Latest News from HWDT

On board Silurian

7th May 2008

HWDT to feature on BBC Radio 4

HWDT will feature in the BBC Radio 4 broadcast "Open Country" on Saturday 10th May at 6:10pm and Thursday 15th May at 1:30pm. Please follow the link for more information about the programme. www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/opencountry.shtml

23rd April 2008

Killer whales sighted off Shetland

A group of Killer whales were sighted yesterday traveling south off the east coast of Shetland. This is the first report of Killer whales so far this year and HWDT are hoping to recieve images to allow identifcation of individuals within the group.

11th April 2008

First minke sighting of the year

The first minke whale of 2008 was seen off Ardnamurchan Point. Local boat operators have also been reporting lots of seabirds feeding in the area, so it appears that the season has officially started!

31st March 2008

Exclusive offer: reduced cost for Silurian survey

HWDT are offering a reduced cost for volunteers to participate in a Cetacean Survey on board our research vessel Silurian. For more information please go to our Volunteering page

25th March 2008

Unusual stranding event

In the last six weeks HWDT has received reports of 5 Cuvier’s beaked whales stranded between Islay and Lewis. Strandings of beaked whales are occasionally reported along the west coast but multiple strandings are highly unusual. Multiple strandings of beaked whales in other areas have been associated with the use of recently developed military sonar. HWDT has requested information on military activities conducted this winter off the west coast. We hope to receive this information in the near future. For more information on this event please go to the Sightings section of the website.

28th February 2008

Landmark move to reduce plastic bags

Marks and Spencer has taken the lead to reduce the nation's consumption of plastic bags by introducing a 5 pence charge for bags starting this May. Hopefully, this landmark move will encourage the rest of the supermarket groups to take similar steps. Around 13 billion plastic bags are given away free in the UK each year, most of which remain in landfill sites taking hundreds of years to break down. Others find thier way into the marine environment posing a serious threat to some species. For example, marine turtles may mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, whilst deep-diving whales may ingest plastic bags mistaking them for squid. Once ingested, the bags can clog up the digestive system leading to stavation. HWDT staff identified remains of 23 plastic bags in the stomachs of a Cuvier's beaked whale which had washed up on Mull a few years ago. Although this was not the confirmed cause of death, this discovery was a shocking reminder of how widespread and far-reaching plastic bag pollution is. HWDT fully supports the move made by Marks and Spencer and would like to see an eventual ban of plastic bags across all supermarkets.

13th February 2008

Bottlenose in the Bay

A quiet Wednesday morning in HWDT's offices was livened up today by the arrival of five lively bottlenose dolphins in Tobermory Bay. Their frisky antics were watched by local people enjoying the unusually warm sunny February weather. Science staff were able to take to a boat and photograph the animals for photo-identification. We don't often get the opportunity to get out to sea during the winter, so today was a brilliant opportunity to see which animals are in our waters at this time of year. And good to be out in the sun too!

11th January 2008

Unusual sighting

A pair of common dolphins appear to have been 'resident' in Inner Lochcarron, Wester Ross, for the past four months. This is considered unusual as this species is normally seen in large groups in the spring and summer months when food is most abundant. The fishermen who reported this sighting have become accustomed to seeing the pair of dolphins in the loch as they come to greet their boat most days. It is likely that a consistent source of available prey is the reason that these dolphins have remained in the loch for so many months. We will keep you posted....

3rd January 2008

First mate/bosun job vacancy 2008 - POSITION FILLED

HWDT are seeking a first mate/bosun to assist in the busy research and education programme carried out on board Silurian. For more details go to the On Board Silurian pages

15th November 2007

Winter school visits begin

HWDT's education team will begin its winter programme of school visits by travelling to Colonsay. Here a full schedule of activities will be taught to all the children at Kilchattan Primary. HWDT will travel to other island and coastal mainland schools over the winter period to engage young people in learning about the marine environment.

24th October 2007

Bottlenose supergroup

The lucky passengers on Sea Life Surveys vessel Sula Beag were delighted by around 30 bottlenose dolphins near Kilhoan, Ardnamurchan. This comprises most, if not all, of the bottlenose dolphin population of the Inner Hebrides.

23rd October 2007

Launch of high school marine litter resource

HWDT will launch its marine litter CD-ROM at Argyll and Bute Beach Forum on Tuesday 23rd October in Oban. This resource for high school teachers and their students includes background notes, a photo gallery of nearly 150 images, a Powerpoint presentation, and 14 varied classroom activities. The CD will educate all who use it about the issue of marine litter. If you are interested in finding out more about either the CD or the event, please get in touch.

18th October 2007

Minkes in the news

Find out what HWDT's Dr Peter Stevick says in the Scotsman about the status of the local minke population. http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1649&id=1655462007

10th October 2007

The last minke in town?

Most of the Hebridean minke whales have now left the area for the winter. But a few are around with one spotted from Silurian south of Mull on Tuesday 9th October.

