Seals and Cetaceans ~ Bottlenose Dolphins in the Moray Firth

There are few things as majestic as a dolphin fin as it slices effortlessly through the water! We arrived at our picnic place on the Moray Firth on our journey south from Durness two weeks ago to find a dearth of dolphins. We were told that it was due to the state of the tide, so we returned later that day and our patience was rewarded!

We watched the dolphins over two days, and while they were few in numbers compared to our sightings on previous occasions, we both felt that this was one of our best dolphin watches in terms of visibility, closeness to shore (remarkably close!), views of a calf ... and reasonably good weather. 

This photo shows the narrow width of the strait, so it is not surprising that the dolphins make the most of the currents when the tide is on the turn.

It is surprisingly difficult to get a photo of a dolphin's face in the air! By the time the creature has emerged, it is almost too late for a camera click ...

... so most of my photos show fins in various poses and combinations.

You can see the blow-hole in the picture above. I had never heard the blowing noise so clearly before. Perhaps we were lucky this time because the wind was still and the dolphins were so close to the shore.

This dolphin lifted a large strand of kelp!

With the tide about to come in, it was time for cruising along - with a spot of fishing and more acrobatics!

Dolphins in tandem, swimming along together.

You can make a splash without a blow-hole ...

... but I just love those blow-holes ...

... and those strong tails!

What a lovely way to spend the last night of a holiday!

• The thought-processes of Bottlenose Dolphins (Guardian feature, 2003)
• Bottlenose dolphins and their individual whistle sounds for communication (Science Now, 2013)
• Bottlenose dolphins play jellyfish-football (Daily Mail, 2009)

Seals, Sharks and Cetaceans (3): Bottlenose Dolphins in the Moray Firth

A satisfied dolphin-watcher (me!)

We recently returned from a glorious holiday in Scotland, visiting lochs, lochans and a few islands. I shall begin at the end, for one of our final stops was on the Moray Firth to watch the dolphins. We were not disappointed!

The photo above has been included to show how narrow the strait is at this point - and to show just how close to the shore the dolphins were happy to come.

One minute there was a tail flip ...

... and then a back flip.

Sometimes it was hard to tell whether we were watching one dolphin or two.

There is something very serene and submarine-like about these creatures!

It was difficult to predict where the dolphins would surface, in terms of having the camera poised, so this is a rare facial picture.

... and so is this. Could it be a mother and calf? 

There certainly seem to be two dolphins here.

I am fascinated by the four tiny peaks of water on the left hand side.

Mother and calf swimming off in tandem ...

The Moray Firth is a great place to watch dolphins because they come so close to the shore. There are boat trips for those who prefer to watch from the water. Dolphins, of course, are wild creatures and come and go as they please. They are not always around, but we have watched from this spot (with binoculars, camera and monopod to hand) on several occasions now, and have been very lucky. These are apparently the most northerly Bottlenose Dolphins in the world, and we feel very privileged to have shared in these moments of their lives.

Coastal Topography (1): Neist Point, Skye

We visited Neist Point on the western edge of Skye
during the afternoon of 27 June 2010.


I remember it well because I had a bad fall
and fractured my ulna.

It has taken me until now
to want to write about our visit.
[I will refrain from saying my 'trip'...]

There used to be a winch in use
for shifting lighthouse supplies
up and down the steep rock face.

I sustained my injury on the path at the bottom,
and could have done with a winch to get me back up to the top!
Alas, it was not to be.

The view from the top is stunning ...

... and this is the view from the bottom.
The winch platform has seen better days.

Thankfully my accident took place at the end of our visit.
Before that memorable moment, we had enjoyed watching
this raft of Guillemots.

I had thought they were Razorbills at the time,
but now that I have been able to enlarge my photograph,
I suspect they are Guillemots,
which have more rounded heads in profile.

The photograph above was taken on a previous occasion,
when sea conditions were calm.
The waters around Neist Point are well known
as a favourite haunt of Basking Sharks and Whales.

We enjoyed walking out towards the lighthouse:
you can see the misty shapes of the Outer Hebrides in the distance,
way out in the Minch.
The light can be seen from a distance of 25 miles.
The lighthouse complex was constructed in 1909
under the engineering expertise of David A. Stevenson,
from the famous dynasty of lighthouse builders.
The last lighthouse keepers left in 1990.

Two large dark sea birds flew over:
they might have been Skuas.

No prizes for guessing who has made a shelter here!

The sheep have thick coats to insulate them from the elements.

This photograph shows the Runrig strips of cultivation,
or 'Lazybeds' as these are known on Skye.
During the Clearances [see also here],
the crofters were 'cleared' off the best land
and banished to the edges of the earth,
where soil was often poor
and weather conditions extreme.
It must have been an unbelievably tough existence
in isolated corners,
where gales blew in with tremendous force.
These days the land consists of Common Grazing for livestock
belonging to the residents of Waterstein.

You can see the rainwater
pouring off the land in this jet of waterfall ...
and this is on a rare fine day.

Neist Point is a good place for watching Gannets.

We also spotted a number of Wheatears
on the scrubby turf.

Nesting birds preferred the craggy ledges in the cliffs.


The colours were spectacular at times.

There were colourful patches of Thrift ...

... on the cliff edge.
We watched a seal in the water below,
but each time I tried to photograph it,
the creature dived!

Plants have to be hardy.
There were clumps of Heather
in addition to the Stonecrop [or is it a Saxifrage?] illustrated above.

A fisherman's float added a splash of colour
to the pebbled shore.

Humans have a knack of leaving their mark
wherever they go.

The extreme edge of Neist Point, near the lighthouse,
is covered with this strange display of cairns.
I can't help wondering if it wouldn't be better to
'take only photographs
and leave only footprints' ...