Issue 18:20 SummerAutumn 20152014
ShorewatchShorewatch News
Hello Shorewatchers,
It has been a great year of sightings so far, lots of minkes and bottlenose dolphins in the Moray Firth even with a few sightings of orca and humpbacks. Humpbacks, orca and risso’s have been spotted from the north coast and common dolphins, porpoise and basking shark have been spotted from the west coast.
Despite some challenging weather we have seen a great commitment from Shorewatchers, many who have braved the weather and collected a huge number of records for us. Thank you!
Happy watching! Katie, Matt and Andrew
Supported by:
A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Big Watch Weekend IssueIssue 18: 20 Autumn Summer 2014 2015 Thank you for your effort Dunnet Take a look at what we all saw .... Head Strathy Shorewatchers Tiumpan Shorewatchers Colin,Carol 20 watches Head Joan, Donald, Tony 11 watches 1 sighting, 0 sightings Shorewatchers Janet, Roger, Richard and Morag Species; risso’s 44 watches, 25 by Janet,26 sightings Cullen Species; minke, porpoise, risso’s, Shorewatchers humpback Graham, Andrew, Matt, Dave Chanonry and Stacey Shorewatchers Rodel An impressive 37 watches,34 carried Gerry, Sophie, Tessa, out by Graham Kidd, Shorewatchers Charlotte 6 sightings Ann, Pippa , Marie and 12 watches 6 sightings Species; BND ,minke whale Gordon, Wendy Nairn Species BND Plus 9 non 16 watches 4 sightings Shorewatchers marine mammal species Species; basking shark, Ishy Walters, Lesley, Burghead Shorewatchers common and risso’s. Graham, Andrew and Matt Plus 19 non marine mammal Steve, Elizabeth, Cath, Adele, species recoreded. 11 watches 5 sightings Carol, David and Matt Species; BND An awesome 55 watches over two Aberdeen Plus 5 non marine sites, 26 carried out by Steve Truluck. Shorewatchers mammals 20 sightings Walter, Lorraine Fort Species; BND,minke, humpback, A wopping 33 watches, 32 of porpoise. 36 non marine mammal which carried out by Walter Innes George species 21 sightings Shorewatchers Species; BND Sophie, Ron, Matt, Andrew 8 watches 6 sightings Species BND Spey Bay North Shorewatchers kessock Simon, Catherine , Caro 24 watches Shorewatchers 6 sightings Liz, Tessa, Charlotte Species; BND 27 watches 3 sightings Species BND
BWW June 2015 was a weekend full of whale and dolphin sightings and Shorewatch volunteers coming together to share their love of their local area and the wildlife it supports. We had a record number of 301 Shorewatches carried out over the weekend, with 108 positive cetacean sightings, 6 different species of cetacean recorded and an impressive total of 304 individual cetaceans spotted with 47 volunteers involved over the weekend!
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A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Issue 20 Summer 2015 Big Watch Weekend Issue 18: Autumn 2014 Big Watch Weekend The winners are...... We had sightings galore. Graham Kidd | For the individual that carried out the most Sightings were recorded from every region. watches. Graham carried out watches from Cullen on every day of Despite some difficult weather; haar, wind BWW. Personally Graham carried out 34 watches. and rain some volunteers were staked out at their watch site for over twelve hours a day. Burghead | Adele Sutherland, Steve Truluck, Cath Bain, Despite being house bound with a sore back Elizabeth Harley, Aimee Burrows, Carol and David Shaw I could feel the excitement of everyone’s For the site that carried out the most watches. Together the Shore- sightings as my phone keep beeping with watchers at Burghead carried out 55 watches. A tremendous effort messages, bottlenose dolphins everywhere was put in from all but particularly Steve Truluck and Cath Bain who in the Moray Firth, minke and humpbacks arrived on site early Saturday and Sunday and did not leave the site at Burghead, risso’s at Strathy, common until last light at 11.30pm. The team at Burghead also recorded the dolphins from Isle of Harris the list goes on. winner number of different species of wildlife in-between watches, But not only did we record many cetaceans recording 39 different species. throughout the weekend, Shorewatchers noted down other species of wildlife too. Too good not to mention Burghead An amazing effort was put in by all, over this BWW. Sadly I cannot Common seal, rock pipit, shag, herring gull, give prizes to all, but I want to acknowledge individual outstanding swallows, lesser black