The descriptive text, below the map, is from the Cornish Red Data Book (2009). The map on this web page depicts the organisms distribution and shows the records made pre-2000 and those made since.
Range & Status
This species inhabits subtropical and warm temperate waters, occurring in the north
Atlantic in offshore areas to the west of the Iberian Peninsula and France. There is also a population in the Mediterranean. It is rare in UK waters and is recorded mainly from the south-west approaches to the English Channel and off Southern Ireland. Occasional sightings and strandings have occurred as far north as Shetland. There is no clear evidence of recent changes in population, however, an increase in records between the 1980s and 1990s in northern Britain suggests a possible recent northward extension of their range (UK Biodiversity Group, 1999).
Strandings
Strandings were recorded in 1939 (1), 1975 (1), 1984 (2), 1986 (2), 1992 (1), 1994 (1), 1995 (1), 1996 (1) 1997 (1), 1998 (5), 1999 (1), 2000 (2), 2001 (2), 2002 (3), 2003 (5), 2004 (2), 2005 (3), 2006 (2), 2007 (1), 2008 (1) live stranded and was euthanased.
Sightings
1998 (3), 1999 (1), 2000 (4), 2001 (1), 2003 (1), 2005 (1), 2007 (1).
Conservation
Listed as a species of Least Concern (Hammond et al ., 2008c. Stenella coeruleoalba . In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
I.J. Bennallick, S. Board, C.N. French, P.A. Gainey, C. Neil, R. Parslow, A. Spalding and P.E. Tompsett. eds. 2009. Red Data Book for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 2nd Edition.Croceago Press. The Cornish Red Data Book Project was led by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Federation for Biological Recorders (CISFBR). The full text and species accounts (minus the maps) are available on the CISFBR website.
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