This year Scotland’s North-west coast Sea Watch Foundation co-ordination centre Gairloch Marine Wildlife Centre and Cruises will be carrying out vessel and land based surveys between 7 – 15 August which members of the public can join, for further information call 01445 712636.

Every year hundreds of sightings are made of species such as fin whales, minke whales and bottlenose dolphins. These are used by Sea Watch’s scientists to provide a snapshot in time of the numbers and locations of marine mammals (cetaceans). Changes and trends can be monitored, helping to show if current conservation measures are working or if the animals are being affected by factors such as pollution or over-fishing.

To find out more about the watches and about Sea Watch visit www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk The Sea Watch Foundation is a marine conservation and research charity working exclusively in British waters. It has organised the National Whale & Dolphin Watch every year since 2002.

An

Ian assisting WDCS to deploy acoustic equipment

The season has begun and not only do we have the weather to contend with but also a new NATO exercise  is underway in our waters.   We have assisted WDCS deploying C Pod listening devices for their ongoing research.  Also this year we have an underwater acoustic expert ‘Dolphin Whisperer’ who has deployed his latest broadband underwater hydrophone listening device.  This will help him, WDCS and us gather more evidence into the NATO ?????? Of cetaceans.

The season has begun and not only do we have the weather to contend with but also a new NATO exercise is underway in our waters.

NATO exercises begin

We have assisted WDCS deploying acoustic equipment for their ongoing research, this equipment will stay in place for a number of months and data will not be revealed until the pods are bought back in later in the season. Also this year we have an underwater acoustic expert ‘The Dolphin Whisperer’ who we assisted, during his recent visit to Gairloch, with the deployment of his latest ‘realtime’ acoustic underwater monitoring equipment. This new equipment will allow us, with the help of solar panels and a good receiver dish, to listen to the undersea sounds as they happen.

A very poorly looking otter

Sad news reached us of an otter pup found floating in the sea after a spell of stormy weather this week.   The little pup approximately six months old lost its fight for life in pretty atrocious conditions.

Days later a phone call alerted us to another otter in the same location, this time alive but in a pretty poor state. First inspection showed several deep bites to its head and face and worrying damage to its left eye. The injuries may have been caused during a fight with a larger male otter defending its territory. However in this case the bite radius is very large, which would indicate a possible dog attack. The wounds were treated and antibiotics administered however the otter gave up the fight for life shortly after.

And finally on a lighter note we have seen signs in the harbour area and on the pontoon that otters have been visiting, although we had no actual sightings, until two days ago when visitors waiting to go out on our 12:30 sailing were rewarded with amazing views of a mother and pup right outside our visitor centre. Feeding and foraging quiet happily within 3 metres of the viewing deck. Onlookers stayed inside the centre so as not to disturb these wonderful animals as the dived for lunch! We’re hoping that they will visit again, as this was the one day I didn’t have my camera in the centre and missed some amazing photo opportunities!

Over winter we had observed lots of porpoising behaviour from the young seals and on one occasion in early January on a trip to check Starquest round at Badachro we saw a lone common seal porpoising quiet close inshore in less than a metre of water. An hour later as we drove back and noticed the seal was still in the same position, on closer inspection we could see that it was tangled in mooring rope.  And so our first rescue of the year began!

A quick trip home to collect dry suit and tools and then back to Shieldaig to try and release the seal. I waded out to the seal and as I got closer it became apparent that the seal was in distress and well and truly caught in the rope. As I got even closer the seal dived and I could hear that it was dragging a chain and swimming around in circles held by the the rope and chain. I then realised this was going to be no easy release, I had to wade back to shore and get one of the small tenders from it’s winter storage and paddled back out to the seal. I managed to get hold of the chain and pull it towards the boat, complete with rope and a very upset seal attached! I had the foresight to bring a pair of heavy duty garden shears with me and these wre ideal for the job as I could now see that the seal had some how got it’s head up through a loop in the rope and of course the harder it swam the tighter the rope got. I quickly hauled everything I could into the small boat, chain, rope and a snapping seal held in place by my foot as I balanced on the edge of the tender.

Ian attempting to rescue a very unhappy seal

The seal calmed down just enough for me to be able to get my shears between its body and the rope and a quick snip and an explosion of water and the seal was free. It surfaced a few metres away to thank me then off it swam to join the on looking seals….  and so ended our first successful rescue of the year!

]]> http://www.porpoise-gairloch.co.uk/wordpress/?feed=rss2&p=96 0 http://www.porpoise-gairloch.co.uk/wordpress/?p=76 http://www.porpoise-gairloch.co.uk/wordpress/?p=76#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:36:59 +0000 admin http://www.porpoise-gairloch.co.uk/wordpress/?p=76 Fans of Atlantic Grey Seals will be pleased to know the much photographed Sammy the Seal returned to Gairloch Harbour earlier this month.  Sammy has been visiting Gairloch Harbour now for at least fourteen years!

Sammy the Seal Returns!

This year Scotland’s  North-west coast Sea Watch Foundation co-ordination centre  Gairloch Marine Wildlife Centre and Cruises  will be carrying out vessel and land based surveys between 18 – 26 July which members of the public can join, for further information call 01445 712636.

Every year hundreds of sightings are made of species such as fin whales, minke whales and bottlenose dolphins.  These are used by Sea Watch’s scientists to provide a snapshot in time of the numbers and locations of marine mammals (cetaceans).  Changes and trends can be monitored, helping to show if current conservation measures are working or if the animals are being affected by factors such as pollution or over-fishing.

To find out more about the watches and about Sea Watch visit www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk The Sea Watch Foundation is a marine conservation and research charity working exclusively in British waters.  It has organised the National Whale & Dolphin Watch every year since 2002.

They were actively feeding along the sand bank, some showing off their trophy fish, on this occasion mackerel.  At least one calf shadowed by its mother was present in the pod of approximately 15 individuals.

First Basking Shark of the Season

As we continued on our course we thought we had sighted a second basking shark but taking a closer look through our binoculars we realised it was in fact another first for the season the ocean sunfish.  We  first recorded this elusive fish in Gairloch way back in 2004 and we have continued to see them every year since.  An unusual looking fish approximately 1 metre in diameter was seen laying at the surface before diving down into deeper water.

First ocean sunfish of the season