How you can help
To become a volunteer on the project or to find out what else you can do to help basking shark conservation read on...
To volunteer
If you would like to help out with surveys, or with data entry later in the year please contact Darren Tebbutt (project co-ordinator) by email or phone 07552 992485 to register your interest.
Other ways you can help
Not everyone has time to volunteer, but if you still want to help there are plenty of other things you can do to instead. You can:
- Report any sightings of basking sharks. The Seaquest Basking Shark Project only surveys from Hella Point, near Land's End but we are interested in seeing where else basking sharks appear. If you see a shark fill in the online form which asks for information about what animal you saw, how many, where and when. It is also useful to describe the weather conditions and the animal's behaviour.
Email to tell us if you see basking sharks interacting with people. How do the sharks respond to human water users (boats, jet skis, water skis, swimmers, divers). Are people following the basking shark Code of Conduct guidelines set out by the Shark Trust and others? E.g. Do boat owners switch their engines to neutral when they are within 100 m of a basking shark? Do water users let the sharks come to them rather than vice versa? - Ring us if you see live or dead stranded basking sharks. For dead stranded animals ring the Marine Strandings Network on 0845 201 2626 (24 hour). For live animals stranded or caught in a net or pot line ring British Divers Marine Life Rescue on (01825) 765546 (24 hour).
- Join us and become a member of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
