Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust visiting Islay

And here is some footage of Bottle-nosed Dolphins in Port Ellen bay just a few days ago

Malcolm

Bottle-nosed Dolphins in Loch Indaal

Thanks to Kevin Wiggins for these excellent shots of Bottle-nosed Dolphins which he has seen several times in Loch Indaal.

Bottle-nosed dolphins - Port Charlotte

Pictured off Port Charlotte pier a few minutes ago - heading south towards Port Mor.  At one stage they were right out in the middle of the loch towards Bowmore...
Carl

Bottle-nosed Dolphins in Loch Indaal

I have just seen a small pod of Bottle nosed dolphins heading up Loch Indaal at Port Charlotte.  Am going out to investigate...
Carl

Nature Holiday on Islay - Tim, Jo, Alfie and Freddie Madgwick

The Trust was delighted to receive the following email and photographs from the Madgwick family...




We visited Islay for a family holiday last week 16th-23rd April and we wanted to share some of our experiences from our stay.

Watching Bottle Nosed Dolphins off Port Askaig

On Sunday 17th April we were crabbing at Port Askaig harbour, just after the 8pm ferry had cleared its decks of the latest arrivals to the island. It was to our surprise that we spotted 5 dolphin like shapes swimming around in the water close to the ferry. We rushed over for a better look and sure enough they were swimming around enjoying themselves, arching out of the water so that we could see them in all their splendour. We weren't the only people present, another couple were witness to this amazing spectacle. I've attached a photo of the family at Port Askaig with a dolphin fin showing to the right.

Alfie and Freddie Madgwick

The following night, at the same location during another crabbing session we spotted a small head bobbing up and down in the water. It appeared too small to be a seal and it then swam towards us and on to some rocks so that we could clearly see that it was an otter. It was as interested in us as we were in it and appeared to entertain us with his swimming skills. Later the otter (Oscar we named it) ran across the pier right in front of us, having just stolen some clams from a trawler. It then re-appeared a few minutes later from the ramp to the Jura ferry and proceeded to run the length of the pier and disappeared off the end. We shared this incredible show with a gentleman who said he'd waited 55 years to see that sight. He'd spotted the otter from outside the hotel and had run over to enjoy the show.

An action shot of a 'Green Bug' Activity Pack

On a trip to the American Monument the following day, on the advice of the gentleman from the night before, we parked up about a mile short of the car park and after about 10 minutes we spotted in the far distance two huge birds of prey that we soon realised were Golden Eagles. They were enjoying the beautiful day and warm air currents to soar above and around our position. Their size was noticeable from quite a distance and our two boys couldn't believe their luck. This was their 3rd visit to the island and the first definate sighting of a Golden Eagle. The birds gradually disappeared from view as they moved up the valley. It was a very memorable experience.
During our week stay we saw so many amazing wildlife sights, too numerous to list. We'll be back in April 2012 to enjoy the natural beauty of Islay, Jura and Colonsay.
With best wishes
Tim, Jo, Alfie and Freddie Madgwick

A Labrador and his pal the Bottlenose Dolphin - Tory Island off Donegal

On a really clear day it is probably possible to see Tory island off Donegal from Portnahaven.  I would estimate it as around 90 miles away.

Thanks to Robert Fitzsimons for sending us this video

Clip is from BBC Countryfile

BBC Countryfile

White-beaked Dolphin?

Some more pictures of the pair of dolphins seen off Caol Ila (see earlier positing) have emerged (thanks Kate!) and while they still do not provide the definitive answer, they perhaps suggest White-beaked Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) - a cold water cetacean that while unusual (to say the least) in the Sound of Islay, is perhaps a little more plausible than Risso's (Grampus griseus) although Risso's remains a possibility.  These new shots are higher resolution than Nick's originals and I think we can now discount Bottle-nosed which is the dolphin most usually found around Islay.

These are shots of White-beaked strandings.

Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis), which is of course not even slightly common off Islay, is another possibility, but the initial photo from Nick seems to show an animal without a beak, or at least with only a very short beak....