back gull, starlings, effort. house martin, swift, thrift, kidney vetch, buff Walter Innes | Was on site every day of BWW. Arriving on site at tailed bumble bee, gannet, ribwort plantain, 4am he carried out 32 watches from Torry Battery. yarrow, white clover, pink clover, heron, Rodel | Anne Milne, Pippa Steven, Marie and Gordon Newman large white, kittiwake, springer spaniel, grey and Wendy Else | Were on site every day of BWW and carried out seal, common tern, eider, 16 watches and recorded a number of different species of wildlife guillemot, fulmar, pie tailed wag tail, between watches. common gull, oyster catcher, great skua, Colin Graham | Despite not having the excitement of a number of hooded crow, song thrush. sightings, Colin understands the importance of the data he collects Rodel from Dunnet Head and returns time and time again. Over BWW he Cuckoo, fulmars, cormorants, oyster carried out 20 watches. catcher, heron, gannets, black guillemots, Tiumpan Head | Janet Marshal, Roger Rapley, Morag and Richard basking shark, moss carder bee, grey seal, Llewellyn | All did a great job and carried out 44 watches. grey lag geese, common gulls, ravens, great Liz Brooker | Single handily collected 27 watches over the weekend. skua, razor bills, white tailed eagle, black Ishy Walters | Despite not having an abundance of sightings Ishy headed gulls maintains a continuous effort throughout the year for her site at Nairn Nairn. Osprey, kittiwake, gannet. David and Avril Haines | Share their enthusiasm for whales and Tiumpan dolphins with everyone they meet on their site at Stoer. Sky larks, gannets. Andrew Scullion and Matt Scott | Have been brilliant volunteers and Cullen have provided endless amounts of help and enthusiasm Eider, gannets, guillemot, cormorant, velvet scoter, terns, swallows, house martins, swift
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A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Issue 19 Spring 2015 Big Watch Weekend IssueIssue 18: 20 Autumn Summer 2014 2015
Big Watch Weeekend The excitement caught on camera..... ©Walter Innes ©Walter ©Walter Innes ©Walter ©WDC ©Katiedyke ©Walter Innes ©Walter ©Holly Peak ©Leigh Sedgley ©Leigh ©EnivronmentLINK ©Holly Peak ©DavidHaines
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A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Issue 20 Summer 2015 Shorewatch updates Issue 18: Autumn 2014 Shorewatch FAQ Getting confused with Shorewatch protocol? These FAQ will help, find more Q&As on the Shorewatch website; www.whales.org/shorewatch 1.Do I need a bearing and reticule count for a casual sighting? Wherever possible, yes please! This would help us to mark the sighting on a map should the need arise.
2.If I watch a cetacean past effort time do I record my watch time as the entire length or 10 minutes? Your watch time should always be 10 minutes long (9:05am – 9:15am) but your sighting time should encompass the entire time that you watched the cetacean(s). This might be after the watch finishes (9:09 – 9:34) or it could even be from before the watch started if you saw a dolphin as you were walking toward the site (8:55 – 9:34). You should note the end time of the sighting when you can no longer see the cetacean or when you move away and are no longer watching.
3.Does a sighting count as on effort if it occurs as the timer ends? If the timer is actually pinging as you see the cetacean(s), you can sneak the sighting into the watch, yes, in your naked eye section! If you see it after the time stops, record the casual sighting and enjoy watching.
4.What do I do if the seastate is different across my shorewatch site? The seastate is likely to be similar across your whole site. Make sure that you are looking into the wind to take the seastate as this will show you the front faces (and white caps) to their greatest degree. If the wind is going side- ways across the site, it will appear to be windier on one side (into the wind) than the other (looking with the wind) but actually you are just seeing different sides of the waves.
If your site has two distinct areas, take the one that is most likely to affect your watch. At Spey Bay, the bay itself is often a bit more protected when the wind is coming off the land but then the seastate picks up 1.5-2km offshore. We use the seastate in the bay itself as we have a low platform and are unlikely to make sightings more than 1.5 km offshore unless they are very active dolphins.
