Discover the Dolphins and Porpoises that call the UK home

Hello and welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters podcast podcast and this week you join us on an epic adventure.

And I do mean that, because this week's Wildlife Matters main feature was 15 months in the making and took us to three countries within the UK.

Finally, with the help of some experts, we set off in search of the dolphins and porpoise that call the seas around the UK home.

Of course, we will be spending some precious time in nature and you will find us all at sea on this week's Wildlife Matters mindful moments.

But first, we have some good news about farmland birds in the South Downs national park, the locals who found a basking shark in their wee Scottish harbour, and the concerning news from the UK Government's update on avian influenza.

So let's jump to it and share all three stories on this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.

Hello and welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.

This week we begin with encouraging news regarding the recovery of farmland bird species in the South Downs National Park.

A decade long study has revealed positive signs of recovery, particularly for skylarks whose populations have risen by around 20% across Hampshire and Sussex.

This improvement is attributed to the conservation efforts of farmers and volunteers as reported by the South Downs Farmland Bird Initiative.

Bruce Foulkes, farming officer for the South Downs national park, told Wildlife Matters that.

The findings show real success stories for.

Skylark and corn bunting, two birds that people are likely to see and hear in the South Downs National Park.

The report highlights a 43% increase in corn bunting sightings.

The South Downs Farmland Bird Initiative credits nature friendly farming practices for these improvements, which include the creation of wildflower margins, hedgerows, tree planting, bird feeders and setting.

Aside land for ground nesting birds.

In addition, red kite and buzzard populations have seen slight increases, particularly in West Sussex from Midhurst to the Habant area.

However, not all species have benefited, with populations of meadow pipit and lapwing both declining.

Bruce Foulke said the data suggests that some species are on the decline in the region and the reasons for this are complex, reflecting some national trends that we're seeing.

It underlines the need for more habitat management to create the right conditions for farmland birds to thrive.

Encourage wildlife friendly land management.

Supported by agri environment schemes which provide.

Essential funding for habitat creation and maintenance.

These initiatives are making a significant decision difference.

Caroline Harriot, a farmer from West Sussex, told us that joining the Aaron to.

Adore Farmers group has enabled her to.

Support bird populations on her land better.

Caroline said feeding the birds between November and April, when they are most vulnerable, has led to an increase in farmland birds on our farm.

Our second story this week is about a rare sighting that occurred on the east coast of Scotland.

David Thompson captured an incredible moment when a 15 foot baby basking shark was spotted swimming in the Pit Ween Harbour in Fife using his drone.

Local fishermen first sighted the creature early last Wednesday morning and quickly shared the news.

David told Wildlife Matters, I've been up, then gone back to my bed when my wife said there's a basking shark out there.

I was initially quite skeptical.

David said he was soon convinced when she mentioned a video.

He quickly grabbed his drone cameras and binoculars before heading down to the bay and there it was, he said.

There was no mistaking it.

A 50, 15 foot long basking shark was less than 100 meters from the shore, swimming over the skerries between the rocks.

He recognized the shark as a juvenile, likely 1 to 2 years old based on its telltale fin and tail.

As the word spread and onlookers gathered on the pier hoping to catch a glimpse of the enormous cetacean, David said.

Said the crowd just started to grow.

And grow and the people kept on coming.

The shark was nearly brushing against the pier at one point and people were looking right down at it through the crystal clear water.

For the east coast of Scotland, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a basking shark so close in.

David is a member of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Innovation Society and also runs the East Nuke Cetacean Watch Facebook page which boasts around 5,000 members.

He told us that whilst basking shark sightings in the Firth of Forth are.

Rare, with only 5 to 10 may be reported each year, they are becoming more common.

The way things are changing, we're seeing.

More and more, david said.

The environment is getting better for them.

I've lived in pit and wean for all my days and it's only in the last two to three years that.

I've seen basking sharks.

It's brilliant to witness what's beginning to come into our waters.

We've seen sei whales, fin whales, minke whales and we get dolphins almost every day.

The firth is becoming a hub for cetaceans.

Later that day, an adult basking shark was also spotted alongside the baby and.

A pod of dolphins was seen leaping around them.

Basking sharks are mainly found around the Western Isles, which host some of the world's largest aggregations of the species.

They are also commonly spotted around the southwest of England, Wales and the Isle of Man.

So two good news stories to start the week, but sadly we can't continue as our third third story is the government announcement that it is increasing the UK avian influencer risk alert to high.

