The Scottish Government has announced further delays to the long-awaited consultation on inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPA) and Priority Marine Features (PMF) fisheries management measures, postponing it until after the 2026 Scottish Parliament Elections.
For the second-year running, we welcomed a number of wildlife tour providers and boat operators to our Whale Track Boat Operator Event, celebrating the contributions industry makes to marine science.
During the first half of 2025 a clicking sound could be heard all along the east coast of Mull. No, this wasn’t the sound of cetaceans heard through the hydrophone but the gentle clacking of knitting needles and crochet hooks as nine volunteers quietly united in the purpose of bringing one of our Hebridean Whale centre skeletons to life.
We recently welcomed six local Mull and Ardnamurchan residents aboard Silurian for a winter research expedition. Our aim was to collect much-needed data at a time of year when historically, far lower survey effort has been carried out than the summer season.
This Autumn, we piloted a new opportunity - inviting young ambassadors from RSPB Youth Council, Marine Conservation Society and Young Sea Changers Scotland to join us aboard, learn about the role HWDT plays in marine conservation, connect and share an inspiring experience exploring Hebridean waters.
Scotland’s seas are internationally important, with 24 species of whale, dolphin, and porpoise (collectively known as cetaceans) recorded in our waters. But who are the organisations responsible for managing Scotland’s seas, and how do they ensure that the marine environment is protected for nature and people?
Our expedition surveys on board our research vessel, Silurian, have been monitoring Scotland’s seas for over two decades. This long-term monitoring is critical, driving protections to restore marine biodiversity and championing healthy seas for nature and communities.
For the first time in a number of years, we invited young carers on board to enjoy this hands-on experience, gain new skills and help deepen the understanding of marine mammal species.
Over six days at sea, our intrepid team of citizen scientists surveyed waters around Mull and the Southern Hebrides following Storm Amy. Despite challenging conditions, our team surveyed over 400km of Hebridean waters encountering four species of marine mammal. Read all about their experiences here. . .
Kathryn joined our team in Tobermory to gain work experience in marine conservation. During her time, she has contributed to a range of activities that support our research and outreach work. In this blog, Kathryn reflects on her experience and the skills she has developed while being part of the Trust.
Our latest research expedition aboard Silurian took us from Ullapool back and forth across the Minch. Over the course of the week, our team of citizen scientists documented five different marine mammal species, including Atlantic white sided dolphins - a rare sighting for Silurian!
Over five days at sea, our intrepid team of citizen scientists surveyed waters around Ullapool through storms and swell, gathering vital visual and acoustic data. Read all about their experiences here. . .
Scotland’s seas are home to some of Europe’s most incredible wildlife, but understanding highly mobile species like whales and dolphins is challenging and there’s still much to learn.
This summer has been full of ups, downs and phenomenal sightings. In our most recent Whale Track summary we round up what has been an unexpected summer of sightings.
Recording excursions using Whale Track provides vital effort-based data on the presence and absence of whales in our waters. Andy Lawson, a member of the Whale Track community, shares his incredible excursion on aboard the MV Loch Seaforth ferry.
2025s Outreach Assistants - Emily, Jess and Megan - reflect on their placement here on Mull and share some of their favourite experiences from volunteering with HWDT.
Our popular floating classroom school visits provide primary school children the opportunity to jump aboard our research vessel, Silurian, experiencing what it’s like to live and work as a marine mammal scientist.
The West Coast Community inspires a strong connection with not only those that have been lucky enough to see them but everyone who knows their incredible story. In our most recent blog we reflect on a roller coaster of a year for John Coe and Aquarius.
We are thrilled to share that the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s (HWDT) pioneering research expeditions have been shortlisted for the Nature Tourism Award at the prestigious RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards 2025.
In our latest blog, we dive into the importance of effort-based data collection. While all data is valuable, when it comes to how that data is collected, not all records are created equal. During the Wild Discovery ferry watching event, 18 hours of effort-based data was collected!
