HWDT Archives - Aberdeen Voice

HWDT’s Smartphone App Wins Lottery Fund Support

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Jul 082016

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

A new smartphone app allowing whale-watch operators and other seafarers to record sightings of whales, dolphins and porpoises is to be launched next year by Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, thanks to an award of more than £79,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The innovative project will allow wildlife tour operators and enthusiasts to systematically record the locations of marine mammals using technology available in their pocket.

The app will work at sea without phone reception as it will rely on GPS only, uploading data once internet coverage is available.

Alongside the app development, a programme of free training events and workshops for the public will be held throughout the west of Scotland to train volunteers how to identify and record marine wildlife.

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s Dr Lauren Hartny-Mills said:

“We are absolutely thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and are confident the project will deliver much needed long-term monitoring data, as well as engaging local mariners with the amazing wildlife that the west of Scotland has to offer.”

Community engagement work by the trust has shown that data collected by members of remote coastal communities can transform our understanding of marine mammals in the Hebrides – including which places are important to them and when, declines and recoveries in numbers, and emerging threats.

The trust’s Crowd Sourcing for Marine Mammal Conservation project will engage boat users with the unique marine wildlife in their area. The project has already received support from local tour operators, but the trust also welcomes new partnerships and encourages any operators interested in the app to come forward.

Wildlife guide and future user of the app, Vivi Bolin from Hebrides Cruises, said:

“As a scientist and a guide, collecting effort-based sightings data and contributing to research on the wonderful Scottish marine life adds value to what we do. The app will simplify data collection on board and also benefit us and our guests by providing a visual tool for displaying our sightings and the routes we have taken.

“The app will enhance the guest experience and our collaboration with Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust on this project is important to us.”

Contributors will be able to use an online mapping system to explore the data that they collect, to better understand seasonal trends in their area. Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust hopes to resolve some long-held mysteries, such as establishing when minke whales return to Scotland after their migration.

The trust has been working with remote coastal communities for 21 years, to protect marine mammals and promote sustainable whale-watching. The whale-watching sector was recently estimated to be worth £1.7 million, attracting 15,700 tourists to the west of Scotland in 2015. To protect this valuable resource, we need to better understand how whales, dolphins and porpoises use their environment, and nobody is better placed to help with this than whale-watch operators and other marine users.

Simon Pepper, committee member for HLF Scotland, said:

“I’m sure that anyone who has been privileged enough to have seen one of these majestic creatures in the wild will agree that they are a unique part of Scotland’s coastal heritage. Thanks to National Lottery players, this important project will fulfil a much-needed role and help us to better understand and protect these animals for the future.”

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Marine Traffic Impact On Cetaceans To Be Studied

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May 052016

With thanks to Richard Bunting, Director, Richard Bunting PR.

Electronic navigation safety technology is to be used to study the potential impacts of marine traffic on whale, dolphin and porpoise species off western Scotland in a new season of research expeditions launched by Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust this week.

For the first time, scientists and trained volunteers onboard the conservation charity’s specialized research yacht Silurian will use an Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder to collect detailed data on other vessels’ movements.

This will be combined with sightings and underwater acoustic monitoring of cetaceans – the collective name for whales, dolphins and porpoises – to gain new insights into how species are affected by ships’ movements and noise.

AIS – an automatic tracking system that electronically identifies and locates nearby vessels, continuously transmitting details of their identity, position, speed and course – is more commonly used in navigation safety, allowing ships to ‘see’ each other in all conditions.

With marine traffic from a large range of industries growing, known threats or pressures for cetaceans from shipping include ship-strikes – in which vessels accidentally hit whales – and noise pollution from poorly designed or poorly maintained vessels, which can mask out whale sounds used for communication and navigation.

Dr Conor Ryan, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Science Officer, said:

“This innovative approach provides us with an opportunity to enhance our long-term research, which is providing unprecedented insights into the distribution and range of cetaceans in Scotland’s seas, as well as the challenges they face – including the unintentional consequences of human activities.

“The Hebrides may seem like a wilderness, but human impacts on the marine environment are significant – and likely to increase with expansions in marine industries, such as aquaculture and renewable installations. Strengthening scientific understanding is crucial if we are to help industries ensure that their impacts on Scotland’s remarkable whales, dolphins and porpoise populations are minimal.”