The government has elevated the UK's avian risk influenza risk levels, citing widespread infection among wild birds and increased exposure risk for poultry.

According to government scientists, the risk level for highly pathogenic avian influence influenza in wild birds is now classed as high.

Officials are urging all poultry keepers from commercial farms to backyard flocks to tighten biosecurity measures to prevent contact between domestic and wild bird species.

Public health authorities maintain that the risk to humans remains low at this time, DEFRA told Wildlife Matters in a statement.

Following a change in the pattern of wild bird findings and an increase in cases in poultry and captive birds, the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry with suboptimal biosecurity has been increased to medium, meaning that the events occur regularly.

It comes amid a notable surge in.

Bird flu cases across the UK this summer, with several outbreaks reported in commercial and wild bird populations.

In the past month alone, the virus was confirmed in commercial poultry flocks in.

Devon, Norfolk, Somerset and County Durham.

The rise in cases has triggered the RSPCA assured to announce it is ramping up efforts to support poultry farmers with flexible assessments, biosecurity measures and welfare guidance following the uptick in cases.

The NFU Mutual has recently warned that its books will close at the beginning of September for farmers seeking avian influenza.

Insurance, increasing pressure on those affected farms.

This summer has witnessed a dramatic increase in the scale and area affected by avian influenza among wild birds.

The situation continues to be devastating for both native and migratory species, and we will closely monitor its impact in the uk.

Last month, Wildlife Matters took a detailed look at the implications of avian influenza in episode seven of the Wildlife Matters podcast.

If you missed it, be sure to check back in the feed.

And don't forget to subscribe to ensure that you never miss an episode.

And that has been this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.

It's truly remarkable to spot a baby basking shark in your local harbour on the east coast of Scotland, which is really rare.

It's also heartening to hear that some farmland bird species are recovering in the South Downs.

However, as we predicted last month, the.

Avian influenza outbreak in wild birds across.

The UK has been devastating and it.

Seems set to worsen.

DEFRA remains hesitant to issue a high risk alert due to its impact on.

Commercial poultry farms, leading to plummeting sales of eggs and chicken in supermarkets.

Tragically, poultry that are kept throughout their short lives are often killed en masse, even if they are free from avian influenza, as it is deemed uneconomical to keep them.

While there may not be an easy connection between the devastation caused by avian influencers and the solace found in nature, it is precisely during times like these.

That many people seek comfort in the natural world, making it even more important.

So join me and a small crew.

Aboard a day Cruiser.

We're about 15 miles off the Pembrokeshire coastline.

The engine is silent, we bounce and bob with the waves, sitting in quiet anticipation as we observe one of wildlife's natural wonders.

It's a pod of common dolphins interacting with us during this week's Wildlife Matters mindful moment.

It's it.

I hope you can see the picture of this scene in your imagination.

Large aquatic mammals breaching, twisting, turning, before gracefully returning back to the ocean.

The pure joy was evident both for the dolphins and for us.

They approached us without any food being thrown in.

Our skipper knew the waters well and.

Exactly where to find them, and they didn't disappoint.

Until you have seen a pod of dolphins interacting and playing, witnessing the gracefulness of their movements and the huge splashes.

On re entry as they leap 5.

Meters or more above the water, you cannot fully appreciate their power and their elegance.

They are among the most charismatic wild.

Animals I have had the pleasure to encounter in their natural habitat.

Now join us for the full adventure as we venture through Wales, Scotland and.

England in search of the wild porpoises and dolphins that call the waters of.

The UK home in this week's Wildlife Matters main feature.

Hello, welcome to this week's Are Wildlife Matters a main Feature.

And this week, Wildlife Matters sets off.

In search of some beautiful yet rarely seen wild mammals.

They're not all rare, although that will be discussed later.

And they're not all nocturnal.

So what are these elusive wild mammals and where do they live?

Well, this podcast has taken about 15 months to complete as some of these wild mammals migrate and can appear in multiple locations along the entire coastline of the British Isles.

So we had to put in the time and the miles to gather the information and to see these incredible wild mammals in their wild habitat.

Was it worth it?

Yes, most definitely, as this is a.

Very unique experience and the sense of adventure prevails throughout the so after giving you some idea of what goes into making an episode of the Wildlife Matters podcast.

Let's tell you now that we are about to set off on our latest adventure in search of the UK's dolphin and porpoise populations.

The species most commonly sighted around the UK coast are bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises.

The primarily native populations of bottlenose dolphins are found in Cardigan Bay in Wales and the Moray Firth in Scotland, although smaller groups of individuals may be seen almost anywhere.

