North Highland Initiative funded training course will help save marine mammals
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) is hosting a course in Ullapool in May that will train volunteers in the Highlands how to rescue whale, dolphins and seals.
The North Highland Initiative based in Wick has helped fund the training, giving £900 towards it, meaning 20 residents of Wester Ross and Sutherland can get the course and BDMLR membership for £45 instead of £90.
Its "Marine Mammal Medics" training introduces people in the techniques and skills required to rescue marine mammals when they strand, wash ashore or get entangled and other difficulties. Some require lifting and taking to wildlife centres, others require specialist pontoons to keep them stable and refloated.
Mass strandings such as at Staffin on Skye in 2015 saw 21 pilot whales strand at once and rescuers spent over 12 hours in the water supporting and refloating the animals and finally rescued 14 members of the pod.
Local BDMLR medic Noel Hawkins (51) from Ullapool attended that rescue and is helping arrange the specialist training for later in the year.
He said: “When these animals come ashore it can be something significant like an injury or it may just be a navigational error or misjudging tides, but they are large, heavy and often distressed so it is important for people to understand what to do otherwise they might put themselves and the animals at risk of injury or even death.
"Even seal pups that look very cute can give a very bad bite and cause infection if approached in the wrong way so we try to give trainee marine medics an introduction to ensure that they and the animals are safe and have the best chances of survival.”
Following the mass stranding in 2015 a number of courses were held in Wester Ross and on Skye but some of those who attended have moved and grown older and Covid restrictions have meant no new courses have been held for three years. Then after a recent scare, when 40 pilot whales came into into shallow waters a week ago, it became apparent that numbers of trained volunteers in the region had dropped and there is a need for more active marine mammal medics on hand on the north west coast.
“These animals not only play an important part in encouraging eco-tourism, tour boat trips and visitors to the Highlands and Islands but they are also an amazing part of our natural and marine environment. We are lucky to be visited by them so it is good if we can have people available to help them if they get into difficulties whilst in our waters,” said Noel. He emphasised the fact that medics around Gairloch, Ullapool, Assynt and Durness are extremely low in numbers and hopes that volunteers will come forward to join the team, especially those with experience of boats and the coastline – though despite the name, no diving experience is required.
To find out more about the training and BDMLR, visit https://bdmlr.org.uk/ and to book a place, call 01825 765546