The new AIS transponder on Silurian will also allow closer public engagement with the trust’s research expeditions. By using the research vessel’s unique Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number 232004280, people will be able to follow Silurian’s progress around Scotland’s west coast in real-time via www.hwdt.org.

Equipping Silurian with AIS technology has been made possible by a grant of £94,000 from the UK Government’s Coastal Communities Fund. This grant has also funded a major refurbishment of the yacht, including an environmentally friendly and long-lasting copper coating for the hull that will ensure the vessel remains seaworthy for the next decade, alongside other activities.

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust – based in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull – is recruiting paying volunteers for its surveys. Between May and October, there will be 12 separate expeditions, each lasting between one and two weeks. This includes two ‘Teen Teams’ reserved for 16-17 year olds.

These volunteers will work and sleep on Silurian, receiving specialist training and working with scientists – conducting visual surveys, acoustic monitoring, and cetacean identification through dorsal fin photography. They will also be able to develop sailing and navigation skills as they visit some of Britain’s most remote and wild corners.

Silurian has been the platform for Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s unique research programme since 2002, welcoming aboard over 60 volunteers annually, surveying tens of thousands of nautical miles and logging every cetacean encounter made. This year, the yacht will welcome her 800th volunteer aboard. The yacht is also used as a floating classroom for marine conservation education for schoolchildren and students.

Western Scotland’s seas are one of Europe’s most important habitats for cetaceans with 24 of the world’s estimated 92 cetacean species recorded in the region to date. Many of these are national and international conservation priority species.

As well as strengthening knowledge about cetaceans and contributing to recommendations to safeguard them, the trust’s surveys are important because cetaceans are apex predators at the top of the marine food web, and so can act as indicators of the marine environment’s overall health.

The 2016 surveys depart from Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, Kyle of Lochalsh or Ullapool. The new addition of Ullapool as a rendezvous point will allow the trust to carry out more surveys in the remoter corners of its study area. Areas covered depend on the weather but will range from Mull of Kintyre in the south, Cape Wrath in the north and St Kilda in the west.

Participation costs cover boat expenses, accommodation, training, food and insurance, and support the charity’s research. For details, email volunteercoordinator@hwdt.org, call 01688 302620 or visit www.hwdt.org.

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Famous Killer Whale Never Left The Neighbourhood

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Apr 072016

With thanks to Morven Russell.

The true identity of a famous killer whale known as ‘Dopey Dick’ – who sparked widespread attention when he swam into Derry-Londonderry almost 40 years ago – has at last been identified, thanks to photographs published on social media.

The orca attracted headlines in November 1977, when he made his way up the River Foyle and into the city, apparently in pursuit of salmon, before remaining five kilometres upriver of Loch Foyle for two days.

Incredulous at the sight and confused about the whale’s behaviour, locals dubbed him ‘Dopey Dick’ – presumably after Herman Melville’s fictitious Moby Dick.

Nearly four decades later, it has been revealed that Dopey Dick is in fact the killer whale known more affectionately as Comet – a member of the highly vulnerable West Coast Community of killer whales, the United Kingdom’s only known resident population of killer whales which is at risk of imminent extinction.

Dopey Dick’s true identity was discovered when old photographs were uploaded onto a Facebook page. Killer whale expert Andy Foote and Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust Science Officer Dr Conor Ryan recognised the whale in the images as Comet, last recorded by the Trust off Dunvegan, Isle of Skye in September 2014.

Comet has been photographed many times in both Scotland and Ireland by researchers and members of the public, enabling scientists to track his movements.

Dr Andy Foote said:

“When I saw the photos on Facebook, I noticed that the white eye patch of Dopey Dick sloped backwards in a really distinctive fashion. This is a trait we see in all the West Coast Community whales, but it’s not that common in other killer whale populations. The photographs were all quite grainy, but it was still possible to see some of the distinctive features unique to Comet.

“I couldn’t believe it – he was already a full grown male back in 1977, when I was just five-years old!”

Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust Science Officer, Dr Conor Ryan said:

“Most of what we know about this precariously small and isolated population of killer whales comes from photographs submitted to us by members of the public. The population is too small to study in a targeted way, so the public has a big role to play.”

Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust has been documenting the West Coast Community’s behaviour since 1994. The four males and four females are not known to interact with other orca populations in the north-east Atlantic, and since studies began, have never successfully reproduced.

Earth Watch Team 7;26th August 2007 - 3rd September 2007

Comet. Copyright: HWDT, Genevieve Leaper.

Sadly in January this year, one of the females – Lulu – perished after being stranded on the Isle of Tiree.

The discovery that Dopey Dick was in fact Comet is significant because it confirms suspicions that some of the whales in the endangered West Coast Community are very old.

They have not produced any calves since records began. Fears for their survival are heightened following recent discoveries that other killer whales in the region have very high pollutant burdens that can cause toxic effects, including infertility.

Photographs are extremely valuable when researching whales and dolphins as they allow scientists to identify individuals through unique markings.

Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust encourages people to report their sightings using an online form available at www.hwdt.org.

Comet has a distinctive dorsal fin about 1.8 m in height, which leans to the right and has a notch near the top. Photographs confirm that he was an adult male, at least 19 years old, in 1977 – making him at least 58 years old today. The latest match was made possible thanks to the Scottish Orca Facebook page, which shares excellent images of killer whales in Scottish waters.

Sightings Officer of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group Pádraig Whooley said:

“This match places Comet very much at the upper limits of the typical life expectancy of male killer whales. Adult males generally live to around 30 years, but with an upper range of 50-60 years. So clearly time is not only running out for this individual whale – it is equally running out for whale biologists, who may not have much time left to gather information on this unique local population of killer whales that have made the waters of the British Isles their home.”

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group are charities in the west of Scotland and Ireland respectively. Both seek reports from the general public of whale, dolphin and porpoise sightings via their websites: www.hwdt.org (west of Scotland) and www.iwdg.ie (Ireland).

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Minke Whale Baby Boom Off Scotland’s West Coast?

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Nov 062015

With thanks to Richard Bunting, Director, Richard Bunting PR

Sightings of juvenile minke whales off Scotland’s west coast increased in 2015 to the highest ever recorded within a survey season.
Marine research expeditions carried out by Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust have indicated either a significant increase in actual numbers or an influx of minke whales from elsewhere.

The charity’s 2015 research season also recorded the highest annual number of common dolphin sightings since its expeditions began, with 723 individuals observed over 63 encounters.

The common dolphin was once uncommon in the Hebrides, but the trust’s encounter rate with the species has more than doubled over the past 12 years, also for reasons that remain unclear.

Kerry Froud, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Biodiversity Officer, said:

“These intriguing changes in Scotland’s marine life highlight the importance of long-term monitoring of cetaceans – so that we can better understand what is happening in our waters, and then make management recommendations to better protect this world-class area of marine biodiversity.”

The studies were carried out between May to October by scientists and volunteers on board Silurian, the trust’s dedicated research yacht. The research forms part of the trust’s unique long-term monitoring of whales, dolphins and porpoises – collectively known as cetaceans – in the Hebrides. Information on basking sharks is also collected during the surveys.

A steady increase in the encounter rate with minke whale juveniles since 2011 was particularly marked this year, with the highest rate of young whales recorded since the trust started boat-based surveys in 2003. The 2015 surveys documented an encounter rate of 1 young minke whale per 286 km – three times the average over the trust’s entire dataset.

The minke whale is the smallest of the baleen whales – species which utilise baleen plates rather than teeth to feed – in the North Atlantic, measuring up to 10 metres in length, and is the most commonly sighted baleen whale species in the UK. Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust holds an identification catalogue of 125 minke whales known to have visited the Hebrides – of which some individuals return to the same areas annually, while others may only be passing through.

While an increase in the encounter rate with young minke whales is encouraging, there are still very serious issues regarding the conservation of this migratory species. To the north of Scotland, both Iceland and Norway still hunt minke whales. It remains unknown whether or not the minke whales that swim through Scottish waters frequent the waters where they risk being hunted.

