SEPT 2007
WATCH THIS
'N
VEGETARIAN DOLPHIN CAMP
in Wales
near to the town of Newquay, it is near Cardigan town
( do a search on net)
'n
Vegetarian dolphin camp in Wales September, 2007
A chance to see dolphins amongst kindred
spirits!
This ride was to
highlight the death of dolphins in fishing nets in
2002
Alan meets Kevin
Philips,
goalkeeper for
Manchester City Football Club,
headlines in local paper:
"City goalie keeps balls out of nets,
meets campaigner trying to keep dolphins
out"
Contact
ALAN
COOPER
www.cetaceadefence.org
Have a look also at
www.animalslavery.net
write in it and tell others, please
PHOTO:
Damian Sidnell; dolphins in Cardigan Bay Calf and Mother
'n
Vegetarian dolphin camp in Wales September, 2007
A chance to see dolphins amongst kindred
spirits!
Subject:
Close up of an orca-don't forget to bring a canoe to the dolphin
camp
A chance to see dolphins amongst kindred spirits!
INFO:
Dolphins
The dolphins in Cardigan Bay have a population estimate of
apparently 127 animals. Not a lot considering the vast area of
Cardigan Bay.
Apparently they are semi-resident, moving more off-shore in the
winter months I first went there looking for dolphins in 1990, on
arrival my friend and we immediately saw 3 dolphins close inshore
and we thought wow great, and then over the next few days saw none!
So there are no guarentees and you can't chase dolphins around and
the great thrill is when you are sat and they suddenly appear to
you!
In 2003 I was there for a couple of weeks and saw dolphins every
day.A large group of 12, including a mother and calf ( born this
year). This year I found a great new observational point, looking
straight down at dolphins 120 feet below, seals too and a myriad of
sea-birds. Sitings were less in 2004.
What this isn't:
A chance to swim with dolphins, they are a complete integrated
social group and no approach towards them should be made. However I
have anecdotally been told of jumping dolphins over
canoeists.
I don't see this as a group thing where we tag along together. The
area where the camp site is located, is a fantastic area for
sea-cliff walks, mountain walks( if you come by car), quiet cycling
lanes.
People should feel free to do their own thing , walking, cycling,
or just chilled out by their tents but hopefully we will create a
feeling of wanting to particpate some of the time in things
together or a feeling that the world isn't such a terrible place
after all!
I just thought it good to bring vegan/vegetarians together to see
dolphins and have a meal and beer together on the same camp site. I
have been preveileged many times to see cetaceans and I know there
are veg./vegans out there who would love to have the opportunity, I
am just facilitating that. If it inspires one person to campaign
for dolphins then it will have been a major success
Boat -trips
At the moment there is someone who runs'kosher trips' I wouldn't
particuarly recommend him or not recommend him. He charges 24pds
for a 4 hour trip. I went out with him for 2 days in the mid 90's
and on 1 day 12 dolphins hit our boat and he wouldn't let me go to
the bow for insurance reasons! Basically he has found a niche in
the market with his wildlife tours, before that he apparently did
angling trips!. He has WDCS affiliation and a code of conduct.There
may also be the chance to book a sailing boat if there is enough
interest at around £40 per person for a full days sail.
Camp site:
I will be there during the whole period 1-10th but feel free to
come for the whole or part of it.
A quiet camp site( field with shower and toilet, should be
available for our exclusive use at 4pds per tent per night. This is
owned by a farmer, not perfect, but neither is another site owned
by another dubious
person, and a BBQ sited by the next tent.
Basically If you want to come and be with similiar minded folk and
see the laupers,(lovely Scottish slang for leapers!) just send me
the money for the camp-site to confirm you are coming £4 per tent
per night, payable to Alan Cooper. There is also a £10 booking fee
to contribute to Cetacea Defence's voluntary work. On receit of
that I will send you the address of the camp and directions
What to bring:
Definitely a smile, you will be with others who love and respect
nature, animals and dolphins . If that dosen't appeal strongly to
you then this may not be for you. If you see dolphins you will have
a huge grin ear 2 ear.
The expectation to have a great time, binoculars, camera, good
tent, some warm clothing and shorts( it can be hot too!) A canoe if
you can do some inshore paddling safely.
In 2003, 4 people came, last year 10 and a dog, are you coming to
see the laupers in 2005?
MaryAlice,
This was awesome! There's something about dolphins! When a dear
friend of ours died, there was a pod of dolphins outside his
hospital room window in the bay. After he passed, they turned and
swam out to sea. When we went out on the ship with his cremains,
which were dispersed on the water, there were dolphins following
the ship out and also below us when the cremains were released. We
each tossed in a flower and the dolphins came and took them away!
It was just so awesome! Had the same thing happen to a family
another time when we went out on the ship. There's no way to
explain it but it was phenomenal!
Love ya lots,
Elaine
A Dolphin Short Story by alan cooper
The man sat on top of the sea cliffs. Below him lay a blue calm
sea. It seemed Cardigan Bay stretched out to infinity and in that
infinity that day, there had been no sightings of dolphins. He had
been there for over five hours, half-expecting half hoping they
would appear. Every shimmering of life on the sea's surface, was a
break of a wave or a black head of a guillemot not a dark dorsal
fin . Briefly his hopes had been raised only to be dashed.
The sultry afternoon had turned into a very pleasant summer's eve.
The man knew or thought he knew the movements of leapers or
'laupers' as they are know in Scotland. Other people sometimes
called him an 'expert'‚ this always made him smile. This expert‚
didn't really expect the dolphins to pass by Birds rock at this
late hour, that hadn't been his experience, but while there was the
slightest chance he would stay. He had seen them every day but at
mid-day not at this time. One day there had been over ten dolphins
dazzling him below in their ballet.
During his time gazing out to sea, he watched the kittiwakes;
guillemots; razorbills; possibly choughs and a lone kestrel circle
the rock. It fascinated him that a small group of guillemots could
peacefully co-exist of a space no bigger than a large coffee table.
He contemplated the notion of an experiment and how long it would
take a group of humans on an equivalent sized area, before they
began throwing one-another off the ledge !
The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon of a fiery red sky.
"Sod you Apollo and yer dolphins, if you had only come, the
clearness of sea and air would have made seeing you even better
than usual", he uttered in jest.
As the man stood up to leave and walk the mile back to his tent,
five dolphins breached clear of the sea in unison, scattering
jewels as they reached for the sun . Behind them followed a mother
and calf, emulating the others. The first five leaped again
mockingly hey Mr dolphin expert we've only been a short way, to a
dolphin that is, down the coast and you've been sat there five
hours looking for us‚ , te he he. The man enjoyed the irony of
their joke. Even the calf, a miniature of perfection , seemed to be
laughing, aw mum, why do I have to do this for the dolphin man, how
high should I go, how far is it, am I nearly there yet!
* "Diviner than the dolphin, nothing yet has been created Oppian
the Greek philosopher wrote.
The man knew moments like this were rare and every second had to be
memorised and locked into the heart and brain to recall in times
when he only dreamt of the freedom that was theirs. Angels
messengers from the gods," thank-you Apollo he cried and as he did
they were gone and he knew they wouldn't return.
The man waved, for a wave even if unreturned is still a wave. Come
back earlier tomorrow" and with that he turned and walked back to
his tent, living felt good and dreams were dreamt straight from
heaven.
A. Cooper
* Observation has shown that dolphin mothers have a dolphin aunt
who help in upbringing of the calf. For as divine as their babies
are, they may like human mothers be stressed by their off-spring
!