Public urged to report whale and dolphin sightings

The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is calling on members of the public to record their at-sea excursions and sightings of whales, dolphins, porpoises and endangered basking sharks off Scotland’s west coast.

The exercise is intended to boost monitoring efforts and strengthen understanding of the coronavirus lockdown’s impact on these animals.

With wildlife around the world reported to be taking advantage of reduced human activity, the trust wants to discover more about what has been happening in Hebridean seas, which are globally important for cetaceans.

But the trust’s ability to gather crucial scientific evidence has been hit hard by the global Covid-19 – leaving it facing the biggest gap in its data collection for two decades.

Dr Lauren Hartny-Mills, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s Science and Conservation Manager, said: ‘Reporting is easy and every excursion logged on the Whale Track app – whether a ferry crossing or a kayaking trip – will make a difference to our understanding of what impact lockdown has had on Scottish whales and dolphins.’

Sightings and photographs will also help. Whale Track has an interactive map showing all sightings reported since 2017. Go to www.hwdt. org for more information.