The record number of common dolphin sightings – coupled with the most northerly sighting of the species ever recorded in September this year, off Tromso in Norway – suggests that changes are underway within our seas and oceans. The causes, and wider effects on the marine environment and other species, are still unclear – underlining the importance of on-going research.

Additionally, the number of white-beaked dolphin encounters almost doubled in comparison to 2014, although many of these encounters were made during one particular day of survey around the Butt of Lewis.

This rarer, colder water species is confined to the north Atlantic and prefers temperate to sub-Arctic waters – meaning that the warming of Hebridean seas, at a rate of 0.5°C per decade, is expected to exert increased pressure on the populations found off Scotland’s west coast.

White-beaked dolphins have been the focus of acoustic research by Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, with a study in 2013 discovering that white beaked dolphin populations off the east and west coasts of Scotland have distinct acoustic signatures, almost like accents.

Alongside warming seas and climate change, human activities causing increasing stress on cetaceans and basking sharks include fisheries by-catch, pollution, underwater noise and habitat loss.

Cetacean entanglement in litter and fishing gear can cause mobility problems, injury and even death, and the trust is working cooperatively with the fishing industry and other researchers in the UK to better understand this problem so that it can be addressed. This year, ironically whilst the Silurian crew was celebrating a volunteer’s 60th birthday, a bunch of balloons was retrieved from the water – a reminder that celebratory balloons, even if marketed as ‘biodegradable’, can have lasting consequences for our wider environment.

Silurian – previously used in filming of the BBC’s The Blue Planet series – covered more than 4,000 nautical miles in 2015, its crew of volunteers and marine scientists documenting more than 1,200 encounters with cetaceans and basking sharks, and recording almost 625 hours of underwater detections of cetaceans using specialist listening equipment.

Despite less than favourable weather conditions, the overall encounter rate remained steady, with eight sightings of cetaceans per 100 km recorded, compared to nine per 100 km in 2014 and five per 100 km in 2013.

The annual surveys depend on paying volunteers. In 2015, 69 dedicated volunteers clocked up 760 survey hours – working with marine scientists to conduct visual surveys and acoustic monitoring with hydrophones (underwater microphones) monitored by computers, and identifying individual cetaceans through photography of dorsal fins.

The trust – based in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull – is recruiting volunteers for its 2016 surveys, to live and work as citizen scientists onboard Silurian for expeditions of one to two weeks from April to September. Participation costs cover boat expenses, support the trust’s research programme and include accommodation, training, food and insurance. For details, contact Morven Russell at volunteercoordinator@hwdt.org, call 01688 302620, or visit www.hwdt.org.

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust has been monitoring marine mega fauna in the Hebrides for 13 years, and is the only organisation collecting long-term data on such a large scale on Scotland’s west coast. A short film about its marine surveys can be seen at https://youtu.be/M_3r-GKfh8o.

Western Scotland’s seas are one of Europe’s most important habitats for cetaceans and one of the UK’s most biologically productive areas. So far 24 of the world’s 83 cetacean species have been recorded in the region, many being national and international conservation priority species.

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Humpback Whale Spotted In Firth Of Clyde

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Jul 102015

With thanks to Morven Russell.

An adult humpback whale, possibly greater than 12 metres in length, has been sighted in the Firth of Clyde this week.
This is the fifth such whale to be seen off western Scotland in the past month, compared with a usual total of just one or two per year.

The whale was sighted off Tighnabruaich in the Kyles of Bute on 6 July.

On 8 July it surfaced alongside the Scottish Ocean Youth Trust’s yacht, spouting and swimmingly strongly in a northward direction into Loch Fyne.

The whale was observed breaching out of the water and lob-tailing – a dramatic manoeuvre in which the animal throws its massive tail, up to five metres across, out of the water, creating a huge splash visible for miles. This behaviour could be used for communication, display or perhaps to ward off other animals.

Humpback whales were once hunted to the brink of extinction in Scottish waters, but in recent years Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust has noticed an increase in the number of sightings reported to its online sightings database (www.hwdt.org). It is unknown whether this represents a genuine increase in population size, a range shift into Scottish waters, or more vigilant reporting from members of the public.

Researchers in Ireland believe that humpback whales there are increasing in numbers.