5.What do I do if the seastate changes up or down a number during my shorewatch? Do I change my original number? If the seastate goes up to ‘out of bounds,’ you will need to cancel your Shorewatch. If it changes toward the end of the watch, leave the number that you determined in the beginning as this is when all watchers are taking the weather conditions. If it changes early in the watch and you feel that influences the entire watch, feel free to change it. In both cases, make a note in the comments so that we know what you were seeing.
6.How many ID cues should I write on my data sheet? Please write three ID cues, even if you are 100%. This is the process used by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) who outline marine mammal observer (MMO) protocols. Your ID cues may help us to confirm an identity and they will also give us an idea of what you (and other Shorewatchers) are noticing in the field so that we can update our trainings and refreshers appropriately. ,
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A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Interesting Updates IssueIssue 18: 20 Autumn Summer 2014 2015
Aberdeen Harbour Dolphin Code Dolphin Code The area around the harbour mouth at Aberdeen is a feeding Best Practise for Wildlife watching ground for bottlenose dolphins. These animals are protected by national and international legislation and disturbing them Recently there has been a bit of bad press regarding wildlife is a criminal offence. encounters. Last month the P&J published a very damaging article The simplest way to reduce the risk of inadvertently breaking the law is about an orca encounter. As negative as the encounter was, I feel by keeping watch for the animals and following this advice, which has that most boat users are respectful of wildlife and most want to been approved by Aberdeen Harbour Board, Scottish Natural Heritage, enjoy the experience in a way that is beneficial to the creature. Police Scotland and the East Grampian Coastal Partnership. A number of resources have been produced to help advise boat > When dolphins are nearby, maintain a steady users how best to behave when around whales and dolphins. This course and the slowest safe speed you can. year Aberdeen Harbour, Police and WDC worked together to pro- > When entering or leaving the harbour stay well duce the Aberdeen Dolphin Code that clearly highlights the appro- away from the breakwaters to avoid startling priate way to act around cetaceans. There is also a marine wildlife or boxing-in animals behind them. watching code that can be found at http://www.marinecode.org/. > If it is safe and practicable to do so, avoid WDC have hard copied of the codes that can be provided in bulk to directly approaching the animals. anyone that wants some. > Avoid turning engines on and off if dolphins Whales and dolphins are European protected species and it is illegal are present. to recklessly or intentionally disturb or harass them. If you witness > Never allow anyone to swim with, touch or somebody breaking the law you can report them by calling 101. If feed dolphins. you witness an incident note down the date, time, place, name of the boat. Take photos, videos and a witness statement. It is important to note down the behaviour of the boat and subsequent behaviour of cetaceans. Beware it can appear like disturbance from the shore but the boat may not be as close as you think. Remember
To assess if it really is disturbance ask yourself the Approach safely following questions: and slowly 1.Did the boat change course, head directly to the creature and Don’t get too close get closer than 100 metres? 2.Did the cetacean try to leave and the boat followed? Don’t stay too long 3.Did the cetacean stop what it was doing before the boat ar- Be WISE to rived? 4.Did the cetacean approach the boat? If so it is not a wildlife
disturbance. ©WDC
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A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Orca News IssueIssue 18: 20 Autumn Summer 2014 2015 Watch out for whales and dolphins from your local shoreline Closer to home 14th June | We received a call at the Scottish Dolphin Centre from an excited local resident to say four orca were heading our way. The resident had seen them cross part of Cullen Bay and tracked them as they passed Bow Fiddle Rock off Portknockie and moved past Findochty. We watched out for them from the Spey Bay Shorewatch site, but unfortunately didn’t see them. However the crew of the Buckie lifeboat did and later posted this video on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycng- This May WDC Shorewatch teamed up with Seawatch to zwHP20. Photos of the orcas also appeared in The Aberdeen carry out shore based observations as part of Orca Week. Press & Journal: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/ The event is run at this time of year to coincide with peak moray/610604/whale-watchers-urged-not-feed-quarry/. sightings of orcas that visit the Caithness coastline and the Orcas are typically seen in this region from April to July, but are Northern Isles of Shetland and Orkney. On this trip north we had a special guest with us; Rob Lott WDCs orca and captiv- also recorded in other months too. They have most likely ity lead, who was keen to see orcas in British waters. travelled down from Iceland to feed