Explore the amazing sightings reported during this years National Whale and Dolphin Watch event.
Image: Harbour porpoise ©Graeme-brown
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When art and science join forces interesting things can happen; disseminating science through the arts can raise awareness of issues, reach new audiences and create a space for compelling, thought provoking discussion. When local artist Mhairi Killin approached us and shared her idea for a project, we were excited to be part of her vision.
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Our second Teen Trip of the year circumnavigated Mull, calling in overnight at Colonsay and Coll. Here the teens recount their experience of their time spent on board Silurian surveying Hebridean Seas.
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Every year, we offer dedicated teen research expeditions, providing young people with the skills, and experience of being a marine scientist on board a working research yacht. In this blog the teens recount their experience surveying Hebridean Seas.
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The ninth research expedition of the 2022 summer field season proved exceptional. Summer conditions finally arrived and a number of different species were recorded. Although minke whales stole the show - with a fantastic encounter with a breaching whale. Read Science Officer, Craig Mackie’s account of the expedition
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Jess Mather shares her experience of moving to Tobermory to volunteer with HWDT, joining the team as Outreach Assistant for the summer. Jess shares her thoughts on adjusting to island life after graduating from her Marine Conservation degree.
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Marking the middle of the summer 2022 research expeditions, Silurian - our research vessel - set sail from Tobermory monitoring Hebridean seas. Tricky weather conditions continued but our team of volunteer citizen scientists powered through to help gather vital visual and acoustic data and were rewarded with some incredible encounters. Here Hannah Lightley, science officer onboard, describes the expedition.
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Silurian - our research vessel - and her team of dedicated volunteers circumnavigated the Isle of Lewis during the seventh research expedition of the 2022 summer field season. Battling through some challenging conditions, the team were rewarded with some great encounters on the way back to Stornoway. Here Craig Mackie, Science Officer on board, recalls the expedition
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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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As we move into ‘Summer’ off Scotland’s west coast, thanks to the team of volunteer citizen scientists we continue to monitor Hebridean seas, gathering vital visual and acoustic data. Despite some challenging weather conditions, our stoic team on board were rewarded with some interesting encounters. Here, Hannah Lightley, Science Officer on board summarises the expedition.
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What have our Whale Track community been seeing this Spring?
We look at some of the sighting reports we’ve been receiving this Spring, including long finned pilot whales, basking sharks and even a fin whale!
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When reporting your sighting, we ask you to identify the behaviours displayed by the animal you’re watching. But why is this important?
We've broken down what behaviours you may see and why it is so important to record them.
Citizen science plays a key role in deepening our understanding of whales, dolphins and porpoise. The ‘mystery’ killer whale pod is a great example of the impact citizen science can have. Discover the story of this mystery pod and how citizen scientists are helping to add more pieces to their puzzle.
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Monitoring Hebridean seas is well underway, with Silurian - our research vessell - completing her fifth expedition of the 2022 Summer field season. Some great conditions allowed us to gather data from some of the more remote and exposed parts of our study area. Here, Craig Mackie, Science Officer on board, recalls details of the expedition
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Thanks to generous sponsorship, HWDT are delighted to offer two free spaces to young adults living on the west coast of Scotland. If you are aged 16 or 17 and have an interest in the marine environment, apply today to join us for free on an expedition running 2nd – 8th August 2022.
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Community Engagement Officer Siobhan spent two weeks visiting Hebridean Whale Trail sites in the Outer Hebrides, running events, catching up with the locals, and spotting some incredible wildlife. Read on to hear about her adventures in Ullapool and on the Isles of Lewis and Harris.
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Every year, we welcome aboard teams of students from St Andrew’s University Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) to discover how we collect data on board our research vessel, Silurian. Over the course of 10 days, each team spent time travelling to different areas of the west coast, collecting vital visual and acoustic data on marine mammals. Each of the teams share their experiences here
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Orca Watch is running this week, a ten-day event coordinated by the Seawatch Foundation. With land based watches taking place all around Caithness, North Sutherland, Orkney and Shetland, enthusiastic citizen scientists will be keen to catch a glimpse of these apex predators. But it’s not all black and white when it comes to killer whale populations in Scottish seas
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We’re well underway with our monitoring Hebridean seas this year, with Silurian, our research vessel, completing her fourth expedition of the 2023 summer field season. Some challenging conditions didn't dampen the spirits of the fantastic citizen scientists who joined us on board…the encounters with whales, dolphins and porpoises helped too!
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Iona-based visual artist Mhairi Killin will open her major new collaborative multi-media exhibition On Sonorous Seas at An Tobar on Mull from 8 July to 27 August.. The installation - which mixes whale bone sculpture, video, poetry and soundscape alongside a series of podcasts - is inspired by the complex relationship between the militarisation of Scotland’s waters and its existing ecosystem.
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