be reported to the BDMLR rescue hotline on 01825 765546. The charity relies on donations - you can contribute here. Find the weather forecast where you live
North Wales Live
03-06-2025
- General
- North Wales Live
Rare visitor to Welsh waters found stranded on North Wales beach
An unusual visitor to Welsh waters met a 'sad ending' when it became stranded on a beach in Gwynedd. Striped dolphins are common enough in the Mediterranean but they are rarely seen in the Irish Sea. So when one was reported on the sand at Pwllheli, medics from British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) were quick to respond. The stranded cetacean was reported on Friday, May 30. Striped dolphins are relatively small and colourful, getting their name from two signature grey stripes running down their sides. Although widely distributed in the world's temperate and tropical oceans, they prefer deeper offshore waters. In Britain they are seen occasionally off Scotland's northwest coast – visitors to Wales are typically vagrants separated from their schools. On arrival in Pwllheli, BDMLR medics administered first aid. They suspected the outcome might not be good and after carrying out a full examination their fears were confirmed. A spokesperson said: 'Striped dolphins that we see stranded in the UK almost always have serious health issues. Sadly, this particular dolphin was thin, with injuries to its tail, and taking everything into consideration, euthanasia was deemed the kindest option. 'We would like to thank our medics in Wales for their efforts and the members of the public who kindly carried out first aid until our medics arrived.' A similar fate befell a Striped dolphin found stranded near Cardiff in 2018. This too was underweight and in poor condition. Striped dolphins are capable of amazing acrobatics, including back somersaults, tail-spins, and upside-down porpoising. One unique behaviour has been termed 'roto-tailing' – they make high arching leaps while rapidly rotating their tails. They are incredibly curious and playful. But this can be their undoing – it may be one of the reasons why they are targeted in Japanese fisheries, often driven ashore to be killed. In March a mass stranding of Striped dolphins at Durness, on the north coast of Scotland, had a slightly happier outcome. Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday BDMLR medics found four were already dead. The surviving three were all juveniles – one was in such poor condition it had to be euthanised. However the other two were successfully returned to the sea, swimming off strongly. 'Both a sad and happy outcome for a species that has previously not done well when stranding in the UK,' said BDMLR at the time. Stranded dolphins, seals and whales can be reported to the BDMLR rescue hotline on 01825 765546. The charity relies on donations - you can contribute here.
Cambrian News
06-05-2025
- General
- Cambrian News
Beachgoers told not to approach shark after two spottings
They said in a social media post: "HM Coastguard Aberystwyth were tasked at the request of MRCC Milford Haven to assist the British Divers Marine Life Rescue with a two metre long juvenile Porbeagle shark swimming in the area between the pier and the bandstand that was thought to be ill/injured and in danger of beaching itself.
Daily Mirror
03-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Moment brave UK beachgoers throw shark related to great white back into ocean
The shark, believed to have been a porbeagle, became stranded at a beach in Wales leading to warnings for beachgoers who had flocked to the seaside to enjoy the sunshine This is the incredible moment a shark related to the infamous great white was thrown back into the sea at a UK beach by brave beachgoers. Beachgoers were stunned after witnesses spotted a shark near Aberystwyth Pier, in west Wales, while they were out enjoying the burst of sunshine on Friday afternoon. But some visitors did not believe a shark had become stranded on the shoreline with some believing it was an elaborate wind up. Sophie Griffiths, 35, from Aberystwyth, said her 9-year-old son had been swimming after school finished when they were alerted to a reported sighting of a shark. "I heard someone say 'shark' and thought it was just a hoax," she said, as reported to the BBC. "Everyone had a bit of a shock. It's a first for me seeing the shark. I'm 35, born and raised in Aberystwyth." The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) sent members to the beach who believe the shark was a porbeagle, a regular sight off the British coast. The sharks are cousins to the Great White and can even grow to be as long as 11ft. A video of the incident showed the shark swimming close to the water before a wave pushed it onto the shore. It was seen struggling against the pebbles before two people came to help move it and push it back toward the sea. Fortunately, the shark was quickly able to find a quick route back to deeper waters and was later spotted swimming close to the pier. The BDMLR said in a statement: "It is advised that members of the public don't attempt to handle a shark if it strands to avoid injury." Max Walker saw the shark from the Aberystwyth pier nearby and said that "no-one was allowed in the sea for a bit" following the sighting. According to the Wildlife Trusts, they can be identified by their "mackerel" blue colour with a white belly and white mark at the rear base of the dorsal fin. They can weigh up to 230kg are also often mistaken for great whites, leading to mistaken reports of the infamous sharks across the UK. On the other side of the globe, a dad and his 11-year-old son Parker found a three-metre-long great white that had become stranded in shallow water near Ardrossan, in South Australia. They managed to help with an hour-long rescue effort to get the distressed animal back to deeper water. Dad Nash Core admitted his "heart was pounding" throughout the ordeal, which saw tourists and local people work together to move the creature. They used crab rakes - a garden rake-like tool for digging small crabs from the sand - in a bid to entice the shark back out to the ocean.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'I heard someone say shark and thought it's a hoax'
Members of the public tried to help a 1.5m (5ft) shark get into deeper waters amid fears it could have become stranded on the shoreline. A Coastguard crew was called out to "ensure public safety" after being alerted by witnesses who spotted the shark near Aberystwyth Pier, Ceredigion, on Friday afternoon as people were cooling off in the water during the hot spell. The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), which also sent members to the scene, said it was believed to be a porbeagle, which are regular visitors to the UK coast and can grow up to 11ft (3.5m) long. "It is advised that members of the public don't attempt to handle a shark if it strands to avoid injury," it said, in a statement. "Porbeagles are not naturally aggressive towards humans, though there are reports of people being bitten when trying to help them back to sea." Sophie Griffiths, 35, from Aberystwyth, said her nine-year-old son had been swimming in the sea not long after school had finished when they were alerted, along with a group of paddleboarders. "I heard someone say 'shark' and thought it was just a hoax," she said. "Everyone had a bit of a shock. "It's a first for me seeing the shark. I'm 35, born and raised in Aberystwyth." Wales 'lacks plan' to tackle scale of nature loss UK's rarest wildlife being 'pushed to extinction' by grass fires Exclusion zone brought in to protect wildlife Max Walker, who saw the shark from nearby Aberystwyth pier, said "no-one was allowed in the sea for a bit" due to the sighting. "It was kind of swimming back and forth along the length of the beach - it looked a bit disorientated to be honest." BDMLR, which estimated the shark to be 1.5m in length, said its dorsal fin was flushed red in colour, an "indication it was distressed and not oxygenating itself properly". "It continued to swim close to shore for several hours, attracting a large group of people." Charity The Wildlife Trusts said the porbeagle is a member of the Lamnidae shark family, making it one of the closest living relatives of the great white shark. A porbeagle can weigh up to 230kg and can be "mistaken for the great white shark" with its blue colouring, white belly and white mark at the rear base of its dorsal fin. The charity said it was usually found in deep water, where it hunts a variety of smaller fish including mackerel, whiting and herring, as well as octopus, squid and cuttlefish. BDMLR said partners from conservation charity The Shark Trust "arrived to lead advice on the incident should the shark strand, though it eventually swam into deeper water". Milford Haven Coastguard received a number of calls from concerned members of the public about the shark and a local team was sent to ensure public safety, a spokesman told BBC News. Shark spotted swimming near tourist ship British Divers Marine Life Rescue HM Coastguard The Shark Trust The Wildlife Trusts
