Whales in Scotland

mrs fish · #1 (**permalink**) 12-12-2006, 09:57 AM

I always think it quite sad when I see a whale beach its self, but it must of been a sight to see a pod of whales from the helicopter.
BBC NEWS | Scotland | Highlands and Islands | Monster task disposing of whale

Ambriel · #2 (**permalink**) 12-12-2006, 11:04 AM

We had a Minke whale swim into our bay last summer. It cruised the shallow water for about twenty minutes before heading back out into the Kilbrannan Sound.

Sadly the second whale to visit us last year, also a Minke, was washed up dead.

Both events were memorable, albeit for different reasons.

Nick Robinson · #3 (**permalink**) 13-12-2006, 05:27 PM

I've had a team of guys up working in the Moray firth for the past month or so, but they haven't seen or heard a thing!!!

RobSutton · #4 (**permalink**) 02-01-2007, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Robinson

I've had a team of guys up working in the Moray firth for the past month or so, but they haven't seen or heard a thing!!!

I think that you're a bit late in the season for them. The best time seems to be June - August. If you take the CalMac Ferry from Oban to Barra then as it goes past the end of Coll you stand a pretty good chance of seeing Minke Whales (as well as Basking Shark, Harbour Porpoise etc). You do really have to concentrate though - you often only get one brief surfacing near the boat before they move off and a nice, still, calm day with a flat sea helps. It's a trip I've done a lot at that time of year and probably 80% of them produce a Minke.

Nick Robinson · #5 (**permalink**) 03-01-2007, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobSutton

I think that you're a bit late in the season for them. The best time seems to be June - August. If you take the CalMac Ferry from Oban to Barra then as it goes past the end of Coll you stand a pretty good chance of seeing Minke Whales (as well as Basking Shark, Harbour Porpoise etc). You do really have to concentrate though - you often only get one brief surfacing near the boat before they move off and a nice, still, calm day with a flat sea helps. It's a trip I've done a lot at that time of year and probably 80% of them produce a Minke.

Thanks for that Rob, but I've got quite a good grasp on minke whale distribution as I've seen several hundred Minke during my time at sea, and I don't think there really is a 'season' for them. Unsurprisingly, sightings are very much weather dependant and as such June-August is the best season for actually making sightings. I've actually been on a survey that was out to the West of Shetland over several days between January and April 2002 and saw a total of seven sightings, comprising of c68 individuals of 5 species (including minke). This was off an average of about 0.5 sightings per day and those sightings were made during spells of good weather. During a survey in the same area during August 2001 in the same area I made 15 sightings, comprising of 444 individuals of six identified (and two unidentified) species (not including minke). A vast improvement on the winter observations it would appear, however, there was a sighting rate of 0.5 sightings per day for that survey also. The only difference was the amount of good weather for observation.
The survey in the Moray Firth had no visual sightings but did have around 30 harbour porpoise acoustic detections over the 10 or so sea-days but no bottle-nose dolphin sightings or detections!!!

Ambriel · #6 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 09:44 AM

There are some photos of the dead Minke washed up on our beach at this <weblink>.
A very sad sight but as close as most people will ever come to a whale.

Some of them aren't for the faint of heart as it had been floating in the Kilbrannan Sound for a while and had taken some damage.

dbozkurt · #7 (**permalink**) 04-01-2007, 07:57 PM

I have always wanted to see Whale I travel back and forwards to the Hebrides, mostly from Stornoway to Benbecula but unlike Rob not been lucky yet. Saw a pod of bottle nosed dolphins in the sound of Barra from the small ferry in October.

Had heard there was a Orca at Lock Skipport South Uist last year. This years ambition is to see a whale and take photo.

This is a good site The Hebridian Whale and Dolphin Trust visited there base in Mull October

Debs

Ambriel · #8 (**permalink**) 05-01-2007, 09:56 AM

Yep, the HWDT are a great bunch of people.

Knew them well when I lived in Tobermory and my wife was a volunteer with them for a while.

I helped them develop the on-line sightings form on their website - particularly proud of the interactive map-to-coordinates bit I did.

Anneli · #9 (**permalink**) 18-01-2007, 09:23 PM

I want to visit Scotland and while I'm there go out on a boat and see some BIG whales! Could you please tell me what time of year would be the best (I don't know that much about whales, but I presume they are passing by) and where to go?

Thanks a million in advance!!!!

/Anneli

aeshna5 · #10 (**permalink**) 19-01-2007, 09:34 AM

You'll be lucky to see a really big whale! Minke Whales are frequentlly seen in the Minches+ Hebrides generally; these grow to maximum of 10 metres. Fin Whales are occasionally seen off north Scotland + these are second biggest species of whale in the world, but your chances of connecting with one are a bit like buying a lottery ticket!

Killer Whales are often seen by Orkney/Shetland. Moray Firth has resident pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins + Harbour Porpoises + you will also have good chance of latter on crossings to Hebrides. Other species will require a LOT of luck.

Successful cetacean watching requires calm seas so summer months should be good for this!