A SHOREWATCH for whales and dolphins will take place at Kimmeridge in celebration of World Oceans Day.

Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) will team up with marine organisation ORCA for the event on Sunday, June 5.

Whale watchers will gather on the cliff, binoculars in hand, in the hope of spotting the marine mammals.

Julie Hatcher, a marine conservationist for the DWT, said while there was only a small chance of seeing whales on the day, a number of species were “occasionally spotted”.

“While we’re not expecting to see any whales, they have been turning up in all sorts of unexpected places.

“Over the weekend, a bowhead whale was seen in Cornwall, and humpback whales have also been spotted there this year. There’s no reason they wouldn’t travel up this way.”

She continued: “A few years ago, a bottlenose whale was found in Bournemouth. There were minke whales in Swanage several years ago, and we wouldn’t be too surprised to see some in the Channel.

“These animals are out there and they do sometimes turn up in our waters. As for dolphins, they are residents here.”

Julie added the main aim of the shorewatch was to educate people about the signs to look for when trying to spot dolphins and whales.

A rockpool ramble is also taking place as part of the Kimmeridge Bioblitz, to discover the seaweeds and animals which inhabit the rockpools.

For further details about the shorewatch, visit dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk, or call 01929 481044. For information about the rockpool ramble, go to capturingourcoast.com, or call 02392 842043.