on seals and indeed the orca Week is an opportunity to engage with both the local four orcas seen in the Moray firth were witnessed feeding on a community and the visitors who make the trip to this stun- seal before heading off. When they return to Iceland they will ningly beautiful part of the country. feed on Herring. This prey switching between fish and seals During our week in the far North we were fortunate enough is unlike other orca ecotypes who tend to feed on one specific to see orcas, humpback whales, minke whales and harbour prey type, either fish, marine mammals or sharks and rays. porpoise from our vantage point at Duncansby Head, just Other members of the Icelandic population stay in Iceland and two miles from John O ‘ Groats. feed primarily on herring. Other keen whale watchers stationed at strategic points along the coast such as Noss Head, Strathy Point and Dun- net Head had similar encounters. There was so much enthusiasm and excitement from locals and visitors alike whenever there were whales passing and In other news, 27th May | The Friday Harbour Whale Museum not even the unpredictable Scottish weather could dampen on San Juan Island has gifted two Southern Resident orca adop- anyone’s spirit. tions to President Obama’s daughters, Malia and Sasha. The two orcas, J35 (1998) and J37 (2001), share the same year of birth Why not read Robs account of the trip http://uk.whales. as each of the girls and were presented to the President at a org/blog/2015/05/orca-watch-in-scotland roundtable discussion in Washington DC. The gift was intended to raise the plight of Southern Resident orcas, particularly their salmon food source, and lobby the President to remove four dams on the lower Snake River in Washington State. This is believed to be the swiftest course of action to increase the abun- dance of salmon for the endangered Southern Residents. ©AnneMarieDunnet
28th May | Ontario, Canada has revised its Prevention of Last year State Assemblyman Richard Bloom proposed a bill to Cruelty to Animals Act to prohibit the keeping and breeding of prohibit the use of orcas for performance or entertainment orcas within the province. Sadly the Act doesn’t include Kiska purposes in California. In April 2014 an Assembly committee sent (F), Ontario’s only captive orca at Marineland Ontario. Unless the bill for ‘interim study’ but set no date for the findings. In Jan- transferred to another facility, retired to a sea pen, or uary this year Assemblyman Bloom said he wouldn’t reintroduce considered for potential release back to the wild, Kiska is now the bill while the issue of orcas in captivity was being studied. likely to see out the rest of her days alone at the park. The bill is unlikely to return untill next year at the earliest.
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A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Shorewatch Science IssueIssue 18: 20 Autumn Summer 2014 2015
Conservation in action
n a world of growing concerns about human impacts on the environment, ‘citizen science’ Ihas become a buzz term and deservedly so. As we seek to assess and monitor the impacts of climate change, development, etc. on the species and habitats around us, traditional scientific research can often prove prohibitively expensive if conducted at the scale required over long periods of time. Citizen science supports local volunteering efforts to gather data which can be used to answer questions at a regional, national or even global scale as well as over long time frames. ©CharliePhilips As a Shorewatcher, you are a citizen scientist! You are taking an active role in tracking whale and dolphin sightings from your local Shorewatch site. You already know that each Shorewatch you record becomes part of the wider monitoring network, but did you know that because you are appropriately trained and following a specific protocol, you are producing data of similar reliability as using experts doing the same watches? That’s pretty impressive. As a group, we have managed to do well over 30,000 watches from sites all around the Scottish coastline since 2010 (from Spey Bay since 2005)! You watch from land and therefore do not disturb or affect the behaviour of the whales, dolphins and porpoises being observed. You have watched in the briefest of weather windows throughout the years and from remote locations. It would be impossible for teams of trained researchers to keep up this level of effort using more intensive research methods such as boat-based or aerial surveys. You make it happen. ©CharliePhilips We are proud to announce that working with Dr. Clare Embling from Plymouth University, we have shown how valuable our data are with our first peer-reviewed publication: ‘How much effort is enough? The power of citizen science to monitor trends in coastal cetacean species’ . As part of Shorewatch we have set out research questions which can be used to inform conservation management and seek to direct our data collection to answer these questions and it is exciting to show that our data can be used to detect trends because, over the long term, this is how we will determine changes - whether due to climate, human activities or other factors. But this is only a first step, we must now continue to collect and analyse our data until we can show similar results using data from wider sites and varied species!
