Dolfijnen op de Doggersbank

A description is given of six small herds of dolphins seen in the Dogger Bank area on 24 May 1989. Of the 18 dolphins seen, 15 were identified as White-beaked Dolphins Lagenorhynchus albirostris, the other three were dolphins of the same genus. Most groups went to the ship to accompany it for a while at the bow. The distribution and numbers of cetaceans in the southern North Sea are poorly known. It is concluded that White-beaked Dolphins may be seen most often because it is the commonest species in these waters, or because of its spectacular behaviour and its liking of ships.