Your marine life questions

how big is a full grown male stag including the antlers?

what species of spider is the biggest in britain

How long do common and grey seal pups stay with their mothers after weaning? Do they get the chance to watch them and learn how to catch prey? If not, this must be a critical time in their suvival.

My mum would love to see puffins but has mobility problems and can only walk short distances. Is there anywhere on the UK mainland that I could drive her to where we could go to see them?

Heyy great show! I don't mind who answers this but preferably Chirs :). I was watching a program and it said that seagulls don't fly over the sea but at the coast!!!! Why are they called seagulls not gulls or coastgulls!!!!! Thanks!!

Matthew Clayman (12) :)

Hello this is from Lucy who is 11 and her question is how long can a seal get?

In the news this week a great white shark shows swallowing a seal pup but why are the great white's attracted to the seal pup and like killing them most?

Are there any killer whales in uk waters? If so, where are they? Where can they be seen?



Thanks



Mark from Telford

If large Marine Mammals are always on the move - how do things like Barnacles get attached to their skin?

Question from Jonathan aged 9. How old do sea turtles get?

''Shwmae'' Iolo,

Another large visitor to the coast of Wales is the SUNFISH, what time of year is best to see it?

Calvin, South Wales

Do jellyfish have a brain, if not how do they think

All this user's posts have been removed.Why?

All this user's posts have been removed.Why?

Hi, My favourite animal in the world are Killer whales/ Orcas and I would like to know where in Scotland is the best place to spot them and what time of the year? I live in Scotland and it would be amazing to spot them in my country

Have noticed numerous occasions lately of gulls chasing after small birds in flight.Is this normal practice.

can we get any type of see snakes in the british iles and sorry for my spelling i have deslexiaer

Dear Autumnwatch

Recently my 11 year old son saw a jay and wondered why they are so colourful and other members of the crow family are mostly black. Hope you can help.

J Munro.

I recently read about a shark attacking some surfers on the Moray Coast. As a surfer I would just like to know the likelyhood of there being a fatal shark attack on our coasts.

is it true killer whales have the best killing techniques in the ocean

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A question… With such huge shoals of Herring do the ones in the middle get short of oxygen in the water?

Doesnt Norway have more coastline than the UK??



Chris said that the UK has, near the start of the programme.



Scott Worrall

Where is the best place to see Wales either in the uk or perhaps Iceland? Are there certain times if year that are better than others? It's always been a dream of mine!

What is the most common whale that beaches on UK shores and how many annually are found?

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Are crabs part of the arachnid family?

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Where is the best place in Scotland to spot killer whales and at what time of year?

why is the Med coloured dark blue on the temp chart?

I think the sound quiz was a dolphin calling. Do we have any dangerous sharks in british waters?



jemma fowler

how many pups do seals have per season, and in their lifetime? And how come pups are born with fur?

This may seem like a simple question but everybody I ask cannot give me an answer. Does the team at AutumnWatch?

Why is the sea salty?

And no this is not the beginning of a joke!

Where's the best place to go whale watching and what's the best time ?

Hpw much does a fully grown blue whale way?

Hi - great programme, but so few episodes!



Anyway - my query - on the map in the beginning of the show, the sea temp in the Medit. Sea was blue - but surely should be around 16C - why the odd colour? AND, is there anything new on the Gulf Stream - still much concern about it maybe failing.



Keep up the work - and can we see more of the sea, and underwater, please?

Hi

Iolo just said that the finn whale is the second largest animal ever lived - or did he mean mammal, surely there where marine dinosaurs that where bigger?

I found a beached wale about 5 years ago on the isle of Islay and ever scince we've been going back and finding rib bones and vertibray how would i find out what they were even though when i went to the iclantic whale muesum and it had lots of skeltons and i think it is a long finned pilot whale. How can I be sure?

Thomas Garner age 13

Hey Up!! I have been told that basking sharks breed off the coast of the Isle of Man - was wondering what time of year this would take place? Love the show - Suze - Bolton xx

When prawns first have their eggs, you can see the eggs on the back of the prawn, but later in the season we can see the eggs/caviar between all their legs at the front of the prawns. How and why does this happen, please?