24th - 28th September 2007

Education aboard Silurian

This week Silurian will be busy with many school children from Mull boarding to learn about HWDT and marine life. Read more about what is happening by following the links to 'On Board Silurian'.

14th September 2007

Beach clean on Loch Buie beach, Mull

Join us at 10am at Loch Buie beach for a beach clean which is part of the national Beachwatch survey (organised by MCS). Our event will continue until midday, so join us when you can.

3rd September 2007

Silurian encounters killer whales twice!

Silurian has just returned back from a 7 day survey. They encountered killer whales for the first time this season early on in the trip. The male-female pair were seen west of Canna. Then remarkably following a tip of from a boat operator based in Skye, they came across the same two off the Mull coast on the final day of surveying! Analysis of the images will determine if either of these whales are in the HWDT killer whale catalogue.

31st August 2007

Killer whales off Mull

A group of five killer whales were seen by local whale watchers, Sealife Surveys off the Mull coastline this morning.

27th August 2007

Bottlenose dolphins in Iona Sound

A group of bottlenose dolphins visited the Iona Sound over the weekend. Thanks to Davie Kirkpatrick, who reported the sighting, the team of scientists from Aberdeen University were contacted and were able to reach the animals in the Sound in time to take valuable identification photographs of the animals' dorsal fins. Analysis of these fin shots will help the team determine if some of the animals present are from the HWDT bottlenose dolphin catalogue.

23rd August 2007

Humpback whale off Gairloch

A rare sighting of a humpback whale was reported by local operator Hebridean Whale Cruises. This is just the third sighting of a humpback whale in the Hebrides so far in 2007. The other sightings were both in June, one was seen near Staffa and a couple of weeks later two were seen further offshore, 30 miles east of St Kilda.

2nd August 2007

Killer whales sighted again

A group of between 5 and 7 killer whales were seen by local operators, Ardnamurchan Charters between Muck and the Cairns of Coll today. HWDT are hoping to get some images which may reveal which individuals were present in the group. This sighting follows another sighting of a group of 5 last week off Gairloch. John Coe was present in this group.

23rd July 2007

John Coe sighted off Gairloch!

John Coe, an adult male killer whale recognisable by a huge nick at the base of his dorsal fin, was spotted off Gairloch on Monday. A group of five killer whales were seen by a local boat operator during one of their trips. A photograph was later sent in to HWDT and John Coe was confirmed to be present in the group. HWDT only receive a handful of killer whale sightings each year so each sighting reported is extremely valuable. A few sightings have been reported so far this year and descriptions have fitted that of John Coe's distinctive fin. However, this is the first confirmed sighting of 2007. If you are interested in finding out more about John Coe, you can become a sponsor see 'Getting Involved' section on this website.

10th July 2007

Exotic Whales Warm to Scotland’s Allure: Corrections and Clarification

Readers of “Exotic Whales Warm to Scotland’s Allure” published in The Times, 20th June, may well be confused by some of the conflicting and inaccurate information that was published in this article and was incorrectly attributed to HWDT. There are numerous specific inaccuracies in the article. Indeed, nearly every statement made about whales and dolphins is incorrect, and the picture of whale and dolphin distribution and movements presented in The Times would be unfamiliar to anyone who knows this area. Studies by HWDT do demonstrate that some warm-water species, such as common dolphins, are being seen in more northerly regions of the Hebrides in recent years than in the past, while species characteristic of colder waters, such as white-beaked dolphins, are now largely restricted to waters further north along the Scottish coast. It should be noted, however, that the changes in distribution are far more incremental than was indicated and the region has not seen new species arriving or others departing. As one example among many, there have been only three reported sightings and six stranded specimens of striped dolphins from the west coast of Scotland, and the strandings date back to 1913, yet the article claims that these are a new arrival that is commonly seen in Argyll waters. In another instance, the article claims that there has been an increase in beaked whales in Scottish waters as these are warm-water species. No increase in any beaked whale species, from warm or cold-water, is evident – all types of beaked whales are very rarely reported. Beaked whales are adapted to life in deep waters and it is difficult to envision how a move towards shore could be related to temperature. As a final example, bottlenose dolphins are listed as a species that is “leaving early”, yet they are year-round residents, and there is no evidence that they leave at all. Additionally, our concern over weakening of the NAD arises from reports that the recent rise in sea temperature in Hebridean waters, which are strongly influenced by the relatively warm waters of the NAD, has been less than the rise in the North Sea, which is influenced by temperatures over adjacent land masses. This can be interpreted as the result of a weakening of the NAD. Why? Much of the water in the NAD is drawn into the Norwegian Sea (not the North Sea, as mistakenly quoted in the article; that’s quite a different place!) as a result of cooling and sinking of the surface water in that area. The less the water cools and the lower the salinity as a result of the melting of ice, the less water will sink, and the less will be drawn from the NAD to replace it. The apparent diminution in the effect, and hence in the strength, of the NAD in Hebridean waters is consistent with other oceanographic observations of the present weakened state of the current. What worries many marine scientists is the threat that this poses to the “Global Conveyor”, i.e. that system of oceanic currents which maintains the circulation of water around the world’s oceans and from the surface to the depths. Without that circulation, deep water could stagnate and the surface waters become deserts, with all the consequences that would entail on land as well as in the sea. Once set in train, the change in momentum would make the process irreversible. The estimate of the time to such a “tipping point”, as reported just a few days ago from a paper published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London (Vol. 365) is one decade. It is a shame that global climate change, an issue of such substantial concern to all, should be done such a disservice by the presentation of sensational but incorrect information by The Times.