Over the past month, there have been at least five different humpback whales documented off Scotland’s west coast, from the Isle of Lewis to the Firth of Clyde.

“Usually we expect just one or two sightings of humpback whales per year, so to have five in a month is very encouraging and exciting”, said Dr Conor Ryan, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s Sightings and Strandings Officer.

“Although humpbacks can put on a spectacular show and are humbling to watch, we appeal to people not to stress the whale by approaching in boats. This individual is not in its typical environment and may be lost in the sea loch. Besides, there are strict laws in place to protect this species from harassment”.

The trust encourages members of the public to become citizen scientists – both by reporting sightings of cetaceans and basking sharks online and by joining a research expedition aboard its sailing vessel Silurian. Participants are trained in scientific methods and assist in data collection to better understand the distribution of whales, dolphins and porpoises around the Hebrides. Information on entanglement risk in ropes and lines is also collected.

Morven Russell, Volunteer Coordinator at Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, said:

“By joining us aboard, volunteers will have the opportunity to witness first-hand the wealth of the Hebridean marine environment, whilst contributing to a better understanding and consequently more effective management of cetacean populations off Scotland’s west coast.”

For more information, please visit www.hwdt.org.

This week’s sighting is the third confirmed humpback whale in the Firth of Clyde in recent years. On previous occasions, the whales apparently navigated their way out to the open sea. However, this is the first time that Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust has documented a humpback so far north in the Clyde. Humpback whales are at high risk of entanglement in ropes and lines in the water and there have been at least two fatal entanglements in Scotland in the past 12 months.

Humpback whales have the largest forelimbs in the animal kingdom – leading to their scientific name Megaptera, meaning “giant winged”. They have 6m long flippers which make them prone to snagging ropes. Given that they cannot swim backwards, a simple entanglement can be fatal or lead to prolonged suffering.

“At the moment, the whale is swimming freely with no signs of distress or entanglement. Hopefully it will make it’s own way back to deeper water and come to no harm”, said Karl Hurd, Southwest Scotland Regional Coordinator of British Divers Marine Life Rescue, which is the competent organisation in the UK for rescuing stranded and entangled whales.

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Doubling Of Common Dolphin Sightings To Be Studied

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Apr 172015

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

A substantial increase in common dolphin numbers off western Scotland is to be studied by Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust in a new season of marine research expeditions beginning next month.

The trust’s encounter rate with common dolphins has more than doubled over the past 12 years.

The findings – recently presented to the European Cetacean Society – have emerged from the charity’s unique long-term monitoring of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the Hebrides.

The causes – and broader effects on the marine environment and other species – are still unclear. Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is now recruiting volunteers to work alongside marine scientists in its annual summer surveys, which it hopes will shed further light on the dramatic changes.

“An increase in common dolphins means that those wishing to encounter dolphins in the wild are in luck – but further research is needed to explain why this is happening, the extent to which this has been caused by human activity, and the implications for other cetacean species,” said Dr Conor Ryan, Sightings and Strandings Officer at Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.

Common dolphins come to the Hebrides each spring to take advantage of seasonal food stocks. They are gregarious, often approaching boats to bow-ride and play in the wake, and are smaller than the region’s resident bottlenose dolphins. The species also travels in large groups – sometimes forming super-pods of thousands of individuals.

Despite their name, common dolphins – known in Gaelic as leumadair or ‘jumper’ – were once only occasionally seen in the Hebrides, preferring more southern waters generally warmer than 10°C. With climate change causing sea surface temperatures in the Hebrides to rise at a rate of 0.5°C per decade, it appears that such warmer water species are starting to colonise new areas in the north or closer to shore.

Yet even as this shift potentially creates new opportunities for common dolphins, it may be generating competition for food with other dolphin species or seabirds.

One predicted consequence of warming seas is colder-water species such as the white beaked dolphin being forced to retreat further north. So far Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust has found no evidence of displacement of the white beaked dolphin – but continued monitoring is needed to establish whether or not the influx of common dolphins is having a negative effect on such species.

The trust has now been collecting data on cetaceans – the collective name for whales, dolphins and porpoises – from its specialized research yacht Silurian for 12 years. The new findings underline the importance of this research, not least as cetaceans – being apex predators at the top of the marine food web – can act as indicators of the marine environment’s overall health.

