Hi Everyone,

Dolphin sightings have been very poor around here recently, with very little to report for all my hours of watching. I went out on a boat from Cromarty yesterday but even although we tried for ages we still didn't see anything. The photo shows the view from the boat.


Copyright WDCS/Charlie Phillips

A little bit of great news however is that Barbara from the Lighthouse Field Station has found a photo from the summer that shows Spirits lovely baby is a girl. We might be having a "name the dolphin" competition so watch this space...

Best Wishes,

Charlie.

Hi Everyone,

Our intrepid gang of volunteers at the WDCS Wildlife Centre have started their "Pod Plod" fundraising walk all the way from the Dolphin & Seal Centre at North Kessock, Inverness along the coast back to the Wildlife Centre, a distance of over 60 miles!


Copyright WDCS/Charlie Phillips

The photo shows the gang crossing the Kessock Bridge at the start of the walk.

You can help their fundraising for WDCS by visiting their own web page
Pod Plod

Best Wishes,

Charlie.

Hi Everyone,

I have been up north at a place called Lybster to finally qualify as a BDMLR marine mammal medic, something I have wanted to do for years. It was great fun, hard work but fun even out in the chilly water “rescuing” a water filled model pilot whale that weighed about 2 tons! The rest of the group and myself attended lectures and did practical exercises for the whole day to eventually get the coveted Marine Mammal Medic certificate.


Copyright WDCS/Charlie Phillips

Best Wishes,

Charlie.

Hi Everyone,

Not a lot of dolphins around near me at the moment, there is a huge group moving about along the coast between Cullen and Burghead but we are lucky to see any at all. Porpoises are taking advantage of the lack of dolphins - moving in and out the area very near the shore, mind you it has been so calm recently you can see even the tiniest fish coming to the surface.


A pair of Porpoises. Copyright WDCS/Charlie Phillips


Best Wishes,

Charlie.

Hi Everyone,

I'm just back after being over on Scotland's West Coast for a week teaching photography on one of our Out Of The Blue holidays. It was a great trip with lovely scenery and loads of wildlife including Risso's dolphins that came near the boat we were on and also huge Basking sharks, lovely big gentle giants that swim along the surface hoovering up the plankton that they eat.


3 Risso's dolphins near the boat. Copyright WDCS/Charlie Phillips



A big Basking shark feeding at the surface. Copyright WDCS/Charlie Phillips


I've had no time to look for any of my own dolphins yet but I'll let you know as soon as I see any!

Best Wishes,

Charlie.