Whales And Dolphins

The waters around the west coast of Scotland are one of the most important habitats for whales, dolphins and porpoises. 24 different species have been spotted in these waters from the huge and very rare Blue Whale to the small and more common Harbour Porpoise.

The best time of year to spot these creatures is between mid-June and the end of September. Try to choose a day when the sea is relatively calm so that you can focus on any surface disturbance, and a dull day will reduce the amount of glare reflected from the water. A view over a large expanse of water from a cliff or headland will give you a greater chance of seeing something. Alternatively a boat trip can provide a good opportunity.

Minke Whale by Pcb21

The whales you are most likely to see around the coast are Minke whales. Up to 10 metres in length these creatures will often hang around the same feeding spot for half a day or more. Their dives are intersperced with a small puff from their blow hole which is useful for alterting you to the first sighting or watching their progress if they are on the move. Often solitary they can sometimes be spotted in small groups. They are grey and sleek and tend not to breach the water completely – in our experience this means that by the time you press the camera button they are already back underwater and your photo shows nothing more than a disturbed bit of sea! Watching for feeding sea birds can sometimes altert you to the presence of whales and other marine mammals feeding on the same shoal.

Bottlenose Dolphins by Peter Asprey

The Moray firth near Inverness is famed for its colony of Bottlenose dolphins. These can be viewed from various parts of the shore - see Black Isle below. In other parts of the Highlands, Common and Risso's dolphins are often seen in the summer months although white-beaked dolphin sightings have also been reported. They will often play alongside boats giving you an excellent view and sometimes an unwanted soaking.

The smallest ceteacean in British waters, the Harbour porpoise, can often be seen in groups sometimes surfing in breaking waves.

The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust publish an excellent, small, guidebook entitled, “Was it a Whale?”, available in shops in the area, it has drawings of the above-water views of the different creatures you are likely to see.

Places to see them include:

Isle of Skye

Whales, dolphins and porpoises have been spotted from many points on the Skye coastline, but particularly notable for whale-watching are Rubha Hunish, Waternish Head and Neist Point.

The Black Isle

The Black Isle north of Inverness is the best place in Britain for watching bottlenose dolphins. The must-visit place for dolphin-spotters is Chanonry Point by Fortrose. Dolphins can also be sometimes be seen from the point east of Cromarty, and from Eathie.

See our forum to record your wildlife sightings.

Minke Whale photo by Pcb21, reproduced under GNU FDL. Bottlenose Dolphin photo taken at Chanonry Point by Peter Asprey; reproduced under GNU FDL.