A Tribute to Richard Fairbairns

Alpha Beta and Silurian, monitoring side-by-side

Staff and Trustees at HWDT would like to offer our warmest condolences to the Fairbairns family, on hearing of the passing of Richard Fairbairns.

Richard was a true champion of the whales and dolphins found in the Inner Hebridean waters and his legacy will be a lasting testament to the strength of one man’s passion. 

Following an encounter with a minke whale in 1982, Richard established the Mull Cetacean Project, the first marine research centre in the UK and Sea Life Surveys, the UK’s first whale watching business, and was instrumental in forming the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust in 1994.

Richard’s commitment to research established a gold standard for the industry, encouraging boat operators and conservation organisations to work together to improve understanding of the marine environment.

As a direct result of Richard and the Fairbairns family’s vision and commitment we have a much better understanding of Scottish cetaceans and the subsequent protection of marine wildlife in the Hebrides. Many lives have been inspired and shaped by his vision and will continue to be so through his legacy.

The minke whale - the species which first gripped Richard’s imagination