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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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, three teams spent time travelling to different areas of the west coast, collecting vital visual and acoustic data on marine mammals.
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The team of the season's third expedition enjoyed sightings of whales, dolphins, and sunny weather! They recorded over 200 marine mammals in the week-long live-aboard expedition surveying the Hebridean seas.
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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 04 - 10 August 2024.
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This September we set sail to Shieldaig and Gairloch to invite 4 schools, never before visited, aboard our research vessel and floating classroom, Silurian. Our Education and Sightings Officer, Sadie, shares the fun had by pupils, teachers and crew.
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Data gathered during research expeditions on our research vessel, Silurian, has shown that harbour porpoise are negatively impacted by Acoustic Deterrent Devices, which are used to deter seals at aquaculture sites. Here, Dr Charlotte Findlay, details the research she led to better understand the impact on this species.
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The second survey of the season kicked off amidst April showers and strong winds. Our intrepid team of volunteers were trained in Silurian’s scientific protocols and battled the waves to collect valuable data. Read all about their experiences here…
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This May, HWDT are visiting the Clyde to run a series of Whale Track watch events. Join us to find out what whales and dolphins can be spotted in the Clyde and get involved in helping us deepen our understanding about these animals by conducting a ‘watch from land’ using Whale Track.
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The first expedition marked the start of the 2024 summer field season and despite some challenging weather - namely Storm Kathleen - the crew and team of citizen scientists monitored areas of the Southern Hebrides and recorded five species of marine mammal.
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The Big Green Give Match Fund is live! Donate now to ensure our Whale Track community can continue to protect whales and dolphins in Scottish seas.
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This April, thanks to support from The Waterfall Fund and Baillie Gifford, we will be setting sail around Mull to welcome schools aboard our research vessel, Silurian. HWDT’s education team are also inviting local communities to join them aboard during our drop-in open boat events.
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Today HWDT trustees announce that they have appointed Helen Stace to succeed Juliana Butler as the new Chair of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.
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Zoe Stevenson, a member of the Whale Track community who reports sightings whilst working with Hebrides Cruises, shares some highlight lunge feeding minke sightings, including one, thanks to a rather unusual tip off
Coastguard exercise © Zoe Stevenson
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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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Killer whales hold a special wonder for many people and in recent years, John Coe and Aquarius of the West Coast Community have become local celebrities. Morven, our Communications Manager, has followed the story of the plight of these killer whales for many years. Here she shares what has been uncovered about the group since she began working at the Trust…
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We welcomed a number of wildlife tour providers and boat operators to our first ever Whale Track Boat Operator Event, sharing good practice and celebrating the contributions these companies make to marine science.
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Our winter survey programme on board Silurian, our research vessel, has been running since 2019 and aims to understand more about the year-round presence of whales, dolphins and porpoises in Hebridean seas.
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The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force announced 33 new Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) within the Northeast Atlantic and Baltic Sea.
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Our winter survey programme on board Silurian has been running since 2019, trying to understand more about the year-round presence of marine vertebrates within the Hebridean seas. these surveys are important given that before the start of the programme, little winter data existed for the region. below, the team onboard the first winter survey of this year, give an update…
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Many of us have little comprehension of how noisy the aquatic world is, you’d be forgiven for assuming it’s a peaceful environment…it’s anything but! Our seas and oceans are a cacophony of sound and getting increasingly noisier, as human activity intensifies the soundscape.
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