So let's begin with the harbour porpoise.

Harbour porpoises are small and shy, but they are found around most of the UK coastline.

You can expect to see harbour porpoise in most coastal areas, especially on the west coasts, although the species is relatively absent from the south coast and the English Channel.

The morphology of a harbour porpoise is very similar to that of a bottlenose dolphin.

With its dark grey colouring and smooth streamlined body, many porpoises are mistaken for bottlenose dolphins.

However, several vital morphological indicators can be used to distinguish between the two species.

The harbour porpoise, with an average length of 1.3 to around 1.5 meters, is much smaller than a bottlenose dolphin, which can reach up to 4 meters in length.

Harbour porpoise are far less visible and it is much harder to spot a porpoise at a distance.

As mentioned, a harbour porpoise resembles a bottlenose dolphin with its dark grey colouring and streamlined body.

But the key difference to look out for is the dorsal fin.

The harbour porpoise fin is triangular and much smaller than that of the other dolphin species.

This low profile dorsal fin makes it challenging to spot harbour porpoise in rough seas, but it is one of the species most distinguishing characteristics.

While many dolphin species, such as the common or bottlenose dolphins, have conical shaped heads and well developed beaks, a harbour porpoise head is far more rounded and it has a small beak.

Watching and observing behaviour can also help you identify a harbour porpoise from its dolphin cousins.

Porpoise have perfected the art of maintaining a low profile when surfacing and are known to actively avoid boats, making them difficult to find.

You might be lucky enough to spot them from the shore, but we took a four hour boat trip to a known area near Cardigan Bay.

After switching the boat engine off and drifting on the anchor for some time, we were rewarded with some stunning sightings of harbour porpoise going about their everyday business of feeding and exploring their area.

Once you have watched them for a while, they are distinguishable from the dolphin cousins.

They're also noticeably smaller Their rounded heads and short beaks are quite easy to identify underwater.

So there you go, the harbour porpoise, the smaller, shyer but equally wonderful cousin of our native dolphin species.

The second species we went looking for are bottlenose dolphins, which are known to be the gymnasts of the seas.

They seem to relish full body breaches.

And they love to leap high above the water's surface.

They are spectacular and I am in awe of their speed, their strength and their agility.

Bottlenose dolphins are also known for approaching breed boats and seemed to enjoy a bit of bow wave riding just for fun.

We were on a charter boat trip that had traveled for around 20 minutes out to sea off the Welsh coast.

The day was bright and clear and the sun had just crept above the horizon, which seemed a long way behind us.

My first sighting was a pod of bottlenose dolphins, maybe a kilometer or so from the boat.

But within moments they were alongside us and immediately enjoying riding the bow waves of the boat.

The skipper duly obliged and opened the throttle and the dolphins responded.

Their speed, their grace through the water were beautiful and engaging to watch.

After admiring the speed, power and agility of these beautiful animals, my first impression was their sheer size.

They were much larger than I had imagined.

They are 2 to around 4 meters long and could weigh anything up to 500 kg, which takes a lot of muscle to throw a body that size and weight several meters out of the water.

Sitting immediately behind the small cabin, I saw the bottlenose dolphin bow riding within arm's length of me.

I could see the hooked dorsal fin, or more correctly a falcate shaped dorsal fin with dark grey at back and sides.

Dolphins are muscle packed with robust heads and sleek streamlined bodies.

I took time just to look at their heads and faces.

Their beaks are shorter than I had imagined, with the lower jaw area being noticeably paler, a sort of creamy white colour, than the dark grey on the top of the beak.

I hadn't expected to make eye contact with one of the dolphins, but as I looked at the bow rider's dark eyes set within its dark grey head, I saw the pupils move and for a split second we looked into each other's eyes.

A connection was made that is hard to explain.

Still, it was very similar to an experience I had a few years ago when I was fortunate enough to meet a young elephant at a sanctuary in Kenya.

I had previously met this elephant as an orphan baby.

A few years before, as a newly orphaned baby, I helped establish a daily routine with the keepers, including walks, mud baths and feeding times and we spent around a month together.

Four years later, I returned to the sanctuary and was taken off my feet when this young elephant, now a young adult with its shoulders at roughly my head height, recognized me and gave me a playful shove to say hello.

Once I regained some composure, the elephant looked deeply into my eyes, a moment that bonded us forever.

And despite living on different continents, I now know she lives wild and away from the sanctuary.