“Dedicated volunteers onboard Silurian have enabled us to build up a unique and valuable database, enabling researchers to examine changes in cetacean populations – and providing vital data for protecting these species and their habitats, including in the recent designation of Scottish Marine Protected Areas,” said Kerry Froud, the trust’s Biodiversity Officer.

“Our research expeditions depend on volunteers. In return, they offer the opportunity of a lifetime to contribute to a better understanding of cetaceans and basking sharks, whilst enjoying the beautiful scenery of Scotland’s west coast and experiencing exhilarating sailing.”

Volunteers will live, work and sleep on Silurian for up to 12 days, receiving training and working with scientists – conducting visual surveys, acoustic monitoring using specialist equipment, and cetacean identification through dorsal fin photography. They will also help run Silurian – giving them a chance to develop other skills such as sailing and navigation.

Areas covered depend on the weather but will range from Mull of Kintyre in the south, Cape Wrath in the north and St Kilda in the west. These seas are one of Europe’s most important cetacean habitats.

The surveys depart from Tobermory on the Isle of Mull or Kyle of Lochalsh. Participation costs cover boat expenses, accommodation, training, food and insurance, and support the trust’s research. For details, email volunteercoordinator@hwdt.org, call 01688 302620 or see www.hwdt.org.

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Hebridean Sightings Soar For Harbour Porpoises

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Jan 302015

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

Harbour porpoise sightings off Scotland’s west coast increased by 25 per cent in 2014 compared to the previous year while sightings of basking sharks unexpectedly fell by 33 per cent, during marine research expeditions carried out by Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.

The charity’s extensive research also revealed dramatic evidence of a shark attack on a member of an endangered group of killer whales thought to be the UK’s only resident population of orca.

The latest studies were carried out in a research season lasting from May to October last year, and form part of the trust’s unique long-term monitoring of whales, dolphins and porpoises – collectively known as cetaceans – in the Hebrides. The surveys also collect data on basking sharks.

Kerry Froud, Biodiversity Officer at Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, said: “Our findings add to knowledge about cetacean distribution, abundance and habitat use in Scotland’s western seas – and allow us to make informed recommendations to protect these remarkable species.

“This pioneering research is vital for effectively conserving the world-class biodiversity of these waters – and for securing the long-term future of spectacular cetaceans and iconic basking sharks.”

The trust’s teams of marine scientists and volunteers encountered 574 groups of harbour porpoises during 2014 – a 25 per cent increase in the rate of sightings compared to 2013. Reasons for this increased sighting rate – of up to eight groups per 100 kilometres surveyed – may include conducive weather and calm seas, making the unobtrusive porpoise easier to detect.

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust has previously discovered that the Hebrides hosts one of Europe’s highest densities of the harbour porpoise, the UK’s smallest cetacean – but Scotland still has no protected area for this species as required under European Union directives.

Basking shark sightings fell by 33 per cent from the previous year to 16 encounters – showing a trend of decreasing sightings of the world’s second biggest fish in the area over recent years.

This does not necessarily indicate a reduction in population size – as possible explanations include a shift further offshore in the distribution of plankton, the sharks’ favourite food. The distribution of plankton within the water column will also dictate where basking sharks are feeding – which means they may still be present, but not feeding at the surface.

Notable highlights during 2014 included two separate encounters with what is believed to be the UK’s only known resident population of killer whales – five males and four females known as the West Coast Community.

This small, isolated population of orca has never produced offspring since studies began, raising fears that it faces imminent extinction.

Evidence of drama emerged when one of the group’s males – known as John Coe – was observed with a large area of his tail fluke missing.

Consultations with experts suggest that this was almost certainly the result of a shark attack.

Another outstanding close encounter featured minke whales riding in the bow-wave of the trust’s research yacht Silurian. This was unexpected as minkes are usually elusive and shy of boats.

In July, an individual minke approached Silurian with what appeared to be blue plastic strapping wrapped round and embedded in the front of its head – a stark reminder of people’s impact on the marine environment. The crew was unable to disentangle the whale.