Last week the team said that Kingfishers are freshwater birds. We sail regularly in Turkey and have often seen Kingfishers around the coast. In fact, they have even used our mouring lines as perches, and have watched them fishing in (what is obviously) salt water. Fresh water birds?

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When on holiday in Cornwall whilst rockpooling we discovered a small fish that had amazing colours and eyes with a large sucker underneath. We searched online and discovered It was a cornish sucker fish, is this species only found in cornwall, I had never heard of of fish before

Slimbridge is one of mine and my mums favourite places, we visit often,its really exciting to see AutumnWatch broadcasting live from there ... great show guys god help any of my family who try changing the channel

We know that fin whales go to southern Ireland but do they go anywhere else in the uk?

Not a question but we were in Lynmouth in August and a Finn whale was washed up on the beach - it was amazing to see the size of the whale close up but sad that it was dead.

please could you tell me why you dont see any starfish very often in rock pools and pools on the beach.

Will the grey seals in Cornwall stay around our coast throughout the colder months? (I've uploaded some photos of a pup I met on the flickr page).

I have a relative who works offshore in the North Sea. During the past two weeks a flock of starlings were observed on the vessel and they were devouring one of their own! Is this usual behaviour, or does hunger drive them to such behaviour?

After an assembly at school my 7 year old daughter says wind farms at sea are bad for marine life. Is this right? Your show last week seemed to suggest they're helping seal colonies thrive. Are offshore wind farms good or bad?

Do fin whales target specifically herring or do they take other species such as krill? If they do target krill do they migrate north in the summer months?

I have posted a photo on Autumnwatch fliker of a rockpool in Cornwall. I can't identify the mass of wriggly "things" Please can you tell me what they may be. Thank you. Andrea

I live in Ardmore Co Waterford and I have just watched your programme about whales etc. in "UK" waters.



Since when has the coast off my village been "UK" waters? you might at least have the courtesy to acknowledge the sovereigty of this State and its coast line.



i am digusted.

Are fin whales predated by orca?

Hi,



Will sparrow hawks and owls kill pigeons.

We have had many pigeons killed around us but they are only taking the heads off!!

what causes the gulf stream from archie aged 9

The answer to the sound quiz....



...It's a grey seal, possibly mating!

Really surprised to hear on tonight's Autumnwatch repeated references to 'UK waters' accompanying film & comment about fin whales etc off the coast of Eire, the Irish Republic!!

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Hi

You have already mentioned the problems with plastic bags rubbish on sea/beaches etc.

Could you mention balloons, so many charity events, fetes, openings etc release ballons, many end up into the sea and have the same effect as plastic bags and cause so many problems to marine wildlife. Could something be done to make people aware of this and even go as far as to ban the release off balloons in this way.

Please mention nurdles as well make people aware of what's being done to the seas around our coast

how long can whales live?

I was surfing off Porthtowan in Cornwall early september, when what I think was a young oyster catcher flew around me squawking as two Peregrines took it in turns to dive bomb it. The Oyster Catcher stayed very low to the water so the Peregrines had to keep pulling up before they hit it. I didn't see what happened as I got hit by a wave!

Tonight's show detailed the DNA capture from Fin Whales and the fella undertaking this was using cross bow and seemed to be struggling to get many 'hits'. Think three was mentioned per year. Would a bow, being able to deliver an arrow further, at more pace and, with practice, accuracy be an idea that he is willing to pick up?

Regarding the plastic etc on the bird colony, why not take a hot flame gun up there & "burn" off the plastic so it doesn't pose the same problem next year?

It's good that you suggest people pick up some of the litter on the beach & to wear rubber gloves but don't you think it might also be an idea to warn them about the danger of syringes as well. Sadly they are something of a problem on some beaches these days.

Hi,

If they are saving the lobsters then won't that affect the other fish as it affects the food chain?!? Matthew Clayman -12

PLease answer thanks!

we visited Acrig Tara south of Ayr last week and was surprised to see swans floating on the open see and feeding. is this common. Vic

I have just watched members of rspb releasing young gannets from discarded nets, etc., why don't I see anybody picking up the discarded nets and putting them in black bags for disposal?

My marine life question....owls at sea - is this common? Take a look at these photos from Islay Wildlife ......https://islaynaturalhistory.blogspot.com/2011/11/short-eared-owls-in-north-sea-neil.html

Are these owls stopping off during migration, or is it adaptive behaviour - have they gone there specially to feed off the small birds that stop off there? Would love to hear Chris's view on this! I think he'll find the pictures interesting!

