Moray Firth Latest

With the clocks going back an hour recently it is now dark here in the Moray Firth at 5pm. On the radio they have been predicting the coldest winter for many years - yet here we are, still having warm sunny days!

The dolphins are still very much in evidence though, with 20+ being seen on a recent watch. There was also a fantastic sighting of a minke whale off Cullen Bay , the first in this area for a while. I have also had the joy of spotting harbour porpoises from the comfort of my garden ~ that is the joy of living so close to the ocean!

All the birds have gone for the winter, apart from a few guillemots bobbing about looking for food and the young gulls along the cliffs, but if you are very lucky you just might get a sighting of the peregrine falcon. Meanwhile, over at Aberdeen the dolphins are back at the harbour, coming so close inshore you would think they are going right upriver, past the harbour and under the bridge! Black & Decker, one of our adopted dolphins, was seen hanging around the harbour along with four other dolphins, all breaching like crazy and chasing fish - what a sight! If you are around the Aberdeen area over the coming months, visit 'Torry Battery', it is a superb area to see these animals from land.

The Marine Connection recently produced educational leaflets, focusing on some of the issues that dolphins and whales could face around the UK coast, and they have been very well received here in the Moray Firth. Apart from my usual school visits I have also kept busy giving talks at various events, libraries and even the odd craft fair or two - never a dull moment for me!

On October 30th I was called out to a grey seal that had apparently stranded on Cullen beach. The small, fluffy creature was apparently abandoned, however it is fairly common for mothers to leave their pups on the beach while they go off feeding. I am pleased to report that, in this instance, when I found the seal it was in a fit condition.

Sadly dogs and people can be a real problem for these unprotected young seals, so please take care when you are walking your dogs on the beach, just because pups are on their own doesn't mean they have been abandoned, their mother is probably off feeding, so the best thing to do is give them a wide berth, leave them undisturbed and check later to see if the mother has returned. If you feel that a seal (or any other marine mammal) is in distress or trouble please call the emergency hotline 01825 765546.

Until next time, wishing you all things good

Peter Macdonald