Issue 18: Autumn 2014

ShorewatchShorewatch News

A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free

Supported by:

©WDC/ Fiona Hill

Hello Shorewatchers,

Somehow it is autumn time already and the nights are drawing in! Things have certainly calmed down here at Spey Bay, although we are still getting our bottlenose dolphin fix regularly enough. We’ve had a fantastic summer of Shorewatching, we hope you’ve enjoyed yourselves as much as we have.

This issue includes our September’s BWW summary. Why not have a cheeky compare of June’s BWW summary in our last newsletter? Turn to page 3 for an overview of this season’s watching, page 4 for a bit of campaign catch-up and page 5 for all Shorewatch’s latest news and events.

Happy watching! Sara Pearce & Fiona Hill

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What’s inside this issue?Big Watch Weekend....page 2Summer summary.......page 3Campaign catch-up....page 4Events & News..............page 5

t: 01343 820 339e: shorewatch@whales.orgwhales.org/shorewatch

A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free

Issue 18: Autumn 2014

Shorewatch NewsBig Watch Weekend

1.South Uist, Kildonan Beach2.North Uist3.Berneray4.Rodel, Isle of Harris5.Tiumpan Head (North and East), Isle of Lewis6.Glebe, Isle of Eigg 7.Melvaig, 8.Rua Reidh Lighthouse9.Stoer Head Lighthouse

10.Strathy Point11.Scrabster Lighthouse 12.Thurso beach13.Dunnet Head (West and North), 14.Castle of Old Wick15.Chanonry Point, 16.North Kessock (WDC Dolphin and Seal Centre)

17.Fort George (Historic Scotland)18.Nairn Leisure Centre19.Spey Bay (WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre),20. Cullen Bay, 21. Macduff22. Torry Battery, Aberdeen, 23.St Cyrus (SNH Nature Reserve)24.East Wemyss, Fife.

September 2014: Your efforts and sightings

A grand

total of 190 shorewatches

spotting 7 different species of cetaceans!

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Pippa Stevens, Gordon Newman, Marie Newman, Anne Milne, Wendy Else, Peter Prince: 13 watches; 2 minke, 87 harbour porpoise

David Haines: 17 watches; 2 risso’s dolphin, 25 com-mon dolphin, 8 harbour porpoise

Carol Breckenridge & Colin Graham: 9 watches

Site A & B: Morag & Richard Llewellyn, Janet Marshall, Pauline & Cameron Cranston, Judith Wood & Tristan ap Rheinallt: 36 watches; 10 common dolphin, 5 minke, 5 orca, 12 harbour porpoise

Liz Brooker, Julia Duncan: 37 watches; 4 sightings of BND

Ian Williams: 17 watches

Heather Johnston & Laura Howarth: 10 watches; 3 sightings of BND

Walter Innes, Abigail Hay, John Bowman, Susan Hall & Fiona Hill: 22 watches; 2 sightings of BND

Sophie Mills, Lesley Williams, Jacky Haynes, Dan Ashew, Helen Watts, Murray Aitken: 12 watches; 4 sightings of BND

Stacey Clark, Dave Clark & Graham Kidd: 17 watches; 3 sightings of BND

Issue 18: Autumn 2014

Shorewatch News

Watch out for whales and dolphins from your local shoreline

t: 01343 820 339e: shorewatch@whales.orgwhales.org/shorewatch

A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free

Summer summary

StoerNearby at

Clachtoll you can view some amazing Fin whales bones which came from a dead stranding of a young

female at Raffin on 31st

October 2007

WickTake a short walk

along the coastline and visit the Old Castle of

Wick

St Cyrus The nearby Nature

Reserve is home to a stunning wildflower meadow.

Why not brush up your plant ID skills inbetween

shorewatching? Spey BayVisit the largest

remaing icehouse in the UK and experience the

underwater world through the Scottish Dolphin Centre’s Dry Dive **

NairnVisit Culbin

Sands Nature Reserve, an area of oustanding natural

beauty

TiumpanHead

This site has nearly 360° of sea for you

to watch!

