Orca Watch 2021 invites viewers to see killer whales around Caithness coast from the comfort of their homes
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The annual Orca Watch returns to the shores of Caithness, Orkney and Shetland from this weekend – but with a difference.
The event, organised by Sea Watch Foundation, usually takes place over 10 days, with people encouraged to join in the land-watches, boat trips and talks.
After last year's watch had to be cancelled due to Covid restrictions, this year's event will see local communities, wildlife enthusiasts and Sea Watch staff get involved on the ground, with the public invited to an exclusive online show of the killer whales.
Orca Watch Online, held between Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, June 6, will bring the excitement of watching orca in the UK into people's living rooms. The week-long programme will include virtual events, talks, and daily sighting round-ups.
This year, the project is supported by NatureScot through PlungeIn! The Coasts & Waters Community Fund.
Orca Watch began in 2012, a collaboration between Sea Watch Foundation and their regional coordinator Colin Bird. After the announcement that green energy underwater turbines were to be potentially installed in the Pentland Firth, the decision was made to launch the seasonal event to better understand how cetaceans use the area, and the impact that these installations might have on them.
The north-east coast of Scotland is a haven for marine mammal and bird life, with orcas, minke and humpback whales, Risso’s, white-beaked, and Atlantic white-sided dolphins, and harbour porpoise all possible to spot from the shore.
Now in its tenth year, Orca Watch still keeps this aim at the forefront of the week’s activities. However, rather than welcoming numbers of people to participate directly in land and boat-surveying, this year will instead see a small, dedicated group of locally based volunteers collecting data on the ground in Caithness, Shetland, and Orkney, operating strictly within Covid guidelines.
The week kicks off with an online evening of orca-themed talks on Saturday, with talks by experts on orcas and other marine mammals, a prize draw and introduction to the week. Tickets for this event cost £6.50 and can be purchased through Eventbrite.
From Monday, the evening Orca Watch Live session will keep everyone watching from home in the loop with a round-up of each day’s sightings and happenings with help from the volunteers on the ground.
Two specials will also run during the week, treating participants to presentations with the group of observers and citizen scientists behind the dedicated Scottish killer whale ID catalogue, as well as from scientists researching the predation of seals by orca in the UK.
These sessions are all free to attend, but participants will need to register through Eventbrite by searching ‘Orca Watch Live’.
The week will finish with a closing session on Sunday, June 6, looking back on the event, what has been learned, and looking ahead to Orca Watch 2022.
While Orca Watch 2021 is an online event, sightings recorded around the UK, whether casual or from planned watches (operating within Covid guidelines) are always welcomed and can be submitted using the online sightings form at www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/sightingsform
More details on Orca Watch 2021 can be found at www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/orca-watch-2021
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