Deep waters

GRAHAM HALLIDAY KEEPS US UP-TO-DATE WHALE-WISE

The number of whales, dolphins and porpoises in Scottish waters begins to swell from July. Hebridean waters in particular play host to a number of species.

“Rissos and white-beaked dolphin are common in the north around Lewis,” says Juliet Shrimpton, marine ranger for the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust (HWDT), a charity set up 1994 to help protect cetaceans around the Hebrides. “Common dolphins are more often seen in southern reaches.” The smallest baleen whale, the minke whale, killer whales and basking sharks are also regular visitors to Hebridean waters.

For a good chance of seeing these giants of the deep, Shrimpton recommends you go with a reputable operator.

“It is important that people go out with a responsible operator, someone who is experienced and knows how and when to approach whales and dolphins.”

But you don't necessarily have to go out to sea to observe whales. According to the HWDT, minke whales are often sighted from the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse. Any sightings of cetaceans should be reported to the HWDT at sightings@HWDT.sol.co.uk

Work is ongoing to eradicate and assess major threats to cetaceans around Scottish coasts. Marine litter, entanglement and localised pollution all cause problems. Underwater noise, specifically the potential threats posed by military sonar and acoustic alarms used in fish farms, is harmful, although to what extent is yet to be quantified.

Further east, Operation Peregrine around the Falls of Clyde in New Lanark is ...

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• By : Graham Holiday
• In : Wildlife
• Issue : 8
• Page : 22
• Words : 622