Dunnet HeadThe most Northerly

point of the UK, an excellent photo

opportunity next to the stone plinth

CullenLegend has it that

three Kings (Scots, Danish and Norwegian) died in the

Battle of the Bauds and were buried within the vicinity. Visible

today, at Cullen Bay, are three isolated rock strata known

as the ‘Three Kings’

Rodel, HarrisYou might be lucky

enough to spot a Sea Eagle on your visit, particulary at the North Harris Eagle Observatory, a fantastic

hide to spend some time in

Shorewatch sites, interesting

anecdotes

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Your efforts from March - August amount to a total of 625

hours of Shorewatching! That’s over 26 days of continuous effort!*

* All statistics are approximate based on the data we have received** Scottish Dolphin Centre closed 31st October - Easter 2015

• harbour porpoise• bottlenose dolphin• common dolphin• risso’s dolphin

There have been 7 different species spotted on effort around the Scottish coast;

West Coast Sightings;(68 hours of effort/19 active shorewatchers)159 harbout porpoise (inc 5 calves)16 bottlenose dolphins (inc 2 calves)301 common dolphi n (inc 1 calf )34 risso’s dolphin4 orca43 minke whales4 humpback whales132 unidentified dolphins, 3 unidentified whales

North Coast Sightings;(22 hours of effort/ 5 active

shorewatchers)5 harbour porpoise4 risso’s dolphin1 orca7 minke whales1 unidentified dolphin

East Coast Sightings;(527 hours of effort/62 active shore-

watchers)10 harbour porpoise2512 bottlenose dolphins (inc 189 calves)4 common dolphins4 minke whales38 unidentified dolphins,

• orca• minke whale• humpback whale

Issue 18: Autumn 2014

Shorewatch News

Watch out for whales and dolphins from your local shoreline

t: 01343 820 339e: shorewatch@whales.orgwhales.org/shorewatch

A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free

Support these campaigns and others at whales.org

Some good news on our campaign to end captive cruelty!

WDC met with British Airways, handing over the almost 250,000 strong petition started by WDC supporter, Kathleen Haase on change.org, which asks British Airways to stop selling trips

to SeaWorld. BA has now lined up a number of other meetings, including with SeaWorld.

Will they follow the examples already set by STA Travel, Southwest Airlines and Virgin America, and sever ties with SeaWorld?

t: 01343 820 339e: shorewatch@whales.orgwhales.org/shorewatch

A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free

Issue 18: Autumn 2014

Shorewatch News

WDC’s Sarah Dolman and Nicola Hodgins have been studying a population of Risso’s dolphins around the Isle of

Lewis for the past 5 years. During their time there they have photographed four rather different looking dolphins! These dolphins not only show characteristics of bottlenose dolphins but of Risso’s dolphins as well. This suggests that bottlenose dolphins in the area have been mating with the resident Risso’s. Although hybrids of other whale and dolphin species have been documented elsewhere, this is the first evidence of it happening in UK waters. The reasons behind this cross breeding remain unknown, but the occurrence of this type in one small geographical area is highly unusual. Bottlenose dolphins on the west coast of Scotland are few and far between. The “known” population is around 45 individuals off the west coast and another 10 or so off the Isle of Barra. “One species mating with another may be down to a lack of suitable mates within their own individual species group”, says Nicola, WDC Head of Science and Research, “But further research is needed to un-derstand the implications of this unusual activity.” The findings also have major ramifications for the proposed marine protected area (MPA ) in the area, says Nicola. “All four of the atypical dolphins were sighted within the proposed boundaries of the MPA and therefore they would hopefully benefit from increased protection. Not only are we looking

to protect what we already know is there but also what we don’t.”

Events and Recent News..

A fond farewell from Sara & Fiona...We have had a fantastic 8 months volunteering for WDC. Not only have we had the experience of seeing six different species of cetacea (most for the first time)! But also travelliong around Scotland to visit the diverse and beautiful Shorewatch sites, met some really enthusiastic and motivational Shorewatch volunteers and learnt a lot on the way too. We are sad to be leaving, but couldn’t have asked for a better experience - except perhaps some close up orcas... or a humpback... maybe next time!

© WDC/ Heather Johnston

Risso’s & bottlenose potential hybridisation

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The Wild Dolphins auction

raised over £500,000, with nearly £200,000

going towards the work of WDC!

Get Involved!An Aberdeen Shorewatcher, Jane Morrison, is getting involved with the 2050 Climate Youth Group Summit. She has asked for our help on her project! She is hoping to create a visually impacting, interactive exhibition. The main aim is highlighting the value of a healthy environment and encouraging the viewer to think about less obvious ways in which they relate to the natural world.Either working together with your Shorewatch group or individually, come up with a message about what the environment means to you, write it on a card board cut out of a whale tail and take a picture of you and your whale tail! Then send the picture to shorewatch@whales.org. You can use as much or as little creativity as you want…… colourful card, dress up in an orca suit, the choice is yours!We’re hoping to put together a collage of Shorewatch messages to present at the summit.