4th July 2007

Dolphins in Tobermory Bay

Yesterday we were yet again treated to a fine display from a group of bottlenose dolphins in Tobermory Bay. They visited the harbour in the morning for several hours before heading back out into the Sound of Mull. Later, just before 4pm, they followed the Kilhoan ferry into Tobermory Bay again. The dolphins were very active jumping and playing - a treat for visitors and locals alike.

29th June 2007

HWDT to appear on TV on Saving Planet Earth

HWDT will be appearing on BBC One Scotland on Wednesday 4th July between 7 and 7:30pm. This Saving Planet Earth programme will include features of endangered wildlife to be found on Mull and then takes to the seas to feature cetaceans. Enjoy watching us on TV! Here are the details of the programme from the BBC: In the run-up to Saving Planet Earth night, Tom Conti presents a special Scotland-only episode in the turning the spotlight on the country’s endangered animals. The actor visits the Black Isle with film-maker Fergus Beeley to revisit the locations where he had so memorably captured Scottish wildcats on film. Experts believe there may be as few as 400 still in existence in the Highlands of Scotland. Next stop is Mull where alongside David Sexton, of the RSPB, he catches a breathtaking sight of sea eagles. On the sea off the island, he finds out about the monitoring of dolphin numbers with conservationist Nic Davies. The programme also however celebrates animals which are thriving with a tour on the high seas with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust to see coastlines teeming with wildlife.

National Whale and Dolphin Watch Week

June 23rd to July 1st

Grab your binoculars and join thousands of observers around the UK in this annual event. Get involved locally and come along to one of our organised 2-hour watches on Saturday 23rd or Thursday 28th June. To find out more and for booking, call 01688 302620 or for more information about watches taking place all over the UK go to www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk

14th June 2007

Education week for Silurian

This Saturday 16th June Silurian will set sail to commence the second of our education weeks this season. Having travelled to Coll and Tiree at the end of April, Silurian will again be visiting schools - this time in Islay and Jura. Marine education workshops will be delivered to standard grade, intemediate and higher students of Islay High, P1 - 3 of Bowmore Primary, P3 and 4 of Port Ellen Primary and finally all students of Small Isles Primary, Jura. Read Silurians log for more details.

8th June 2007

Humpback whale off Staffa

An extrordinary sighting of a humpback whale was reported by a local boat operator on Friday. The whale was seen showing its tail about 1 mile south east of Staffa. Humpback whales are rare in the Hebrides and are usually only reported a few times each year. Remember you too can report your sightings online by visiting the report-a-sighting web page on this site

7th June 2007

Lunchtime visit from the bottlenose dolphins

Three bottlenose dolphins came into the harbour again for the fourth time in 3 weeks. They played in the harbour for about a hour today. Visitors and locals enjoyed some great displays at close range.

5th June 2007

Bottlenose Dolphins in Tobermory again

Bottlenose dolphins came into Tobermory Bay for the third time in three weeks! Two dolphins were spotted late last night in playing in Tobermory Harbour. This followed a sighting of three dolphins in the Sound of Mull reported by crew from the Lord of the Isles Calmac ferry earlier in the day. A small group of dolphins (between 2-4 indiviuals) have remained in the area for the last three weeks. It is not certain whether this recent flurry of sightings (nine in total) in the past month is the same group, or smaller sub-groups of a larger pod. A larger group of 15-20 individuals was seen in the Sound of Mull at the end of May. Only close up photographs showing natural markings on the dorsal fins will prove this. If you see any bottlenose dolphin anywhere on the west coast of Scotland. Please call this number 0800 0858110. By doing so you will be contributing valuable information towards a nation-wide project to study scottish bottlenose dolphins. To find out more about the project go to www.scottishdolphins.info

31st May 2007

Bottlenose Dolphins come to Mull again

A large group of bottlenose dolphins (10-15) were seen off Craignure on Wednesday 30th May and smaller groups have been sighted since then in the Sound of Mull.

