Sightings Index
- Community Sightings Network
- Watching Cetaceans
- Report a Sighting Online
- Identification Tips
- Recent Sightings Table
- Monthly Sightings Reports
- November 2016
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- Winter/Spring 2016
- October 2015
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- April 2015
- March 2015
- Winter-Spring 2015
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- Winter 2013/2014
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- 2012 Sightings Summary
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- Winter 2011/12
- 2011 Sightings and Strandings Summary
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- Winter 2010/11
- September 2010
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- Winter 2009/10
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- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- Strandings
Monthly Sightings Reports
HWDT’s Community Sightings Network encourages residents, local wildlife operators and visitors to the area to report their sightings of whales, dolphins and porpoises to HWDT. This information is important because it contributes to our understanding of where and when particular species occur. Report your sighting HERE.
Each month HWDT publishes a summary report of the sightings recorded via our Community Sightings Network. In summer we receive the greatest number of sightings while winter is a quiet time. This is partly due to the number of species present but also reflects the sea state and number of people on the water watching for whales, dolphins and porpoises. In winter, fewer people are watching and the sea state more frequently makes sightings difficult, or even impossible. Also non-resident species have migrated for the winter. At this time of year HWDT receives more strandings reports than at other time as storms can wash animals ashore. These seasonal variations will be reflected in our reports.
Select the monthly report you wish to view from the panel on the left of this page.
April 2009
April is always an interesting month for sightings. The sea is coming alive again after a long cold winter, the waters are warming and productivity is increasing. April is also the month that the first minke whales begin to arrive around the coasts after a winter spent in warmer waters further South. This year the first minke whales were sighted on the 17th April. The report was of a group of five whales feeding off Iona – a decent sized group and a promising start to the season. Sightings of minke whales have been regularly reported to us since then through our website and local whale watch boats are also seeing whales turning up to feed in their usual spots.
There have also been three sightings of killer whales in April including one encounter off the Isle of Muck from our own research vessel, Silurian. Both whales seen were photographed and one of the individuals was identified as John Coe, who is one of our sponsored killer whales, and the other was one of our catalogued females. The other two killer whale sightings were reported further north off the Isles of Skye and Lewis within days of each other.
Other reports this month include several sightings of bottlenose dolphins and an early sighting of three common dolphins off Mallaig.