Population of bottlenose dolphins in Moray Firth reaches record high

MORAY Firth’s rare population of bottlenose dolphins have reached a record high.

There are believed to be around 200 of the spectacular mammals visiting shores off the north-east of Scotland – the UK’s only population of the dolphin.

The figure has practically doubled since the early 1990s, where figures of between 100 and 130 were recorded.

A spokesman for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said the rise in numbers could be down to an increase in salmon and mackerel in the waters.

He said this was having a knock-on effect to the rare dolphin population.