Posts in In the News
*PRESS RELEASE* Record numbers take part in citizen science to protect whales and dolphins off Scotland’s west coast

Record numbers of volunteers took part in research expeditions organised by the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust last year, helping to launch a new year-round programme of monitoring marine mammals and basking sharks in the Hebrides.

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Creel fishermen, rescue teams and researchers team up to tackle entanglement

Working together is the only way to deliver results! The west coast of Scotland played host to the first workshop of this kind in Europe, bringing together creel fishers and other members of the Scottish Entanglement Alliance (SEA) to work together to try and tackle the problem of whale entanglement.

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*PRESS RELEASE* Mystery killer whale pod investigated off Scotland’s west coast

The identity of a group of nine killer whales off Scotland’s west coast, encountered during the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s annual marine research expeditions last year, remains a mystery, despite extensive research and a flurry of sightings of killer whales in the Hebrides over recent weeks.

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*PRESS RELEASE* New Hebridean Whale Trail launches on Scotland's spectacular west coast

Celebrating the launch of the spectacular Hebridean Whale Trail: showcasing Scotland’s west coast as a world-class destination for spotting cetaceans from land and promoting sustainable, low-impact marine wildlife watching from land, to benefit local communities and champion conservation of the Hebrides’ globally important marine wildlife and environment.

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Public consultation opens on Marine Protected Areas for whales, dolphins and sharks

Today the Scottish Government has opened a public consultation seeking views on proposals for four new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). HWDT will be responding to the consultation and hope that all stakeholders will take the opportunity to voice their views, so that the best possible outcome can be reached for whales, dolphins, sharks and for coastal communities.

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Threat to UK Killer Whales Prompts Call for Urgent Government Action

New research published today in the journal Science, led by Aarhus University in Denmark, predicts more than half of the world’s killer whale (orca) populations face collapse due to the effects of invisible toxic pollutants called PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).

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Sunfish Sightings off Scottish West Coast

You may have seen in the news this weekend reports of sunfish in Scottish waters. Reports of sunfish at this time of year are not in fact unusual, with similar numbers of sightings reported last summer. Check out some cool facts about these incredible ocean wanderers here, and if you're lucky enough to spot a sunfish, don't forget to report your sightings via WhaleTrack!

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*PRESS RELEASE * 'Knobble’ the Minke Whale Visits Hebridean Waters for 13th Year in a Row!

Local celebrity ‘Knobble’ the minke whale has returned to Scotland’s west coast for the 13th year in a row, highlighting the area’s importance for marine wildlife. Following the whale’s sighting on 28th July north of Coll by Sea Life Surveys, scientists at the conservation charity, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, say that Knobble has now returned to the same feeding grounds in the Sea of the Hebrides every year since 2006.

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Teenage marine research expeditions in Hebrides to boost whale and dolphin conservation

To celebrate Scotland's Year of Young People, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust are running three Teen Team research surveys this year, for the first time ever! These unique research expeditions place teenagers at the heart of the action, conducting pioneering research into whales and dolphins off Scotland’s west coast – helping collect valuable data to conserve marine mammals.

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*PRESS RELEASE* Vote for Whale Track in the National Lottery Awards 2018

We are delighted to announce Whale Track has been named as a finalist in the 2018 National Lottery Awards – the annual search for people’s favourite National Lottery-funded projects. You can help us win by voting now!

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*PRESS RELEASE* Unique Trail to Promote Scotland as Top Whale-Watching Destination

Individuals, communities and businesses are being asked to contribute ideas for top sites for spotting whales, dolphins and porpoises from land on Scotland’s west coast, to help create a Hebridean Whale Trail that will be the first of its kind in the UK.

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*PRESS RELEASE* Expeditions to study health of whales in Hebrides using pioneering laser photography

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust has announced details of its 2018 surveys, in which volunteers and marine scientists will carry out pioneering research into the health of whales, dolphins and porpoises off Scotland’s west coast using photogrammetry – the science of making measurements from photographs.

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