Community Sightings Programme

The waters of the Hebrides are one of the most important marine habitats in Europe, home to 19 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises , basking sharks and seals. Although we know these species inhabit our waters, we know little about their distribution, abundance, the location of their habitats or how they are threatened – this is where we need your help.

The Community Sightings Programme encourages members of the community to take an interest and involvement in the marine life in our waters by reporting sightings of a variety of marine species. Please click here to report your sightings.

The information will be collated and used to investigate distribution and to identify key habitats in the region for different species. By comparing sightings data over recent years, we can begin to identify important areas for cetaceans and monitor changes in distribution over time. This information can be used to develop practical management strategies and to advise on conservation policy issues.

The data we collect is not only important in the Hebrides, but also on a national scale. As the regional coordinator for the Hebrides, HWDT forward all the information from the Hebridean database to a National Sightings Database, held by the Sea Watch Foundation.

RECENT SIGHTINGS – What whales, dolphins, and porpoises have recently been sighted and where.