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Marketing Officer

The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust have an exciting new position available to join their enthusiastic team click here for information, or contact us at admin@hwdt.org or on 01688 302620

Marketing Officer

20th May 2007

Bottlenose Dolphins in Tobermory Bay

Four bottlenose dolphins were sighted by members of the public swimming off the Calmac pier yesterday. This sighting follows a volley of sightings over the the past few days - all around Mull and all of small groups between 2-4 dolphins. If you see any bottlenose dolphins in the Hebrides, please call 0800 0858110

8th May 2007

Volunteers needed to take part in 9 and 12 day boat-based research

HWDT are currently looking for volunteer observers to participate in 2007's busy field season of cetacean monitoring around the Hebrides. Further information and how to apply can be found at HWDT volunteering, or by phoning HWDT on +44 1688 302620 or by e-mailing Fiona Quarmby at volunteercoordinator@hwdt.org

30th April 2007

Sightings Update - March-April 2007

This season’s first minke whale was seen from a local fishing boat off the north coast of Coll towards the end of March. Since then a spectacular spell of settled weather in the Hebrides has led to good sightings of minke whales. Local whale-watch vessels have been treated to groups of whales actively feeding at the surface throughout April. Basking sharks reports have started early this year: first reports were received from fishing boats off the north coast of Iona in mid-April and since then reports have been steadily rising as the spring season gets into full swing. Bottlenose dolphins were reported by members of the public just once in March (off Colonsay) but were reported five times in April. Small groups were seen off Kilhoan pier (off north west Mull) and in Mallaig harbour at the beginning of the month and then again further south off the Arran coast. A few days later, five dolphins were seen off Easdale by a local boat operator. These dolphins stayed in the area and continued to delight passengers aboard MV Porpoise II for three consecutive days. A larger group turned up further north in the Sound of Iona in mid-April. Two sightings of common dolphins were reported in mid-April: a group of 20 were sighted off the west side of Iona and a small group of common dolphins were reported from a yacht off the Isle of Scalpay, north Harris.

1st April 2007

HWDT Bottlenose Dolphin Research - Update

Unlike many of the cetacean species seen in the Hebrides, which leave after a summer of feeding, bottlenose dolphins seem to stay all year round. Five years of photo-ID, a technique that uses distinctive natural markings to identify individuals, suggest that the population on the west coast is smaller than originally expected. This can be inferred by the apparent low rate at which new individuals are recognised and added to the existing catalogue. So far, less than 30 individuals have been identified from photographs. Due to this low ‘rate of discovery’ of new individuals, it seems likely that the dolphins we see in the winter are the same individuals we see in the fieldwork season. The photo-ID work also shows that the dolphins are most commonly seen in small groups of between 6 and 12 individuals. Larger group sizes of between 20 and 30 individuals are less common and so far, groups over 30 individuals have never been documented. The larger groups are thought to be formed from the smaller sub-groups coming together. So the social structure of this population seems to be extremely dynamic with group sizes changing constantly. This type of ‘fission-fusion’ population dynamic appears to be typical of bottlenose dolphins, and has been observed in other bottlenose dolphin populations throughout their range. Despite the difficulties collecting photographs during the winter months, the characteristics of the Hebridean bottlenose dolphins are gradually becoming clearer over time. Winter sightings reported by members of the public have been invaluable to contributing to our understanding of this small, wide-ranging and probably resident population of bottlenose dolphins. Click here for more info on the Scottish Bottlenose Dolphins Project

30th March 2007

1st minke whale sighting kicks off the 2007 season

This season’s first minke whale was seen from a local fishing boat off the north coast of Coll towards the end of March. The spring season has officially started!

February 2007

Sightings Update

Sightings of cetaceans are picking up again now that the stormy winter is behind us and the daylight hours are increasing. Bottlenose dolphin sightings however, have been seen throughout the winter despite the weather. February was a particularly good month with eight sightings of bottlenose dolphins reported - all in south Argyll. The most southerly sighting was of three dolphins sighted from a motorboat near Campbeltown. The remaining sightings were reported from the Firth of Lorn area. It is possible that some of these sightings were of the same group (4-5 individuals) since they were seen in the same general area (Isles of Luing and Easdale) over a week period.

Dec-Jan 2007

Sightings Update

Stormy weather in the Hebrides has meant cetacean sightings have been few and far between for most of the winter. However, despite the persistent bad weather, bottlenose dolphin sightings have continued to prevail. There were five sightings in total in December, spread out over a substantial part of the Hebrides from the Kintyre peninsula in south to the Skye coast in the north. A highlight perhaps was a festive visit to Iona on Christmas day treating local residents to a grand spectacle! About 20 dolphins spent the day playing around the moorings in the Sound of Iona. Sightings of bottlenose dolphins continued into January with a pair spotted off the Mull ferry and a much larger group seen in the Kilbrannan Sound from land a couple of days later. This is the same area where a large group of dolphins were photographed and later identified as the same group seen off Mull a month before. So although we still have much to learn about the bottlenose dolphins in the Hebrides, it is looking more and more likely that the dolphins seen in this area belong to a small but wide-ranging population. A slightly more unusual sighting was of a young pilot whale in Loch Duich, Skye. The whale was reported by several members of the public due to its close proximity to the coast and visible blows. It remained in the loch for 2 weeks but sadly ended up stranding and died. There were no visible signs of injury but samples were recovered for post mortem analysis at the Scottish Agricultural College.

23rd November 2006

Will this be this years last minke sighting?

