The Essex Naturalist 51
Bottle-nosed dolphin (Tursiops tursiops) Montagu
The bottle-nosed dolphin, together with the porpoise are the two species most
likely to occur in Essex coastal waters. The southern North Sea has recently
become less hospitable to small cetaceans (Evans, 1991) and the absence of any
records during the last 25 years suggests a decline in the coastal population.
There are several records of this species being captured offshore or shot during
the 19th century (Laver, 1898).
Date Location Sex Length Ref
26/7/1914 Dovercourt ? 3.12m SFH
2/12/1924 Frinton ? 3.05m FCF
12/10/1928 Walton ? 1.52m FCF
1/9/1932 Frinton ? 2.49m FCF
3/6/1957 Dovercourt ? 3.66m FCF
28/5/1972 Walton ? 3.66m MCS
White-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhyncus albirostris) Gray
There are nine records, including seven in 1977: the cluster of records suggests
that a school of white-beaked dolphins were present offshore for several months
during the summer. Where information is available, all strandings have involved
females. Two skulls thought to be of this species were found on Foulness in 1944
(D. Hunford, pers.comm.).
Date Location Sex Length Ref
3/11/1964 Walton F 2.51m FCF
21/3/1977 Frinton F 2.13m MCS
21/3/1977 Frinton F 2.22m MCS
4/1977 Havengore Creek ? ? Southend Museum
21/9/1977 Southend F 2.50m MCS
21/9/1977 Southend F 2.59m MCS
21/9/1977 Westcliff F 2.48m MCS
22/9/1977 Thorpe Bay F 2.64m MCS
10/4/1982 Old Hall Marshes F 2.56m MCS
Killer whale (Orcinus orca) L.
There has been one reported stranding. During the late 19th century, two were
killed in one of the creeks of the Blackwater (Laver, 1898).
Date Location Sex Length Ref
20/9/1963 Walton ? 5.64m FCF
Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) Cuvier
There is one record (the fifth for Britain) from the last century. At the time it
was the most north-easterly record (Laver, 1898).
Date Location Sex Length Ref
9/5/1885 Creeksea ? ? Laver