Cetacean entanglement in fishing gear and litter can cause mobility problems, injury and even slow and agonising death. Other human activities causing increasing stress on cetaceans and basking sharks include fisheries bycatch, climate change, pollution, underwater noise and habitat damage.

Silurian – previously used in the filming of the BBC’s The Blue Planet series – covered more than 4,500 nautical miles during 2014, equivalent to crossing the North Atlantic three times. It surveyed to the Saint Kilda archipelago – the remotest inhabited part of the British Isles – twice, rounded the Mull of Kintyre to the south and reached Cape Wrath, mainland Britain’s most north westerly point.

In total, the surveys recorded more than 1,400 encounters with cetaceans and basking sharks, and recorded almost 600 hours of underwater acoustic detections of cetaceans.

Good weather conditions for surveying allowed twice as many photo identification opportunities than in 2013. This technique allows individual cetaceans or basking sharks to be identified by their distinctive markings, often shedding new light on population sizes and social dynamics, and whether individuals interact with other populations. The latest results are currently being analysed.

The annual surveys depend on paying volunteers. In 2014, 65 volunteers clocked up 760 survey hours – working with scientists on visual surveys and acoustic monitoring with underwater microphones or hydrophones, and identifying individual cetaceans through photography.

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust – based in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull – is recruiting volunteers for its 2015 surveys, to live and work as citizen scientists onboard Silurian for periods of almost two weeks from April to September. Participation costs cover boat expenses, accommodation, training, food and insurance, and support the trust’s research. For details, contact Morven Russell at volunteercoordinator@hwdt.org, call 01688 302620, or visit www.hwdt.org.

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Internationally Famous Solitary Dolphin Seen In Scotland

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Dec 112014

(small) Clet_the_bottlenose_dolphin_copyright_Nic_Davies_(2)

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

A solitary bottlenose dolphin that has appeared in Scotland’s Sound of Mull this week is an internationally famous individual known as Clet – who after becoming a celebrity in France and Ireland has now been recorded in Scotland for the first time, say researchers at Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.

The rare sighting of a lone bottlenose dolphin following a ferry between Oban and the Isle of Mull on Tuesday 2 December triggered some rapid detective work at the conservation charity. Bottlenose dolphins are not unusual in the Hebrides, even during winter – but the normally social species usually occurs in small groups, with individuals rarely seen alone

By using photo identification techniques – studying the dolphin’s distinctively scarred dorsal fin – the trust’s experts identified the animal as a renowned individual that made international headlines through its unusual behaviour when last seen in September – in Galway in Ireland, some 600 kilometres away from the Sound of Mull.

“To our knowledge, this is the first time that Clet has been recorded in Scotland, and in fact this is the furthest north he has been recorded to date,” said Dr Conor Ryan, Sightings Officer at Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.

“Bottlenose dolphins are usually considered to be resident to certain areas, so long-distance international movements such as this challenge our understanding of this species, and also challenge our ability to protect them using Marine Protected Areas alone.”

The male dolphin was named by locals from Cap Sizun, Brittany in France, where he used to follow fishing boats between 2008 and 2010. He then travelled to Cornwall, Devon and Wales before appearing in West Cork in Ireland, where he spent several weeks interacting with boats. The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group then recorded his movements along Ireland’s west coast to Valentia, County Kerry.

The last recorded sighting of Clet was on 28 September 2014 at Inis Óirr off Galway Bay. Although not confirmed, he was thought to be responsible for a dolphin attack on a group of swimmers in Salthill, Galway. The RNLI ensured that the swimmers were able to get to shore without harm, but unfortunately the incident resulted in some sensational news headlines.

Pádraig Whooley, Sightings Officer for the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, said:

“We think it’s remarkable that Clet’s movements can be tracked to the Irish south and west coasts from France via English and Welsh waters, using images from the general public. The addition of Scotland after a two month interval brings his known tally of passport stamps to five countries and counting, and shows the need for international collaboration when trying to monitor these highly mobile marine mammals.”

Solitary dolphins such as Clet do not pose a threat to people in boats, but can be aggressive towards swimmers. The biggest danger to solitary dolphins is injury from boats, as the animals appear to seek out vessels to interact with. The deep gash on Clet’s dorsal fin may be from coming to close to boat propellers.