A minke whale was seen last Thursday (23rd November) by a local fishing boat off Calliach Point, Mull. This sighting is quite late in the year for a minke as whales are now heading south to their winter breeding grounds in warmer waters. Also we receive fewer sightings as less people are out there looking…just the hardy fishermen (not that they have time for whale-watching!) This minke was seen amongst big shoals of fish at the surface. The fish were probably sprat and herring which are around at this time of year – perhaps the whale was having a quick snack en-route south?

October 2007

HWDT collaborates on project to interpret marine and coastal wildlife

There has been a recent launch of a new wildlife sightings leaflet and installation of a marine wildlife interpretative display in the ferry passenger waiting tunnel at Craignure, Mull in partnership with the Marine and Coastal Development Unit of Argyll and Bute Council. To mark the launch HWDT staff participated as marine wildlife guides on the Isle of Mull ferry for two days at the end of October. We were joined by Argyll and Bute council, RSPB and SNH to provide information on local coastal wildlife and encouraged passengers to look out for birds and marine mammals from the ferry between Oban and Craignure. In perfect conditions we saw Harbour Porpoises on every journey and also Bottlenose Dolphins bowriding the ferry on Saturday. It was a pleasure to talk to members of the public about the cetaceans and to help them in spotting them. Thanks to Argyll and Bute Marine and Coastal Development Unit for initiating the project.

9th October 2006

Humpback whale in Loch Long!

A rare sighting of a humpback whale was reported swimming up Loch Long on Monday 9th October and was reported again in the area (off Blairmore Pier) on Tuesday 10th. Loch Long is a very long (hence the name!), narrow sea loch just north of the Clyde estuary and is a fairly unusual location for whale sightings. Because of its presence in this inshore area, there were initial concerns that the whale may be disorientated or injured. However, the whale seems to be behaving normally and appears to be feeding too. This sighting comes just days after another report of a humpback whale which was spotted further north at the mouth of Gair Loch, Wester Ross. This whale was reported to HWDT by Gairloch boat operator, Nick Davies. The whales are most likely to be feeding on herring at this time of year as autumn is the season when the majority of herring around Scotland are moving inshore to spawn. Two humpback sightings in the same week may be an indication of good herring stocks this year on the west coast.

September 2007

Exciting findings - bottlenose dolphin project

Two weeks ago a large group of bottlenose dolphins was seen from the Mull coast and photo-ID images of the dolphins’ dorsal fins were collected. Previous analysis of Photo-ID images has shown that dolphins move between Islay and Mull only, but new findings tell us that the animals cover a larger distance. Initial analysis of the new images collected from the Mull coast is showing that quite a few of the same individual dolphins have also been spotted off the Mull of Kintyre. This is an interesting find and confirms that the dolphins we see around Mull use the coastline as far south as the Mull of Kintyre. The implications of this are fascinating…It is even possible that the dolphins seen along the north Irish coast are the same individual dolphins, although more field work is needed before this can be ascertained. Also ongoing research at HWDT is underway to determine whether the dolphins seen further north towards Skye belong to the same population. The Tursiops photo ID project started this summer. This project is a collaboration between the Scottish Association for Marine Science, members of Aberdeen and St Andrews Universities and organisations including HWDT. The project will improve knowledge of dolphins in Scottish west coast waters.

16th - 17th September 2006

MCS Beachwatch weekend

The Marine Conservation Societies annual Beachwatch weekend is scheduled for the 16th and 17th September. During this weekend beaches all over the UK will be cleaned by volunteers and data will be collected about the litter retrieved. If you would like to know more about these beach cleans and how to get involved click here

22nd August 2006

Orcas spotted off Mull

On Tuesday 22nd August, Sea Life Surveys witnessed the first confirmed mammal attack by the Hebridean Killer whales, while tracking a Harbour porpoise off the Treshnish isles near the Isle of Mull. Up until now killer whales seen in the Hebrides where thought to be mammal eating but we only had anecdotal information. This sighting can verify that they also feed on mammals. Another exciting development is that we can positively identify that one of the killer whales sighted was floppy fin, one of the males in our photo ID catalogue. The second whale is still being identified but first thoughts are that the whale may be Nicola (a female from the catalogue). To see floppy fin click here. This is a very exciting development.

12-20th August 2006

National Whale and Dolphin Watch week

The National whale and dolphin watch took place between the 12th and the 20th of August this year. The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust participated in the event by completing three organised watches. The watches at the start of the week took place at the Tobermory Light house over-looking the sound of Mull and the final watch happened at Caliach point on the west coast of Mull looking towards Coll. All three watches had excellent sighting conditions and a good turn out of keen spotters. Harbour porpoises were seen on each of the three watches, which included a mother/calf pair, passing very close to shore at Tobermory Light House. Bottlenose dolphins were seen in the distance on the first watch (which was confirmed later when speaking to the whale watch boats who were with the animals). For a full list of sightings both locally and nationally and any more information about National whale and dolphin week click here for the sea watch foundation’s website.

