ENVIRONMENT
Protect Our Seas
News and views from the world of marine heritage and conservation
The first scan shows an area of seabed pre-pandemic , while the second shows recent scarring in the same area
Cruising for a bruising ?
Cruise ships moored off the Dorset coast have inflicted extensive scarring to the seabed , sonar scans have indicated . Some of the world ’ s biggest cruise vessels anchored off Weymouth and Poole when holiday voyages were halted due to the pandemic .
Dorset Wildlife Trust said its research revealed the impact of vessels ’ dragging anchors and chains and warned of damage to marine habitats , however cruise companies have insisted they have abided by maritime regulations .
Dorset Wildlife Trust carried out scans of the seabed earlier this year after a period when more than 70 arrivals and departures of cruise ships were noted . The multibeam sonar scans carried out in Weymouth Bay indicated a number of deep grooves , up to 60cm deep and about 5m wide . It also found some damage had been done to the Marine Protection Area near Weymouth , where ships are not usually allowed to anchor .
The Trust has called for restrictions on anchoring and for protected habitats to be marked more clearly on navigation charts used by commercial vessels .
PHOTO : DAVE MCBRIDE
Where ’ s Wally ?
An Arctic walrus that became a familiar sight in west Wales has been spotted in the Isles of Scilly . The Arctic creature made itself at home in Tenby , Pembrokeshire , for two months , but eventually moved on and was later spotted off the coast of Cornwall . There have since been sightings of the walrus - affectionately known as Wally - off the coasts of France and Spain . In mid- June , Wally was pictured attempting to mount yachts off Porthcressa Beach on the southern side of St Mary ’ s , the largest of the islands .
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