I wish I could have seen her proudly displaying her new calf.

But back to the fantastic bottlenose dolphin that had prompted this trip down memory lane.

Its mouth fascinated me.

I could see the curve of the mouth below the short bottlenose beak and it looked like it was smiling at me.

I know this is the shape of their mouths and that it is a common mistake made by people who have seen dolphin shows before.

They realize just how wrong it is to keep dolphins, or indeed any animals in captivity for so called human entertainment.

The most repeated comment I received was always that the dolphins were happy because they were smiling.

Bottlenose dolphins are social creatures that travel in groups called pods.

These pods will have around 20 individuals who will live, play and hunt together while working together to raise young dolphin calves and help each other, the very essence of a community.

Bottlenose dolphins are superb swimmers.

Gliding through the water, they use their dorsal fin, powerful tails and pointed flippers to achieve speeds of over 30 kilometers an hour and that's around 20 miles per hour and can dive as deep as 250 meters below the surface.

After riding at the bow wave for maybe 20 minutes or more, some of the pod members decided to put on a spectacular display known as breaching.

If you've never seen a dolphin breach, I urge you to put it on your bucket list of things to do.

It is utterly spectacular and almost impossible to describe in words.

Imagine sitting on a 15 metre long boat around 10 miles from land, a little out of your comfort zone.

You have a pod of around 20 dolphins interacting with you and a small crew on the boat.

Each dolphin is around a third of the length of the boat and weighs up to 500 kilograms, or around 70 stone, probably more than the four of us on the boat's combined weight, when suddenly they launch themselves out of the water.

Two or three meters out of the water, and then another, and another and another, until you have the most incredible spectacle of maybe 10 or more dolphins leaping clear of the water.

That's 5 meters plus before crashing back with an enormous Splash now.

Repeat that every few seconds for about 10 minutes and you'll know why.

I was mined blown.

I don't think we know why dolphins breach, although there are several theories.

It could be to get better view of things in the distance, to clean parasites off their bodies, or to communicate with other pods.

However, I prefer the theory that they do it just for fun.

Although they live underwater, the bottlenose dolphin must reach the surface to breathe air.

It breathes through a blowhole, an open hole located at the top of its head.

The dolphin can open this hole when inhaling and exhaling out of the water and close it when below the ocean surface.

They can hold their breath underwater for around seven minutes.

The other thing I was not expecting was the sound.

Bottlenose dolphins are masters of communication and they send each other messages in different ways.

They squeak and whistle and also use body language such as leaping out of the water, slapping their jaws and even butting heads.

These magnificent mammals also produced high pitched clicks known as echolocation, to navigate and find food.

When the clicking sound hits an object in the water, such as fish, the sound bounces back to the dolphin as echoes.

And from this, the dolphins can determine the object's location, size and shape.

Bottlenose dolphins are carnivores and primarily eat fish and crustaceans such as shrimp and squid.

Bottlenose dolphins are not considered as endangered.

However, illegal hunting, getting caught in fishing nets and pollution do threaten these incredible creatures.

The next species we went looking for was the common dolphin, which are seen in Britain's coastal waters.

And common dolphins are a short beaked species.

Further south in equatorial waters, the long beaked common dolphin predominates.

We were back off the south coast of Wales on another boat charter.

This time we were in search of the common dolphin.

And it was another bright but early morning start in late summer and I was excited and anticipating a great day.

Watching common dolphins.

The skipper told me they had seen two large pods yesterday and were pretty confident they would be in the area for a few more days.

So seeing the common dolphin today looked promising.

And he was right.

We traveled westward out to sea, but after around 40 minutes, we turned and began to head south.

And within minutes we were surrounded by a large pod of common dolphins.

My first impression was that they were much smaller than the bottlenose dolphins.

And although I knew this, it did surprise me.

The common dolphin is around half the size of a bottlenose dolphin, measuring two to two and a half meters in length.

Some young dolphins in the group were under a meter.

Common dolphins have tan, almost yellowish hourglass patterns on their lower flanks.

Their dorsal is centrally placed and sickle shaped, and it's much thinner than that of a bottlenose dolphin.

And they have a distinct dorsal groove along a slender beak.

Sexual dimorphism in cetacean species is subtle and the common dolphin is no exception.

Females have mammary slits on either side of their genital slit, all of which are on the underside of the body, and these are absent in males.

Although you will not be able to identify the sex of a dolphin from sitting on a boat, the only exception to this is the adolescent males often form their pods.

Common dolphins are always found in saline water, usually in the ocean rather than in estuaries.

