What have our Whale Track community been seeing this Spring?
We look at some of the sighting reports we’ve been receiving this Spring, including long finned pilot whales, basking sharks and even a fin whale!
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When reporting your sighting, we ask you to identify the behaviours displayed by the animal you’re watching. But why is this important?
We've broken down what behaviours you may see and why it is so important to record them.
Citizen science plays a key role in deepening our understanding of whales, dolphins and porpoise. The ‘mystery’ killer whale pod is a great example of the impact citizen science can have. Discover the story of this mystery pod and how citizen scientists are helping to add more pieces to their puzzle.
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Orca Watch is running this week, a ten-day event coordinated by the Seawatch Foundation. With land based watches taking place all around Caithness, North Sutherland, Orkney and Shetland, enthusiastic citizen scientists will be keen to catch a glimpse of these apex predators. But it’s not all black and white when it comes to killer whale populations in Scottish seas
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Catching sight of killer whales in the wild is an experience people will never forget; to see a massive black dorsal fin break the surface is truly awe inspiring. Recently, excitement was at a high when west coast celebrities - John Coe and Aquarius - were reported around Mull and Skye, with the pair of old bulls staying in the area for an extended period of time.
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Spring is a vital time to monitor whales, dolphins, and porpoises, collectively known as cetaceans, in the waters of western Scotland. Our seas begin to warm and whales migrate into our productive waters to feed. We explore some of the species you may encounter this spring.
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The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) are calling on members of the public to get involved with efforts to protect Scottish whales and dolphins by reporting what they’ve spotted and carrying out surveys from both land and sea. The appeal comes as the conservation charity launches its new and improved Whale Track community sightings app and website.
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Check out what’s been reported over the winter by our wonderful Whale Track community. Recording whale, dolphin and porpoise movements over winter months is crucial to building a year-round understanding of how these creatures use our waters and document any changes over time. A huge thank you to all our Whale Track reporters for helping undertake this vital work!
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Joint Warrior, Europe’s largest military exercise, is underway in Scotland. If you are on the west coast of Scotland, please be extra vigilant and contribute to our long-term monitoring efforts by reporting your excursions and sightings on Whale Track.
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Explore the amazing sightings reported during this years National Whale and Dolphin Watch event.
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Knobble and Kasey return to the Hebrides this month, highlighting how important the region is for minke whales who migrate to feed in the rich waters off Scotland’s west coast during the summer months.
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What is believed to be the first match of killer whales between Scotland and Norway has been made after experts identified three individuals photographed in southern Norway this month as part of a ‘mystery pod’ seen off Scotland’s west coast in 2018.
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You are invited to take part in a national event, to watch the water for our amazing marine life. We need your help to get a snapshot of whales, dolphins, porpoise and basking sharks across the west coast of Scotland.
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Thanks to the fantastic photographs taken by the team at Hebridean Adventures, a humpback whale spotted last May off the Isle of Lewis, has been re-sighted in the Minch again, just over one year later!
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Well-known killer whale John Coe from the West Coast Community has been spotted of the English coast again, this time seen off Dover, in the English Channel. John Coe was seen with a second individual, likely to be Aquarius.
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Much loved killer whales John Coe and Aquarius from the West Coast Community have returned to the Hebrides 9 days after this famous pair were recorded off the English coast for the first time.
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Today Europe’s largest military exercise, Joint Warrior, begins in the Hebrides. HWDT have long-standing concerns about the impact of these activities on whales, dolphins and porpoises. Find out more about our concerns and what we are doing about it here.
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With a year in lockdown just passed, we look back at some of the most memorable encounters of whales and dolphins off Scotland’s west coast over this time.
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Thanks to the extraordinary effort of citizen scientists across Scotland, a humpback whale spotted last summer off the Scottish west coast has been spotted this week in the Firth of Forth on the east coast!
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Today we welcome the Scottish Government announcement on the designation of four new Marine Protected Areas (MPA) for minke whale, basking shark and Risso’s dolphin in Scottish waters, which will protect areas of critical habitat for these species.
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