DORSET residents are being urged to get involved in a national project to protect whales and dolphins.

The Sea Watch Foundation, an organisation that has monitored marine mammals around the UK coast for 40 years, wants volunteer observers to help with their annual 'National Whale & Dolphin Watch' event.

Sea Watch Foundation sightings officer Kathy James said: "All that people need to do to take part is to report their whale and dolphin sightings to us and to either participate in the advertised organised watches or to arrange their own. It is very easy and we will explain how.

"Many people don't realise the wealth of whales and dolphins we have around our coasts. You don't need to go abroad to go whale watching or to have a dolphin experience."

'Stumpy' the dolphin is regularly spotted off the Purbeck coast.

The bottlenose dolphin, named because he is missing the tip of his dorsal fin, is part of a wider south west dolphin population.

Dorset Wildlife Trust's marine awareness officer, Julie Hatcher said: "The south west population, which ranges from Dorset to Cornwall, often splits into smaller groups of three or four, or slightly larger groups of around 20 animals."

Pods of dolphins are often spotted along the Dorset coast, even as far east as Boscombe - but they're not the only marine wildlife in UK waters.

Kathy said: "We’ve recently seen an usually high number of humpback whale sightings around the UK.

"Even if you think that your nearest coastline is uneventful in terms of cetaceans, it is highly likely that there will be some out there – you just need to spend the time looking.

"Even if you don't see anything during a watch, that information is just as valuable to us."

Visit www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/nwdw to find out more about the national event, which is scheduled for July 23-31.