We know very little about dolphin reproduction, but like other cetaceans, the common dolphin typically produces a single calf.

These calves are often born when food is abundant between April and September to sustain the lactating mother.

Females generally lactate for 10 months after the birth of their calf.

Mothers have been observed using their beaks to nudge the newborn calves to the surface for their first couple of breaths.

Common dolphins can live for up to 25 years and I was fascinated to learn that this is estimated by sectioning teeth with annual growth rings of dentine, which is similar to counting rings on trees.

Common dolphins hunt in groups, working together to herd their prey into bait balls.

And these bait balls are generally composed of fish or squid.

The common dolphins primary diet.

Their only natural predator in UK waters is the orca.

However, the local group informed me that they are aware of an increasing number of attacks by bottlenose dolphins, but there are no known reasons and little evidence to support this trend.

They suspect human impacts, including pollution, reduced prey to overfishing, entanglement in fishing nets and increased noise in the marine environment.

Bycatches of significant concern in coastal waters and several mitigation measures are being tested nationwide.

The next species we went searching for was the Rizzo's dolphin.

Now, around now you may be wondering how it took so long for this adventure to come together, as everything appears to have been pretty straightforward.

Well, here is where we found things to be much more challenging.

After several trips around the south and north coast of Wales without any sightings, I finally decided to change locations and make my way up to the west coast of Scotland.

I was advised to head to the islands to spot the elusive dolphin species I was searching for.

Some suggested the Isle of Man, while most recommended the Outer Hebrides.

Then I spoke to a friend who founded a cetacean rescue.

He agreed to help once he returned from Asia, where he now spends around six months every year before returning to the UK and rescuing cetaceans.

What an incredible life he's made for himself.

As arranged, we met up on the west coast of Scotland and set off in his rib, which was incredibly fast and very small compared to the boats I had taken previously.

We were in search of Risso's dolphins.

Rizzo's dolphins are very different from the other species I had seen previously.

Firstly, they are a deep water species with an appearance and color not too dissimilar to a minke whale.

They are widespread around the world.

Rissos can be found throughout temperate and tropical waters ranging from Newfoundland and the Gulf of Alaska to the North Sea and the southward to South America, Southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Risso dolphins are also found in several partially enclosed bodies of water, including the Red Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea.

Rizzo dolphins prefer deep offshore waters.

It is found along the west coast of the UK and travels in pods of 10 to 30 individuals.

An adult Rizzo can be around 4 meters long.

The most distinctive feature is their colour, which ranges from dark grey in juveniles to creamy white in older animals.

After reaching our chosen area, we cut the boat's engine and waited.

Although the sea was calm and it was a warm day, the small open rib made me feel very exposed.

After a couple of hours I got the shout I had been waiting for.

A small pod of Rizzo's dolphins were breaking the surface about a mile from the boat.

We decided to move closer, moving at a steady speed and never getting closer than a couple of hundred meters.

We respect all wild animals and always give them space, only interacting if they initiate that interaction.

So we cruised slowly in a grid style pattern and after a very short while, the Rizzos showed their natural curiosity and they decided to come and check us out.

Rizzos are distinctly different from any dolphin species I'd seen to date.

Firstly, this pod of around 12 individuals was still young, primarily dark grey, but with white markings running through the length of their bodies.

Some of them had minor circular white marks, while others had long white stripes which were so distinctive that they reminded me of a tiger's stripes.

I'm told these are scars, and while it appears no one knows, the thought is that these scars are picked up from play and interaction with other pod members, and possibly some are from hunting.

The other thing you immediately notice is their rounded head and absence of a beak.

They resemble small whales more closely than they do dolphins.

Their distinctive dorsal fin is significantly taller than that of the other species I'd seen.

Steeply raked and hook like, reminiscent of a sickle.

Another thing that struck me was the length of of their flippers, which were considerably longer than those of the other species.

Riso dolphins are highly mobile, regularly covering large areas and this is probably related to the movement of their prey species, primarily squid and octopus, although they will also take cuttlefish and a range of fish species.

In keeping with their transitory lifestyle, this small pod of rhizos spent around 20 minutes with us before diving and disappearing in search of their next adventure.

With one more dolphin species to find and the offer of the same friend to take me out in search of them, when the time was right, I waited in anticipation.

He returned to Asia and then back to the UK for another season of whale and dolphin rescue.

A friend's rescue is based on the east coast of Scotland, an area I'm not familiar with.

So this would be a new adventure on unfamiliar ground.