We were also able to show there is value in data at whatever level it is collected and that different amounts of effort would be required to answer our different research questions. For ex- ©ElizabethHarley ample, low effort will allow for monitoring trends in spatial range over very large physical and tem- poral scales. With this level of effort we can begin to address our research questions by looking at which species are found at which sites and monitoring changes in species range over the long term with decades of data (for example, 40 years of shore-based surveys off California showed an increase in the diversity of cetacean species sighting in line with warming sea temperatures and an implied regime shift). Higher levels of effort, say 5 watches per day minimum are recommended for relatively immediate inter-annual or inter-site trends in bottlenose dolphin occurrence in the Moray Firth. ©CharliePhilips
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A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Shorewatch Science IssueIssue 18: 20 Autumn Summer 2014 2015 Conservation in Action (Cont)
This level of monitoring would be required to answer our research question about rapid changes due to anthropogenic distur- bance, such as displacement (dolphins moving out of the area) during the pile driving phase of wind farm construction but is not our target at every site.
Finally the usefulness of any data for outreach purposes should not be overlooked as a means to enhance engagement with the local marine environment. Conservation initiatives are often driven by the interest and will of local parties to speak up for their local wildlife. As an example of conservation in action, WDC volunteer collected Shorewatch data were used by SSE to determine the best plan and timeline for the placement of the Caithness to Moray subsea transmission cable.
Don’t give up it is an ongoing process – think decades!
We appreciate that this is just the beginning; many of our research questions will not be answerable until we have more years of data for comparison but that does not make each Shorewatch which we conduct right now any less valuable in the long term. It is impossible to know whether any given watch you do will tip the balance of effort collected from a site or capture a sighting which might drive change but with increasing developments and other human activities in coastal habitats such as the Moray Firth, concerns about the health of the marine environment continue to grow. So the need for citizen science is great. We appreciate those watchers who conducted the first Shorewatches in 2005; I wonder how the Shorewatchers of 2050 will feel about us?
To access the full report follow this link Citizen http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989415000396 Science could address impacts of global change on Hooray For Citizen Science biodiversity A report from the EU shows Citizen science holds the potential to address some of the biggest concerns facing biodiversity researchers. The study found that volunteers already save biodiversity research huge sums of money, but their contributions are under used. The impact of global change on biodiversity is difficult to monitor because change is occurring at a global scale over long periods of time. The resources needed to track and analyse in detail the effects of climate change, pollution, inva- sive species, land use change and overexploitation are vast. However, citizen science approaches may help scientists to tackle the problem in a way that is not prohibitively expensive. The authors carried out the largest ever quantitative study of biodiversity-focused citizen science projects. They set out to understand how citizen scientists already contribute to biodiversity research and how they could contribute in future. The results suggest that between 1.36–2.28 million people volunteer each year, giving up around three working days of their time. According to the authors, this equates to $0.7–2.5 billion (€0.6–2.2 billion) of in-kind contributions. The researchers conclude that citizen science provides a valuable, but under used, resource for global change research, which holds potential for gathering data at a global scale via local volun- teering efforts. In this way, scientists and non-scientists could work together to solve large-scale environmental problems. However, the researchers say this potential will not be realised unless citizen science is better integrated into established scientific research. One solution could be for citizen science networks, such as the Citizen Science Association, to help match professional scientists with projects that could provide data for their research.
