31 January 2012
Image of the week: Mating harbour porpoises in North Devon
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Mating in harbour porpoises is seldom seem let alone photographed. This remarkable image by David Jenkins shows 3 animals taken at a coastal on the North Devon coast in the summer of 2011. He has observed porpoises at a number of North Devon sites for over 10 years and has been able to identify a number of sites where they feed regularly in close alignment with coastal reefs and in association with other species like gannets highlighting the importance of particular coastal sites. This has also enabled him to start taking photo identification shots of individual animals from the shore. The designation of sites for mobile species in the marine environment under the Habitats Directive is a significant issue that remains both seriously delayed and largely unresolved causing concerns to conservationists and developers alike.