Finally, after many more months, the time had arrived to search for white beaked dolphins.

They're classified as occasional visitors to UK waters rather than natives.

Our boat was larger this time with a cabin area and the North Sea was pretty rough.

As we set off, the wind was dropping and the peaks of the waves were getting lower, which sped up our progress and made me feel far happier and more comfortable.

Fortunately, I don't suffer from seasickness.

We traveled for around four hours before reaching the survey area where we were soon rewarded with the sight of a pod of white beaked dolphin.

My first impression was that the white beaked are well named.

The lip and beak are white with a large grey area at the tip of the lower jaw.

The blowhole is surrounded by a dark grey patch that is almost circular in shape.

These are large dolphins and they appear very robust with a tall falcate dorsal fin.

Its pectoral fins are also large and broad with pointed tips.

Their tails are short and stocky.

They have a very distinctive coloration.

The dorsal and lateral fins are dark, almost black and the underside is white which extends almost to the base of their tails.

Their sides have white to grey markings with an elongated white blaze above the flipper extending along the flanks and over the back behind the dorsal fin.

Some individuals also have black streaks on their flanks.

I was told they're fast and powerful swimmers who sometimes bow ride, usually with fast moving larger boats.

But we didn't see that today.

What we did witness today though, was much more exciting.

White beaked dolphins have been observed employing fish herding techniques.

These include small groups of dolphins all converging in an area, gathering fish in the process using echolocation and then moving in the direction of the other group of dolphins to trap the fish before rushing to the surface in a feeding frenzy, devouring all the fish.

This behavior is in contrast to that of other dolphin species which converge to trap fish.

The herding panics the fish, causing them to scatter and making them easy prey for the dolphins.

Herding fish in this manner requires a highly cooperative, synchronized series of dives with surface rushes and regrouping.

The individuals may communicate with others in the group and corral fish using whistles, breaches, tail slaps and somersaults.

The white beaked dolphin has been reported in large schools with up to several hundred individuals in the Eastern Atlantic, but mainly occurs in much smaller schools in the western Atlantic.

In UK waters, most sightings are of groups of less than 10 animals, although larger pods have been recorded.

More data is needed to better understand the migration of white beets dolphin, however.

Some north south movements likely occur between the summer and winter.

White beet dolphins can be found in coastal areas of northern Britain all year round.

We began by discussing conservation concerns for the dolphin species.

While most dolphin species in the Northern hemisphere are not of any conservation concern, there are still common problems that do reduce their numbers.

The main threats to all dolphin species in UK waters are bycatch in fishing nets, pollution in their habitat with chemicals, climate change and its repercussions on the ocean conditions and mass dolphin strandings.

Wildlife Matters works to collaborate with groups and organizations to protect sea mammals known as cetaceans.

The species featured in this podcast can all be found along the British coastline.

However, we are planning an even more ambitious adventure to find the whale species and cetaceans that are resident or migratory and can be found in Britain's coastal waters.

As we said at the beginning, this podcast was nearly 15 months in the making.

We couldn't have produced it without the help of some experienced cetacean rescue groups, local groups and commercial boat skippers with a passion for wildlife.

We thank you all.

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please share, like and subscribe to Wildlife Matters and tell your friends about us bringing more people into the wildlife and nature loving community.

And that has been this week's Wildlife Matters main feature.

We hope you've enjoyed our voyage of discovery as we set off in search of incredible dolphins and adorable porpoise with the help of genuine conservationists who deeply care about the welfare of these animals, we were given a brief glimpse into their wild lives in the ocean.

This special experience was well worth the investment of time and money delivering one of our most epic adventures yet.

And we're already working on finding the larger relatives of these cetaceans as we prepare to search for the whales of the UK in a future episode of the Wildlife Matters podcast.

How long will that take take?

Well, who knows, but the journey has already begun.

If you've enjoyed today's adventure, then please share the podcast with colleagues, family and.

Friends or promote our social media posts.

To help us reach more wildlife and nature lovers just like you.

If you haven't already, then please do like subscribe and leave us a comment wherever you get your podcasts.

It really helps us to get discovered in this algorithm driven world.

Wildlife Matters will return in two weeks when we will continue our Urban Wildlife series by visiting the incredible Sydenham Hill Wood in South London where we will discover some of the fantastic wildlife, trees and plants that call this ancient woodland home.

As always, thank you for your time in listening today.

We do appreciate every one of you and as always, stay curious wild ones.

This is Wildlife Matters signing off.