July 2006

Bottlenose Dolphin's in Tobermory

The recent sightings of bottlenose dolphins in Tobermory bay was greatly appreciated by locals and visitors. A member of the public sent in there photo's for the bottlenose dolphin Photo ID project. These photos will be used to raise awareness of bottlenose dolphin populations around Scotland. Please send in your photo’s of bottlenose dolphins and other cetaceans to help with our community sightings project. To see the photo's of the dolphins in Tobermory bay please click here

11th August 06

BEAKED WHALE STRANDED ON ISLE OF STAFFA

A beaked whale was found stranded on the Island of Staffa on Sunday 6th August by local tour boat operators. The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT), based in Tobermory, attended the mammal, a juvenile male 11 feet in length, in their research sailing vessel Silurian. HWDT personnel examined the whale and took samples of skin and blubber for analysis by Bob Reid, Scottish Strandings Co-ordinator to determine the particular type of whale and cause of death. HWDT Science Director Dr. Peter Stevick said "It is rare to see beaked whales, which are mainly found in the deep oceans far from shore. There are many species of beaked whale and it can be difficult to tell them apart. The samples that we have taken will help us find out which ones use Scottish waters. This was a great opportunity to closely study such a fascinating animal".

12th - 20th August 2006

National Whale and Dolphin Week

Grab your binoculars and join thousands of observers around the country! Record and report your sightings and contribute to scientific monitoring of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the UK. GET INVOLVED locally and join HWDT for one of our organised 2-hour watches: Monday 14th August 11am, Wednesday 16th August 11am, *Friday 18th August 11am. Meeting for Monday and Wednesday outside HWDT shop, Tobermory Main St at 11am – then walk to ‘watch’ site Tobermory Lighthouse. *Meeting for Friday (weather permitting) at Calgary Hotel Car Park – short drive then walk to ‘watch’ site Calliach Point. Please phone ahead to book a place on 01688 302620 (9am-5pm) or 400364 (evenings). Bring waterproofs, walking boots and binoculars. For more information about this event and the opportunity to attend other surveys in your area see the sea watch website.

WANTED!

Sightings reports of bottlenose dolphins needed

Scientists from Aberdeen University are working with HWDT this summer on a nationwide research project studying the wide ranging and poorly understood bottlenose dolphins that inhabit the west coast of Scotland. To help with this important research we are asking for your help -You can contribute directly to this research by reporting any sightings of bottlenose dolphins in your area by calling our FREEPHONE sightings hotline 0800 085 8110.

Sightings!!!

Send us your sightings over the web

Summer is here and with that means more sightings. So don't forget you can email us your sightings through our website. Just follow the links and fill in your information. If you would like anymore information just contact us.

Thursday 25th May

FIN WHALES!!!!!!

Sea Life Surveys have done it again James Fairbairns and crew spotted 2 fin whales off of Coll and managed to stay with them for about 6 miles. They thought they saw an adult and a juvenile. The whales were quite close to the boat and were surfacing reasonably frequently. For more information check out the sea life surveys website and keep your eyes peeled.

NEW BOAT-BASED MARINE MAMMAL COURSE

A week long course carried out from our 53 foot yacht Silurian

Following the great success of our weekend marine mammal courses HWDT has developed a week-long marine mammal course. The course is a residential course run from our research and education vessel Silurian. This course is available to everyone, but is especially suited to anyone interested in marine mammal education click here for information.

24th May 2006

Humpback whale in trouble

Based on press reports a humpback whale was caught up in a creel pot in the Sound of Raasay near Applecross. The MOD ship MV Tormentor arrived on the scene to cut the whale free. For more information on the whole event go to the British Diving Marine Life Rescue website. It has been noted that humpback whales have been seen with scars that are associated with being caught in gear, which implies that they can get free on their own accord. But this time the whale in question had a helping hand from the MOD.

The first Minke Whale of the 2006 was sighted by Erika and Brennen of Sea Life Surveys on one of their boats, Alpha Beta on Friday 14th April. The whale in question was a minke roughly 7 meters long, which indicates it was probably a juvenile. It was spotted between Coll and the Treshnish Isles, and gave everyone a bit of a fright coming up only 50 yards from the boat. Luckily most people on board spotted the dark back and the identifiable hooked dorsal fin of the whale as it didn’t resurface. From the animals behaviour it seemed to be travelling. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come. Keep your eyes pealed and please report all your sightings to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust. For more information on our local whales and dolphins look at our commonly sighted species fact sheets.

On the 3rd of April Ian French (BDMLR marine mammal medic) was called to Aultbea, just outside Mallaig to help a distressed Common Dolphin. The animal had become stranded and needed some assistance to help it out to sea. To here more about the rescue and see what else has been going on with stranded animals around the UK check out the BDMLR website.

Volunteer Opportunities

No experience necessary

HWDT has volunteer opportunities on our research and education vessel Silurian from March 2006. If you enjoy the outdoors or just like something different this opportunity is for you.