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A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Shorewatch Calandar IssueIssue 18: 20 Autumn Summer 2014 2015
Summer is here (well almost) and the Shorewatch team have a number of activities planned to show you our appreciation for all your hard work Take a look at the following calendar and let us know if you want to sign up for any of the events shorewatch@whales,org 01343820449501
4th August 19:30: Talk from adventurer Adam Walker: Adam will be talking about his adventures while swimming 7 of the toughest sea swims and the en- counters he had with all types of wildlife. Where; Spey Bay Scottish Dolphin Centre, and available to listen online The Shorewatch team will also Cost; Free to volunteers, £3 for non volunteers be at a number of events over the next few months, Available from 5th August: Talk from WDC's policy expert Sarah Dolman: informing folk that Scotland is Sarah will discuss WDCs involvement in the Marine Protected Areas process and a great place to view Cetaceans will be available online to answer all your questions. from the land! Come and say Where; available to listen online, email to get access to the link hello or even better come help Cost; Free out. Fort George Celebration of the 11th August 9:00: Talk from WDCs Philippa Brake: Philippa will be discussing Cetacean culture and its role in conservation. Philippa will be available centuries, 8th/9th August to answer all your questions. Clatcholl Sea Shore event Where; Webinar, log in online to view, email to get access to the link 10/11th August Cost; Free Boats at Burghead 22nd August North Harris Mountain Festival 29th - 30th August Field Trip: Join the team on our trip to Stoer Lighthouse, 14th - 17th September for the opportunity to explore another Shorewatch site and the wildlife and beauty Wick SeaShore Event 21st - 25th of the area. September Where; 8am Spey Bay (or at a pre-organised meeting point) transport will be provided. Accommodation; Achmelvich Bunkhouse Cost; £26.00
6th September 13:00: Join the Shorewatch team aboard the Eco Ven- tures boat and appreciate the coastline from the water.... who knows we may see Don’t forget some dolphins. Big Watch Weekend Meet at 12:30am at the Eco Venture shop, Cromarty 11th|12th|13th Cost; £27 September 7th September 19:30: Talk from Dr Claire Embling: Claire discusses the Keep an eye on facebook analysis she carried on our Shorewatch data, work that was only achieved because for updates of you! Where; Webinar - log in on-line to view Cost; Free
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A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Shorewatch Adventures IssueIssue 18: 20 Autumn Summer 2014 2015 Cetacean adventures| Matt Scott
ll of us are very passionate about cetaceans and collect- Shorewatch site handbook Aing cetacean based data, that’s the reason we like to get out The Shorewatch team will be launching a site and watch cetaceans and contribute towards the data that helps handbook soon. We will put a notification out protect them. This being said, there can be times when we might on Facebook and make a PDF copy available lose our enthusiasm towards the Shorewatch efforts and maybe as well as a hard copy. The Shorewatch not get out as much as we think we should. I have recently found handbook will detail the locations of all the a great remedy for this in the form of a cetacean streak. I thought sites, directions to them, lock box information I would share a little bit of volunteer life with you and tell you and codes, and watching out areas. Basically about my experiences and excitement at the thought of glimps- you will be able to use it to visit any of our ing these majestic creatures. Shorewatch sites around the coast and carry I have been documenting all the cetaceans I have seen since out Shorewatches. Hopefully this will be a being up in Scotland (stay tuned for a piece on that towards the helpful guide that end of the year) and recently I was in Aberdeen and noticed I had encourages anyone seen bottlenose for 3 days in a row. The thought occurred to me that wants to travel that I could very easily try and continue this streak for as long as around to do so. possible and it became a little bit of an obsession. Scotland’s a beautiful For the next 6 days I found myself getting out of the Scottish place and we have Dolphin Centre as much as possible to look at the sea and max- some seriously amazing imise my chances of seeing dolphins for that day. I found myself Shorewatch sites getting out the house before breakfast and having a quick scan around the coast. I can’t every morning and staying on the beach late into the evening if I encourage you to hadn’t caught a glimpse for the day. Every day I quietly thought explore enough! to myself that it wasn’t probable the streak would continue but every day it did. The streak was at 9 days by this point and I was well and truly excited about every dolphin I saw. My next goal was to get to two weeks. 14 days of cetaceans, surely this could be done, as long as I put in the time on the sea. (continues over)
We really do have some amazing aquatic wildlife right on our doorstep. The cetaceans have made me excited and frustrated and excited but I wouldn’t change that for anything.
