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ONLINE TALK: Uncovering Scotland's Whaling Past with Dr Conor Ryan

Join Dr Conor Ryan as he unveils the history of whaling in Scotland and what that might mean for the future of our seas.

HWDT alumni, and now science committee member, Dr Connor Ryan, is an expert in baleen whales and small cetaceans and has published more than 40 scientific papers.

For this talk Conor will focus on his recent publication, historical occurrence of whales in Scottish Waters inferred from whaling records.By utilising old whaling records, Conor and his colleagues begin to shed some light on the species which used to inhabit our waters and what we might expect to see if our seas recover from past exploitation. Using archived logbooks and handwritten notes as a window into the past. Harnessing information such as the date, species, location, length and sex of the whales landed at Scotland’s five whaling stations (four in Shetland and one in Harris), we can learn more about where whale ought to be found, assuming their populations can recover.

Does a recent increase in sightings inshore signify that whales are finally recovering, 70 years after whaling here stopped?


A fin whale being flensed in front of the whale-catcher Empire Unitas V, alongside at the whaling station at Bunavoneader, Isle of Harris (photo credit: John MacDermid).

Locations of catches of 7 whale species from the 5 shore-based whaling stations in Scotland (1903 -1951).

A bit about Conor...

Growing up in Cork sparked Conor's fascination with the sea, and he has turned this passion into a successful career in marine mammal science. Conor studied zoology at University College Cork, specialising in marine biology at Galway, where he studied baleen whales for his doctoral thesis. His research has taken him to exciting places like Cape Verde, where he searched for the breeding grounds of humpback whales. Conor's research on cetaceans initially focused on environmental chemistry, but later delved into passive acoustics. With more than 40 published scientific papers, Conor is a renowned expert in baleen whales and small cetaceans.

These days Conor splits his time between academia, conservation, education and wildlife guiding. Conor is a naturalist on board National Geographic Expeditions, sharing his passion for the natural world with guests on board these cruises. Conor has taken his experience with photo-identification research into his free time, and is a skilled wildlife photographer. His talent was recognised with two awards during 2020 - 17th Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest: Winner (Natural World) and Bird Photographer of the Year Competition: Shortlisted (Birds in the Environment).

Conor in the Antarctic. Photo credit: Michaela Skovranova

website: conorryan.photography

twitter: @whale_nerd

instagram: @whale_nerd

We want our talks to be accessible for everyone so optional subtitles will be generated during the webinar and we are asking you to pay what you can. Your donation will support marine conservation in Scotland. Thank you.