For over 20 years, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) have been working with communities across Scotland to monitor the species in our seas.
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2025 was a record-breaking year for the number of animals reported to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT). Over 100,000 individual whales, dolphins, porpoises and other marine megafauna were recorded by members of the public and reported via the Trust’s app, Whale Track - representing the highest annual total ever reported.
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As the nights draw in and the winter chill starts to bite, we look back on an awesome autumn for sightings.
©Matthew Waterston
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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.
©SeaLifeMull
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This spring has been hopping, with an action packed few months of sightings across Scotland. In our most recent blog we explore what has been reported this spring.
©Karen Munro
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A quarter of the global cetacean (the collective for whale dolphin and porpoises) species have been recorded in Scotland’s seas, marking this as an important area for these creatures.
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As everyone looks forward to the season ahead, we take a look back at what was a whaley busy winter.
©Ryan MacRae
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As the nights draw in and the winter chill starts to bite, we look back on an awesome autumn for sightings.
©Islay Sea Adventures
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Our dedicated Whale Track community have continued to watch from land, record their excursions at sea and report their sightings through the record-breaking wet weather this summer.
©Logan Gibson
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This spring saw some surprise sightings for some of our Whale Track community.
©Noel Hawkins
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Our Education and Sightings Officer, Sadie, and local volunteer, Sharyn, spent the weekend aboard the Northern Lighthouse Board vessel Pharos to work with the crew on using excursion mode to record their sightings.
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As signs of spring are beginning to appear and everyone is looking forward to the season ahead, we take a look back at what was a wonderful winter for watching.
©Western Isles Cruises
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With the nights drawing in and the frost settling on the ground, winter is well and truly upon us, so we take a look back at a jam packed autumn of sightings.
©Zoltan Around the Globe
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For many, summer is the time to get out and watch for the abundance of marine wildlife that migrate into our seas each year, but winter is still an exciting and important time to have your eyes on the sea.
Our Education and Sightings Officer, Sadie, dives deeper into why winter watching is so important, encouraging everyone to don their raincoats and woolly hats and #EmbraceYourWhaledSide, dedicating some time to watch from land.
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As the summer season draws to a close, we take a look at the incredible number of sighting reports that our dedicated Whale Track community have submitted between June and August
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National Whale and Dolphin Watch is an exciting annual marine mammal monitoring event, run by the Seawatch Foundation, that aims to get as many people as possible looking out to sea all around the UK, providing a snapshot of what is being seen in UK waters. Find out more about the event and how to get involved.
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Basking sharks, humpbacks, and Risso's that look like belugas, it's been a busy spring for sightings. Check out what's been reported in our spring sightings summary blog.
Image credit: Jimmy Hall
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Since we started writing these sightings summary reports last year, for the first time our most sighted species podium has a new species. Check out what has been seen this winter and what species have made it onto the podium.
Image credit: Elaine
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Thanks to everyone still watching for whales and dolphins over autumn and winter and reporting what they’ve spotted - it’s fantastic to see the awesome encounters coming through Whale Track. From our favourite killer whale celebrities, John Coe and Aquarius, to the 100th humpback whale being added to the Scottish Humpback Whale ID Catalogue, it’s been an exciting couple of months for marine life in Scottish seas
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What have our Whale Track community been seeing this Summer?
We look back at some of the sighting reports we’ve received this summer, with a focus on the different species of whale recorded in Hebridean seas.
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