Join our in-depth look at Scotland’s sea mammals

Published on Monday 16 June 2008 21:58

FEW sights can rival that of a bottlenose dolphin breaking through the ocean’s surface, before playfully splashing back into the depths.

Readers are invited to share in this exciting sight as The Scotsman’s Wildlife Watch takes to the seas this weekend to mark the start of National Whale and Dolphin Week.

Our quarterly nature survey, supported by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, has previously focused on birds and animals of the land, but this weekend readers can also send in their sightings of whales and dolphins.

Any sightings off our coast will be passed on to the Sea Watch Foundation, which runs National Whale and Dolphin Week.

Meanwhile, photographs and records of all the old favourites – from birds and mammals to insects and plants – will be passed on to Biological Recording in Scotland (Brisc).

The records will be distributed among Brisc’s network of local biological recorders and local records centres and the information may be used in conservation work.

Don’t forget, Wildlife Watch is also looking for your videos of nature in your garden or in the countryside. Samples have been uploaded to www.scotsman.com/wildlife, but all contributions are welcome.

Wildlife Watch begins on Friday and runs until Monday, while National Whale and Dolphin Week starts on Saturday and ends on 29 June.

Edita Magileviciute, the Sea Watch Foundation’s sightings officer, said: “In the Moray Firth, the most common species are the bottlenose dolphin and the harbour porpoise. At this time of year, you may also see minke whales or killer whales.

“Each year we have 300 to 500 observers around the UK and Ireland who organise their own watches and invite other people along. In total, I think more than 1,000 people take part during the nine-day period.

“Last year, the weather wasn’t very good, so we didn’t have so many sightings. Hopefully, this year we’ll get better weather and more people will see dolphins and whales.”

The Sea Watch Foundation was founded in 1991. It aims to conserve and protect cetaceans around the British Isles and also study the fascinating animals.

Ms Magileviciute is herself an expert – she has studied the social networks formed by bottlenose dolphins. Her research on wild dolphins off the Welsh coast threw new light on the friendships developed between individual mammals.

Before completing her MSc in marine mammal science at the University of Wales, Ms Magileviciute studied zoology at Vilnius University in Lithuania.

She believes there is a number of reasons why whales and dolphins are so popular.

“We still know so little about these species and often when we see them, it’s just a brief glimpse, as with harbour porpoises or beaked whales,” Ms Magileviciute said. “I think part of their attraction is that mystery.

“On the other hand, many of the species are very sociable animals. If you look at their social structures and interactions then you may see similarities with human beings. Individual bottlenose dolphins also have distinctive physical features, which may remind us of children, adding to our interest in them.”

Her comments were echoed by Robert Fairburns, who founded Sea Life Surveys, the UK’s first whale-watching company, more than 25 years ago.

He set up the firm to fund marine research that led to the creation of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust. He now has two boats sailing from Mull and runs the business with his sons, Brennen and James.

Mr Fairburns said: “When people see whales or dolphins, it’s something that they never forget. It can be an awe-inspiring experience.”

HOW TO JOIN IN

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?

Go outside this weekend and make a record of the wildlife you see. Either take photographs or make written notes and e-mail them to or post to: Wildlife Watch, The Scotsman, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, EH8 8AS. You can also e-mail videos.

WHAT NOTES SHOULD I TAKE?

You should note down: the name of the species; the date you saw it; where you saw it (preferably including a postcode or a six-figure grid reference); and your own name and contact details. The records will be collected by The Scotsman and passed to the SWT and Brisc.

Books to help you identify wildlife are often available in libraries.

The SWT and RSPB websites can also be helpful: www.swt.org.uk and www.rspb.org.uk

• For more details about National Whale and Dolphin Week, call the Sea Watch Foundation on 01545 561227.