Wildlife photographer Nic Davies, who recorded Clet close to shore from Craignure on the Isle of Mull this week, said:

“I was out photographing otters when I heard a loud blow sound just out from the shore, and then I spotted the dolphin heading at speed towards a departing ferry.”

Clet may remain in the Sound of Mull area for weeks or even months, as he has done in other areas. Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is asking boat owners to be respectful and to give Clet the space he needs, and hopes that the dolphin will continue to enthrall onlookers from the shore and from the ferries, which he has been bow riding in the Sound of Mull.

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is asking the public to report sightings of whales, dolphins and porpoises – collectively known as cetaceans – and basking sharks at www.hwdt.org. The charity’s extensive Community Sightings Network uses such sightings as a key way of strengthening understanding of the local marine environment and of these spectacular animals.

High quality images of cetaceans and basking sharks can be emailed to the trust at sightings@hwdt.org. This helps in photo identification research – a technique that allows individual cetaceans or basking sharks to be identified by their distinctive markings, often shedding new light on population sizes, social dynamics, and areas of important habitat.

Volunteers are also wanted to join the trust’s research expeditions on its specialized yacht Silurian next summer, working alongside marine scientists.

The bottlenose dolphin is a highly protected species under EU law, and the Hebrides marks the most northerly reaches of their geographical range. Some of the biggest bottlenose dolphins in the world have been recorded in Scotland, where individuals usually grow to 3.5 metres in length. Over 70 individuals have been catalogued in western Scotland.

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is working to secure the future of western Scotland’s cetaceans and the Hebrides’ globally important marine environment through education, research and engagement with local communities. For details call 01688 302620 or visit www.hwdt.org.

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Scotland’s First Full Humpback Whale Post Mortem

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Jul 042014

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

Scotland’s first full post mortem of a humpback whale – found dead at Fishnish on the Isle of Mull last Wednesday – has been carried out by veterinary pathologists with the assistance of conservation charity Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.

The seven-metre, eight-ton animal – believed to be the first humpback whale ever to strand on Mull – was discovered floating close to shore on Wednesday 25 June, and was craned out of the sea the following evening. The male calf had not recently been feeding and was probably still dependent on its mother.

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s Science and Strandings Officer Dr Conor Ryan, who is an expert on humpback whales, assisted with a post mortem examination with veterinary pathologist Andrew Brownlow of Scottish Rural University College to establish the cause of death.

Preliminary results from the examination were consistent with drowning, although the cause is unclear.

“This highly unusual and sad discovery is a reminder that Scotland’s west coast waters are extremely special and host a great variety of marine species, including magnificent and iconic humpback whales – and that conservation action and research are vital for the protection of such remarkable animals,” said Dr Ryan.

Humpback whales today face a range of threats including collisions with vessels, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution and reduction in stocks of their prey.

People are encouraged to report sightings and strandings of whales, dolphins, porpoises – collectively known as cetaceans – to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust via www.hwdt.org or on 01688 302620.

The charity’s Community Sightings Network works with residents and seafarers across the Hebrides to map cetacean distribution off Scotland’s west coast as part of its work to ensure the long-term survival of cetaceans and basking sharks through improved knowledge and understanding.

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are rarely encountered in the Hebrides but are known to migrate through the region far from shore when travelling between their tropical breeding grounds and Arctic feeding grounds.

They were hunted in the Hebrides in the early 1900s, but only 19 were caught during 20 years of hunting – suggesting they had been over-exploited by whalers elsewhere to the north and south of Scotland.

Although sightings are still very rare in UK waters, this species is being observed with increasing regularity in Irish waters.

Named after the distinctive hump in front of their small dorsal fin, humpback whales are known for their acrobatic aerial breaching and for complex and beautiful songs performed by males during courtship.

Adults can range in length from 12-16 metres and weigh up to 36 tons.

Humpback whales are widely distributed throughout all the world’s oceans and are highly migratory, travelling thousands of miles from warm-water breeding grounds in the tropics to cold-water feeding grounds in the polar regions.

The species has an estimated global population of 60,000 individuals and is increasingly popular with whale-watching trips worldwide.

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