Minke whale baby boom
SIGHTINGS of juvenile minke whales off Scotland’s west coast increased to the highest ever recording within a survey season.
Marine research expeditions, carried out by Mull-based Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, indicated either a signifi - cant increase in actual numbers or an influx of minke whales from elsewhere. The charity’s 2015 research season also recorded the highest annual number of common dolphin sightings since its expeditions began, with 723 individuals observed over 63 encounters. The trust’s encounter rate with the species has more than doubled in 12 years.