23rd February 2006

Stranded Sperm Whale Dies in Humber

On 4th February, the day that rescuers failed in a dramatic attempt to save a rare sperm whale stranded at the mouth of the Humber estuary, the Seawatch Foundation and the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust issued a warning about Nato exercises off Scotland, starting on 27 February 2006. Click here to read more.

22nd January 2006

Northern Bottlenose Whale

The Northern Bottlenose whale that swam up the Thames estuary and into Central London last week has raised fundamental questions. How and why did a deep-diving oceanic species, thousands of miles away from its natural habitat, end up swimming past the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament? For the full report and more information click here.

18th January 2006

New Years Minke Stranding

Two dead minke whales were found washed up on a beach by local residents in Islay earlier this month. Interestingly, one of the whales was a newborn calf with its umbilical cord still intact. Since minke whales are thought to give birth in warmer waters, this stranding appeared extremely unusual. In fact the young whale was only 2.17m in length! This is considerably smaller than the length of a newborn calf (usually between 2.4 and 2.8m), indicating perhaps a premature birth or miscarriage. The second whale was an adult female (7.75m). Results from genetic analysis of tissue samples from the adult and calf will confirm if these two animals were indeed mother and calf. The actual cause of death is unknown. If you are interested in other sightings this winter, click here.

06 January 2006

whale watching could be harmful

New evidence has shown that unless well managed, whale watching boats have the potential to prevent dolphins from socialising, foraging, raising young and resting as normal. Lars Bejder a Canadian researcher at Dalhousie University has been investigating the impact of tourism on a group of resident bottlenose dolphins. The whale watching industry is an amazing way to see whales and dolphins in the wild but we should go to a high quality company who follow appropriate regulations or codes of conducts. For more information check out the article at WDCS .

18th December 2005

Plastic bag tax

BBC country file have recently spoken to various people to get their views on the plastic bag tax which the MCS is hoping to apply in the UK. Currently there is a plastic bag tax in Ireland which has made a dramatic difference. Andrea Crump from the MCS wants to reduce the thousands of marine mammal deaths caused by plastic bags each year. For further information go to the MCS website.

15th December 2005

Species in Trouble

A new report has highlighted the need for direct action towards conserving the worlds endangered species. The report identifiys 794 species that are now confined to only one region. There needs to be more effort to help reduce the extinction of more animals. There is an article highlighting the main points in this weeks Guardian .

13th December 2005

Letter about Marine Bill

A letter to the Editor of The Times was published , highlighting the disappointment to the report published about the Marine Bill. It goes on to say that the point of the bill is to protect the wildlife and manage marine interests. Currently less than 0.001 per cent of our seabed id highly protected and with over half the UK's wildlife being found at sea this is quiet daunting. More needs to be done to protect our wildlife and hopefully it will be for other information about the marine bill go to the MCS website.

1st December 2005

Hunting the shark hunters

An article recently published in Motorboats Monthly has asked boaters to help in the fight against basking shark hunters. Basking sharks are Britain's largest fishes and are listed species. MCS together with boaters are trying to protect this beautiful plankton eating creature. MCS is hoping to record information about catch from adjwcent counteries where basking sharks occur.

24th November 2005

Sounding the Depths II

The Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) a United States environmental action organization has recently published a second edition of their report, on the effects of noise pollution on the marine environment. Which highlights the effects of low frequency sonar on cetaceans and how there are long term effects on both, physical effects and the animals behaviour. For more information check out the NRDC website.

23rd November 2005

More whaling!!!

The Japanese research programme has set sail and is head for Antarctica for their annual whale hunt. The Japanese are intending to expand their hunt. They are planning on hunting 935 minke whales and also targeting two new species, the second largest whale in the world the fin whale and the humpback whale. There is a lot of protesting from the IWC and other environment groups. For more information go to the WDCS website.

14th November 2005

What happened to the minke whales this year?

This year unusually low numbers of minke whales were observed around the west coast of Scotland. HWDT sightings Officer, Laura Mandleberg, discusses the sightings of minkes this year in a summary report. Click here to read more.

27th October 2005

Sea watch foundation findings

TheSeawatch Foundation have noted the surprisingly low numbers of minke whales off the west coast of Scotland, but in other areas such as St George's channel off Pembrokeshire there has been an unprecedented number of species.

13th October 2005

They haven't gone yet

They are still about; a pod of bottlenose dolphins was spotted just past the lighthouse at Tobermory. The group contained about 2 or 3 calves and some juveniles, and some ID shots where taken so we can see if they are local. Don't forget to record your sightings.

27th September

Summer

We would just like to thank everyone for the great summer we have had. But just to say that the trust and community sightings project continues throughout the year, so keep sending in your sightings. Keep up the good work. Thank you.

18th September

Beach Clean

On the day in question a Beach clean took place at Ardmore Bay, as part of the Marine Conservation Society's Beach Watch 2005. A happy group of volunteers, set out to give the local rocky shore a bit of a spring clean. Organised by Anne-Gaelle Delalandre, HWDT’s educational department intern. The event went very well collecting about 25 bags of rubbish, which was collected and disposed of by the forestry commission. We would like to thank everyone who took part. MCS will be compiling all the results from Beachwatch 2005, please visit their website in the coming months to see the outcome.

