Public urged to play a part in protecting Scotland's whales and dolphins

Members of the public are being urged to get involved in efforts to protect Scotland's whales and dolphins by reporting what they have spotted and carrying out surveys from both land and sea.

The appeal comes from the conservation charity Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) as it launches its new and improved Whale Track community sightings app and website.

Supported by the NatureScot Nature Restoration Fund, Whale Track now boasts a land-based survey option and a new photo portal.

HWDT says every sighting and photo submitted will make a difference to its research, enhancing the understanding of the marine animals seen in Scottish waters.

Education officer Sadie Gorvett said: “It’s very exciting to see the addition of land-based surveys to Whale Track. Effort-based data is crucial in deepening our understanding of the cetaceans that inhabit Hebridean seas.

"Knowing not only when and where people are seeing these animals, but also where they are not, enables us to better understand where the important areas for these animals are – allowing us to better protect them."

HWDT points out that any time you are near the sea in Scotland you have a chance of spotting a marine mammal.

Land-based surveys can be conducted from a fixed point, reporting details such as location, environmental conditions and what marine animals are seen. However, the trust reminds people that even if they do not spot any marine animals, it is still important to submit their survey.

The addition of the land-based surveys complements the existing excursion mode, which enables anyone travelling at sea to record their journey while plotting their whale and dolphin sightings.

The trust is also encouraging the public to submit their photos alongside sighting reports. Volunteers can now add up to three photos via the app, as well as the option to upload up to 100 photos through the new Whale Track photo portal. This will help to confirm species recorded and, in some cases, identify individual animals.

“Photo-identification is a non-invasive monitoring tool that allows scientists to identify individual animals in a population through tracking their movements, determining their age and even recording births and deaths,” Sadie explained.

“Approximately 70 per cent of HWDT’s photo-identification catalogues are images submitted by the Whale Track community. This technique has helped us learn so much more about different populations, such as the west coast community killer whales.

"It is an amazing way for everyone to get involved in tracking their movements. For example, just the other week, through photos sent in from members of the public, we learnt that John Coe – something of a killer whale celebrity – was once again seen visiting Ireland.”

Submitting photos alongside sighting reports helps the trust to track the movements of resident species, such as bottlenose dolphins, while adding to its knowledge of rarer visitors, such as humpback whales and killer whales.

Spring is an important time as migratory species, such as minke whale and basking shark, make a return. The charity is eager for even more people to get involved by downloading the Whale Track app and reporting their sightings when they are out and about, either on land or at sea.

Francesca Osowska, chief executive of NatureScot, said: “Whale Track is a great way for people to get involved in helping to protect some of Scotland’s best-loved species. This new technology will increase our understanding of the marine species in our coastal waters and we’re delighted to be able to support it through the Scottish Government’s £65 million Nature Restoration Fund.

"Whether it’s at sea or on land, getting out and about to document wildlife sightings brings people closer to nature and helps individuals and communities value nature around them.”

HWDT is hosting a free online training session on Thursday, April 21, for new and existing volunteers to find out more about the new features of the app and how to conduct surveys.

The upgrades to the app were funded by a grant of £49,274 from the Nature Restoration Fund.

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