Bottlenose dolphins visit WRFT office

Posted: Friday 18 July, 2008 @ 08:55:01

Well nearly! On 17th July the two Peters were distracted from their workstations by a pod of about 10 Bottlenose dolphins which came to within 100m of the Harbour Centre. The dolphins attracted a crowd of onlookers, and jumped clear of the water, tail walked, and generally created commotion to the delight of both residents and holiday makers. Local wildlife tour boat operators had one of their best days - drifting just beyond the pier. Earlier in the summer a pod of Common dolphins also visited upper Loch Gairloch.

The dolphins were attracted to the area by shoals of mackerel which were chasing smaller fish. The WRFT biologist aims to sample the smaller fish today (possibly young herring). Sea trout have also been feeding well. A Common seal seen by the mouth of the Flowerdale burn seemed less enthusiastic about the dolphins than onshore spectators.

At the time of writing (18 July) the dolphins are still feeding just beyond the pier. For local trips contact Hebridean Whale Cruises, Gairloch Marine Wildlife Centre and Cruises, Sealife Glassbottom boat trips or Dry Island boat trips.