16th September

Marine Litter

Due to the recent beach cleans an alarming amount of rubbish has been seen in and around UK waters. With the help of MCS data is being collected to be presented to the Scottish parliament regarding plastic bags, hoping to encourage them to apply a plastic bag tax. A plastic bag tax has previously been introduced in Ireland, which has had a major impact on the number of plastic bags found. The figures show that the number of plastic bags has been reduced by a staggering 90%. Adopt a beach is encouraging anyone who wants to help reduced the number of plastic bags to write to their local MP to encourage the introduction of the plastic bag tax.

10th June 2005

Norway Announces Largest Minke Whale Hunt yet

A recent BBC news report has highlighted the inhumanity of modern day whaling in Norway (LINK). This report is especially poignant in light of the news that the Norwegian Government has awarded itself a quota to kill 796 minke whales this summer. This is the largest quota allowed since Norway re-launched commercial whaling in 1993 in defiance of an international Whaling Commission moratorium in place since 1986. Since then Norwegian whalers have taken over 2500 minkes in the Barents Sea, Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. The Norwegian government has stated it wishes to increase the current quota as much as three fold in the future. This is possible because of a legal objection which Norway made to the IWC moratorium, along with Japan and Iceland who continue to kill whales supposedly for scientific purposes. This dramatic increase, up from 670 last year seems pointless, as whalers are consistently failing to meet the quotas set by the Norwegian government. Norway has seen large backlogs at processing factories on land and faces problems with limited export markets. This issue is of particular concern to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, because Norwegian minke whales and the minkes seen in Scottish waters may be from the same population. Peter Evans from Sea Watch Foundation, the country's leading cetacean research body, states, 'It is likely that minke whales travel between Norway and Scotland with their numbers peaking in the summer months as they chase various fish'. If you would like to speak out against this cruel practice, please write to your local MP, the UK Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw or to your nearest Norwegian Embassy (25 Belgrave Square, London, SW1X 8QD).

Wild Isles Wildlife Week on Mull

May 7th - May 13th 2005

There is an exciting selection of events planned for Wild Isles Wildlife Week this year which takes place from the 7th to the 13th of May. These include guided walks, art exhibitions, talks from wildlife experts, ceilidhs and much, much more! Click here for more details.

1st December 2004

HLF to fund HWDT

Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) will be funding HWDT for a further 3 years! Click here to find out more details about this and HWDT's exciting plans for the upcoming years.

29th September 04

Whale Festival Success

The first ever West Coast Whale Festival was hailed a resounding success, by the 150 visitors who attended. World experts and local speakers gave in-depth talks on cetacean conservation. A lively Ceilidh was held on the Saturday night, followed with a whale-watching regatta on the Sunday. Click here to find out more from the festival's co-chair: Ros Kidman-Cox, Former editor of BBC Wildlife Magazine and to see some photographs from the event.

18th September 04

Sea Watch Weekend Sightings 04

Staff, volunteers and members of the obliging public came out and joined us on the weekend of the 28th of August to scan the sea for whales, dolphin, and porpoises, on what turned out to be a very windy and frequently wet weekend on Mull! Click here for more details of what was sighted.

19th August 04

Whale Festival 18th - 19th September

Join HWDT to celebrate our 10th Anniversary on the 18th & 19th September. There will be fun and exciting events throughout the weekend! Click here to find out more.

19th August 04

National Whale & Dolphin Watch 21-29 August 2004

This summer - between 21st and 29th August 2004, the Sea Watch Foundation are inviting YOU to take part in the UK's National Whale and Dolphin Watch. So … put the date in your diary now, and click here to find out how you can take part!

3rd August 04

Humpback Whale Sighted off Skye & Eigg

A humpback whale was spotted from Armadale on the Isle of Skye on the 1st of August. Then on the following day a humpback whale was seen again on the waters between the Isles of Eigg and Skye. Click here for more information.

29th July 04

Large group of bottlenose visit Mull

The bottlenose project team were lucky enough to spend several hours tracking and photographing a group of around 20 bottlenose dolphins from the research RIB as they travelled up the Sound of Mull. The group, which included at least one calf and several juveniles, were observed feeding, breaching and bowriding on a number of occassions throughout the afternoon. Several useful photo-id images were also obtained; valuable data which will be added to our catalogue of identified individual dolphins in the area.

22nd July 04

Killer Whales sighted off Coll & Tiree

Killer Whales have been spotted around the waters of the isles of Coll and Tiree last week! Thanks for those who reported your sightings! If you have seen any whales, dolphins, or porpoises in the waters of the west coast of Scotland you can now report your sightings online! Go to report a sighting

20th July 04

Scottish Executive consider future of Marine Environment

Have your say now! The Scottish Executive is consulting on the future of the Marine Environment until the end of July 2004. If you would like to have a copy of the consultation paper on developing a strategic framework for the coasts and seas, please contact: waterenvironment@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or go to their website.