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50 shades of grey – watching orcas in Scotland

50 shades of grey – watching orcas in Scotland

Every year, people gather on cliff tops in the north of Scotland to watch out for orcas, some of whom come down from their winter herring-hunting grounds in Iceland on the look out for seals in the early Scottish summer. Run by the Sea Watch Foundation and supported by WDC, we call this event Orca…

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Familiar Fins, New Faces and Bizarre Encounters … !!

Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that Scotland has been having a dismal summer this year, low temperatures and rain and wind galore. The weather however isn’t going to stop our dolphins go about their daily business and so we returned (even more determined than ever) to our field site on the Isle of Lewis…

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Orca Watch in Scotland …the results are in

The WDC team has now left Scotland and the beautiful Caithness coastline but the sightings continue. During our week in the far north we were fortunate enough to see orcas, humpback whales, minke whales and harbour porpoise from our vantage point at Duncansby Head, just two miles from John O Groats. Other keen whale watchers…

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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 ,…

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Scottish windfarms decision bad for marine mammals

WDC are supportive of efforts to reduce climate impacts and move away from the use of fossil fuels. However, the decision by Scottish Ministers today to consent these four offshore wind farms off the Forth and Tay on the east coast of Scotland will drive another nail in the coffin of the local harbour seal…

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Familiar 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…

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Boat crews asked to keep distance from baby dolphin

WDC’s field officer in Scotland, Charlie Phillips, has asked that sailors and crews of boats using Inverness ity harbour and marina, and the Kessock Channel, to proceed with caution and not to seek out a baby dolphin born in recent days. This is a very vulnerable time for the young calf and loud noises from…

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Risso’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…

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There be a mutiny at Spey Bay this Sunday on Pirate Day!

With the end of the six weeks holidays coming near here at the Scottish Dolphin Centre we will be celebrating in style! Over the past few weeks we have been seeing lots of dolphin activity with pod sizes ranging from just two individuals to twelve! The ospreys who will be preparing for their long migration…

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