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A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Shorewatch Adventures IssueIssue 18: 20 Autumn Summer 2014 2015
Cetacean adventures| Matt Scott (Cont) On the 10th day I had planned a trip to Stoer Lighthouse because it was the first week of June and I had heard orca had been spotted in the Minch from Stoer in the first week of June for the past three years; I couldn’t pass this opportunity up! Now I’m an early riser anyway but when I was in the car and ready to leave by 5am you could only put it down to me wanting to maximise my cetacean watching time at Stoer because that’s a ridiculous time to be awake! I got there at 8:30 and watched through the rain and wind, all the time the streak was in the back of my mind. A harbour porpoise and my first one at that! The streak would continue for another day. Days 11 and 12 passed me by with some amazing cetacean sightings at Spey Bay. On the 12th day in particular I didn’t think the streak would continue but after dinner and some serious time already logged on the water for that day, I got my jacket on and headed out. In the back of my mind I knew I would keep making periodical trips out as late as I needed but I desperately wanted to see the dolphins, this wasn’t convenient after a long day. My persistence paid off and I saw possibly the best acrobatic display I have seen yet from a pod of about 7 dolphins while hunkered down against the wind below the shingle line. On day 13th day I went on a mad trip to Hopeman despite already seeing my BND friends for the day because I got a rather excited voicemail from Steve exclaiming he had seen minke and humpback from his window. Unfortunately I didn’t see anything even after putting my time on the scope, but still the excitement of the chase can’t be beaten by much apart from maybe a sighting at the end of it. This streak had done its job and I was back and more enthusiastic than ever about my cetacean pals. As I write this now I am on day 14 and am very pleased to say I saw some BND just this evening to complete my goal of a two week cetacean streak. It has spanned three Shorewatch sites and a living room, two seperate months, 71 individuals, and two species. We really do have some amazing aquatic wildlife right on our doorstep. The cetaceans have made me excited and frustrated and excited but I wouldn’t change that for anything. All I can hope for now is to make the most of this amazing place and continue this streak for at least another couple of days! Who knows, maybe I’ll get a third species in there, maybe I’ll even make it to three weeks!
Call for Risso’s dolphin photos Work is still underway to protect one of the more mysterious dolphin species around the coast of Scotland. It is important to understand the population dynamics of the Scottish risso’s population. The main way we can achieve this is by identifying all the individuals in the population by fin ID. Once we have a comprehensive catalogue of individuals we will begin to better understand their movements, among other things, and determine which individuals show site fidelity. This will give us valuable information about how to protect these creatures and how best to proceed with the upcoming marine protected area that is proposed Proposed MPA for north-east Lewis for north-east Lewis.. If you have risso’s photos please email [email protected]
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A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free Shorewatch News Shorewatch News IssueIssue 18: 20 AutumnSummer 2014 2015 Humpback whale stranding | Matt Scott
nfortunately there are increasing incidents of Ucetaceans getting tangled in both active and ‘ghost’ fishing nets. Locally, a humpback whale was spotted on the 4th June tangled in a fishing net by a fisherman near Helmsdale. After hopes the whale would survive and failed attempts to free the whale it was believed to have died on the 6th and its body was recovered on the 7th. A spokesman from British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said “It was entangled in rope which could have made the whale weak and unable to feed and drown”. The Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) concluded after examination that the animal was in good body condition and most likely died as a result of drowning rather than emaciation or infection caused by the wounds inflicted by the Unfortunately cetaceans cannot simply pull the fish- entanglement. ing line apart. The resistant force, the force created by the cetacean in order to break the object, needs to be This terminal entanglement comes after a paper greater than the breaking force of the entangled object. published last month estimating the strength of 22 This force can be generated if the entangled object is at- whales. As well as noting that smaller cetaceans tached to a boat or the bottom of the ocean however this were stronger relative to body size the paper also is often not the case, and instead it is not attached to highlights the implications of entangled cetaceans. anything other than the whale. In this case the resistance Often a whale does possess the maximal strength to force cannot be generated and the whale has to deal with break a fishing line however it is very rare that the increased drag from the gear which can wear them out conditions are correct in order for break free from or worse, can restrict their movement by getting tangled the entangled object. in a fin, or something similar, and exhaust them which causes them to drown. This study concluded that, after measuring the strength of so many whales, large whales may often be unable to break out of the extremely strong fishing lines used today.
‘Estimating maximal force output of cetaceans using axial locomotor muscle morphology’ is not an open ac- cess article so if you would like to read it in more detail get in contact with the Shorewatch team and we can send you a PDF.
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