Hi Autumnwatch! Love the show! Chris, I have a question!

Chris: Does the lifespan of a sea mammal vary enormously between species? Or do they all have a similar lifespan? Please answer, it would make my day!

How do whales find there way back to the same ocean?

What is the average length of a blue whale??

Why are common seals sometimes different colours?

A fin 50 foot whale in august was washed up on a beach in the bristol channel at Lynmouth north devon have they been seen in this area before?

What food do they feed the baby lobsters on before releasing them?

yeah Chris got to mention poo ... again lol

What is the average length of a blue whale?

What is the third largest whale and the smallest whale

Why do male sea-horses get pregnant and not females?

on tonights programme it shows whales off the coast of Ireland,yet your website mainly only lists sites in Scotland.Also the the boatman's name was Pádraig but the presenter didn't seem to be pronouncing right.

what are the animals u are most likely to see in the autumn?

do any marine animals migrate to the uk?

How long do Whales live and what is the oldest recorded whale?

Do Great White Sharks live off the coast of the UK? if so where?

Peter Long, Environment Agency, Cornwall - Please encourage your viewers to not only collect some rubbish from the beach but also to recycle the plastics etc rather than just sending it to landfill. Happy Beach Cleaning - Every little bit helps... Peter

please may we have more insect coverage, had a chap on showing spiders and you gave him very little time and really rushed him, love to see more spiders, beatles, ants and other such species, it always seems like you cover deer, badgers, foxes and loads of birds am watching you at the mo and once again its stags and deer

thanks

Mole, oyster catcher, badger, Green woodpecker

Lasst year in October I was sailing across the Bay of Biscay and a robin landed on the boat for a "breather". Could this be right?

On my return I tried to look up about all the little birds out at sea that we would see and try to entice onto the yacht for a breather. Quite sad - hope they make it!

Love the show!! and the spring one too. Addicted if in the country!

Regards and thanks

Sue Clarke

when we went to New quay we saw more dolphins than when we went on a boat do they get scared of the sound?

When I was walking home from school I heard a starling making a curlew sound. What use is this for the starling?

Ronan aged 13

We found this on a walk at Beresford Dale, Derbyshire, and would love to know what animal it came from!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/69762382@N08/6334928309/

A - Mole

B - Star fish

C - Badger

D - Green Woodpecker



regards

Steve Walby

Agree fully with the comment from Beachdrifter about ballooon releases, a few today to remember the brave folk who give/gave so much. Wonder if anyone has ever been prosecuted for releasing them as they are litter and which animals are most in danger from them?

Hi there, great show as usual. In the article about the state of Britains seabirds earlier you showed some footage of kittiwakes. I noted one with red legs! I know that red legs on 'our' kittiwakes are uncommon but not unknown, so excellent luck getting one on film...or was this footage of red legged kittiwakes from the Bering Straits :)

BBC Scotland has consigned Unsprung to 10 to midnight! luckily I can access BBC England on cable, but there must be many who are not so lucky. Please keep unsprung straight after Autumnwatch! Thanks - and thanks for great tv. Anne

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I absolutely loved the all of the story's on marine life big & small. I think it's improved since Springwatch, the inclusion of wildlife near and in the sea. Thank you!

I've just watched Autumnwatch on iPlayer and I have a question:



How do seals get pregnant just after their pups are born?

Doesn't the hormone that sustains lactation inhibit ovulation? (as it does in humans?)

Also why don't the hormones that sustain the pregnancy interfere with the ability to lactate?

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I don't know whether it's too late to ask my question, but I'll have a go anyway.



I just watched show 6 on catch-up, and I was happy to see Iolo's feature on finwhales off the Irish coast. Ever since I saw the scale model of the Blue Whale at the Natural History Museum in S.Kensington, I have been fascinated. To see a live blue whale would be a life's dream for me, but I am looking for advice on where to try spotting one. I've heard Canada, California, and Greenland as top spots, but I'm scouring all available sources for information on these animals. How much can we be sure about their migration patterns, and what does this tell us about where to see them?



PS: Thanks to everyone involved for another great show.



Cheliza