Unique trail for whale watching in Scotland

SCOTLAND'S west coast offers excellent opportunities for accessible, land-based whale watching, with a remarkable range of species to be spotted. The region’s seas are home to around a quarter of the world’s whale and dolphin species – including bottlenose, Risso’s and common dolphins, harbour porpoises, minke whales and Orca.

People are being asked to contribute ideas for top sites for spotting whales, dolphins and porpoises from land on Scotland’s west coast, to help create a Hebridean Whale Trail that will be the first of its kind in the UK. The high-profile trail will be a network of around 25 world-class whale-watching and whale heritage sites. Its development is being led by charity Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.

The project will promote #Scotland as one of Europe’s best destinations for spotting whales, dolphins and porpoises – collectively known as #cetaceans – and champion conservation of the Hebrides’ unique, globally important marine wildlife and environment.

Due for a summer 2019 launch, the ambitious initiative will connect and support existing wildlife tourism businesses and heritage sites of national cultural significance that showcase the history of people’s relationships with whales in the Hebrides. Many of these will be small, community-run visitor centres at spectacular sites.

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Wildlife cruises to Guernsey

A TEAM from wildlife charity MARINElife has been training volunteers on board Condor Ferries ships as they prepare for a summer season of wildlife spotting on the cross-Channel service. 

Training to become Wildlife Officers for MARINElife, the volunteers will be on a number of day trips to the Channel Islands offered by Condor Ferries. Sailing from Poole to #Guernsey, the trips offer passengers the opportunity to see marine mammals and seabirds.

MARINElife is a Dorset-based research, education, and conservation charity conducting year-round scientific surveys of whales, dolphins, and seabirds.

Alicia Andrews at Condor says: ‘We’re delighted to offer MARINElife day trips to Guernsey this summer, and give our passengers this fascinating experience. There is a wealth of wildlife just waiting to be discovered on our sailing routes, and with a wildlife officer on hand, the trip will not only be enjoyable but also informative. We hope all our wildlife watching daytrippers have a wonderful day out and are delighted that these trips will also help to raise funds for MARINElife to continue this important work.’

MARINElife day trips with Condor Ferries will run on these dates from Poole to Guernsey on Condor Liberation: 

June: 23, 29

July: 7, 13, 18, 27

August: 1, 10, 16, 24, 30

September 8, 14, 22, 27

October: 6, 12, 21

Daytrip tickets cost £20 per person, which includes a £5 donation to MARINElife when booked online using the promotion code 'MARINE' at www.condorferries.co.uk/day-trips/view-marinelife-day-trips

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Dolphin boost for India tourism

#DOLPHIN-WATCHING tourism could bring additional revenues to the coast of Sindhudurg, in Maharashtra, #India, where a colony of 569 dolphins has been found by marine biologists. 

The coastline is considered to be a hot spot of humpback dolphins.

Says Santosh Kakade, owner of Sanjana Travels: ‘Dolphin tourism started seven or eight years ago, but in the last two years it has seen a huge growth. This new discovery will attract more tourists into Sindhudurg. Local fishermen and hotels will benefit from it.’

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Picture Credit: Dolphin-Musandam by Mandy - Dolphin Following Dhow. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons