The Dolphins of the Moray Firth
Did you know that in the UK we have the largest species of dolphins on the planet? Not only that but in Scotland we actually have the largest of even these individuals! These monsters of the North Sea can reach up to 4 metres and there are around 200 along the coast. The dolphins actually spend a lot of time travelling around Scotland and even take the odd journey around Europe. We have a number of dolphin species around the UK - many of them in Scotland. There’s the common dolphin who loves to swim in the bow waves of boats, the risso’s dolphin which specialises in eating squid and octopus, the white beaked dolphin (no prizes for guessing why they’re named this), the striped dolphin (same again!) and the orca otherwise known as killer whales.
Before I go much further I need to say how much of the information is from the incredible team over at the Scottish Whale and Dolphin Centre (WDC). The guys there run “shore watch” - a community lead programme to track and protect whales and dolphins all around the Scottish coastline (https://shorewatch.whales.org). Not only this but WDC also offer a huge range of educational and informative talks and tours on the cetaceans and the natural history of the coastline. Wild Things, the charity I work for, took a number of older adult groups to WDC and had a whale of a time (sorry). If you’re passing, I cannot recommend this place enough. You can find more information about them here: https://uk.whales.org/whales-dolphins/how-we-help/bottlenose-dolphins-moray-firth-scotland/
And now… back to the dolphins…
A few years ago, a large group of females headed over to the west coast of Ireland and a group of bachelor males took a holiday to mainland Europe. The exact reason for these trips is unknown but the suggestion is that this species recognise the need for genetic diversity and separated for a while to bring in new genetic material so as to avoid a genetic bottleneck.
It’s well documented that when a group of animals becomes separated from others of the same species, inbreeding can result in an increase in disease and a decrease in diversity which is hugely detrimental to the group’s survival. If the Moray bottlenose dolphins can recognise this, at even a small level, then it confirms that dolphins are indeed some of the most intelligent species on the planet.
There’s a whole host of cetaceans who call the Scottish coastline home. The reason why they love this particular coastline so much isn’t known. Certainly, the meeting Atlantic drift and the Norwegian current bring a lot of nutrients and warm water north. Lots of these cetaceans also spend a lot of their time further north around Norway and Scandinavia. They will move between Scotland and Europe throughout the year with numbers peaking along Scottish coasts in spring and summer. The bottlenose dolphins in the area are resident (except for the occasional holiday!).
Dolphins feed on a range of different food sources but the bottlenose dolphins in Moray love to eat salmon which, at this time of year, are making their way back up the rivers to spawn. So it’s not uncommon to spot the dolphins hanging around at the estuaries around Findhorn, Lossiemouth or Spey. You may be lucky enough to see the dolphins “playing” with their food. In actuality, the dolphins are orientating the food. They always eat head first (because scales going down the throat the wrong way would be incredibly uncomfortable. So sometimes they will throw their prey into the air in order to rotate is before swallowing it whole! The bottlenose dolphins are not fussy eaters though and will take on bigger prey like porpoises, squid and crustaceans.
Dolphins catch their food through something called echolocation. Everyone knows the sound of a dolphin’s clicks. It’s also well known that these clicks reverberate around an environment and help build up a mental picture of their surroundings; helping them track down and catch food at remarkable distances. Did you know that a dolphin could detect a 50p coin from a football field distance away?! What’s less well known is that dolphins also have a more devloped language too though. These clicks can denote happiness, sadness, aggression, and even name calls. Each combination of clicks and whistles can mean a specific thing and scientists are only scratching the surface as to what these animals are able to articulate. Some dolphins have even been observed using bubbles to confuse and disorientate their prey by swimming below and blowing short bursts of bubbles around shoals of fish - effectively “rounding” them up. Interestingly, Durham University conducted a fascinating study to teach people to use echolocation to navigate a maze in the same way as dolphins and bats do too. You can read more about the study here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/study-shows-people-can-learn-echolocation-ten-weeks-180977889/
Identifying bottlenose dolphins can be tricky. They spend most of their time underwater (obviously) and so the best and most reliable way to spot who’s who is by studying the notches on the fins and tail. Dolphins are always getting into scrapes and so these notches are always changing. The research conducted at Aberdeen University on identifying individual dolphins has been crucial for their ongoing study. This link is particularly interesting and shows you how the nicks and scrapes change over time: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/sbs/outreach/lighthouse/bottlenose-dolphins-758.php. It also highlights the importance of regular tracking and photographic monitoring of the dolphins.
“That’s all well and good, Will, and thank you for telling me so many interesting things about dolphins, but where can I actually see them?!” I hear you shout.
Well first of all, thank you, that’s very kind of you. But the best places to see the dolphins along the Moray Coastline in my experience is either at Channory Point, Fort George or Spey Bay. Channory is a spit of land which sticks out into the firth. At around high tide, the dolphins can often be seen breaching and feeding. Fort George is almost directly opposite and we’ve seen dolphins really close here too. Spey Bay, home of the WDC, is also a safe bet as the river Spey chucks out a lot of water and fish which the dolphins congregate around. In my experience we’ve had the best luck seeing the dolphins as Channory or Fort George an hour either side of high tide - when the dolphins are travelling up toward Inverness. Apart from that, it’s often just luck of the draw. My best advice would be to keep an eye out for people with spotting scopes along the coastline and ask them if they’ve seen anything. The times we’ve seen basking sharks or dolphins have been when we’ve bumped into spotters along the coast.
There are a whole host of experience and knowledgeable people around Moray with expertise in whales and dolphins. I’m very fortunate to have met Steve Trulluck in this regard. Steve came up to Scotland as a civil engineer but has since become the master of the cetaceans. Not only this, he’s a really nice guy. A few years ago, when there were a few humpback whales in the Moray Firth, Steve went out of his way to show people from the view point and to get other people engaged with these fantastic animals. You can see more of Steve here: https://en-gb.facebook.com/SteveTruluckAtSea/
Secondly, I should also mention Charlie Phillips because his photography is pretty much everywhere in WDC. He bases himself over at Channory Point most of the time and many of his photos are part of the Aberdeen research programme. Not only this, but his images are breathtaking. Check him out here: https://www.charliephillipsimages.co.uk
The dolphins of the Moray Firth are an incredible species which we are lucky to have on our doorstep. So good luck on your quest for dolphins and be sure to share your findings!