Posts Tagged ‘Outer Hebrides’
Wild dolphin crossbreeding in UK revealed by WDC
Shrinking dolphin populations in UK waters may be causing one species to mate with another according to WDC research. WDC has recently released the first documented proof of hybridisation between wild dolphins in UK waters, where one species mates with a completely different species. In a recently published scientific paper scientific paper ,…
Read MoreFamiliar Fins and Hybrid Dolphins
Encountering dolphins in the wild is a pleasure and a privilege, encountering dolphins known to you in the wild is even more special. Starting in 2010 we came to the Isle of Lewis to study and learn more about the population of Risso’s dolphins who use the area, five years on and we’re beginning to…
Read MoreRisso’s dolphin MPA for North East Lewis?
We have been watching Risso’s dolphins foraging almost every day since we arrived last weekend to conduct our annual surveys off the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. Since we were last here…. drum roll please…. our survey area in North East Lewis has become a proposed Marine Protected Area (MPA) for these dolphins! We couldn’t…
Read MoreHebrides field season ends with common dolphin encounter
It’s been a great field season on the Isle of Lewis! We saw Risso’s dolphins (some individuals that we’d seen in previous years and some new dolphins), lots of harbour porpoise and more minke whales than we’ve seen before! And what better way to end a busy season than to encounter a leaping, whistling pod…
Read MoreRisso's dolphins caught on camera by WDC field team
WDC’s field team in the Outer Hebrides recently recorded this great video footage of Risso’s dolphins in the surrounding waters. Stomach contents from strandings data from a limited number of UK Risso’s dolphins shows that their primary prey is octopus. However, a recent report by scientists shows that the relationship between the observed distributions of Risso’s…
Read MoreSeaweed and friends make a welcome return to the Isle of Lewis
“I recognise that dolphin” … “And that one” … uttered by me but still sweet music to my ears. Its hugely exciting when we spot a pod of dolphins and even more satisfying when through the cameras lens I recognise an individual that we’ve seen several years before. Obviously I can only confirm the match…
Read MoreEvery storm cloud has a silvery lining….
It’s been a challenging few weeks as we have been subjected to gale force wind … wind … and even more wind. But it’s when times are the toughest that the gems sparkle the brightest and we have had some real corkers in the small weather windows available to us! In an earlier blog we…
Read MoreReturn of the DOG BLOG …!
Yahoo … I’m back, both here on Lewis and here on the blog! Go on admit it … you’ve missed me haven’t you?! Kila – the blogging dog! Our humans have had some great land based sightings since we’ve arrived, a lot of which have been really close to the coast and therefore we’ve had…
Read MoreFamine or Feast!
Well, poke me in the eye with a blunt stick if we’ve not just had one of the best first weeks of a fieldwork season out here in the Atlantic Frontier – and given that the weather has now turned and the wind and rain are battering the islands we’re even more grateful for our…
Read MoreSea Shiant-y
We (WDCS researchers Nicola and Sarah along with our able Canine Research Assistants, Kila and Harvey) have returned to the magical Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles of Scotland for 8 weeks of field work in search of Risso’s dolphins and other marine megafauna – and we have received a warm and watery welcome!…
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