The team of the season's third expedition enjoyed sightings of whales, dolphins, and sunny weather! They recorded over 200 marine mammals in the week-long live-aboard expedition surveying the Hebridean seas.
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Thanks to generous sponsorship, HWDT are delighted to offer two free spaces to young adults living on the west coast of Scotland. If you are aged 16 or 17 and have an interest in the marine environment, apply today to join us for free on an expedition running 04 - 10 August 2024.
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This September we set sail to Shieldaig and Gairloch to invite 4 schools, never before visited, aboard our research vessel and floating classroom, Silurian. Our Education and Sightings Officer, Sadie, shares the fun had by pupils, teachers and crew.
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Data gathered during research expeditions on our research vessel, Silurian, has shown that harbour porpoise are negatively impacted by Acoustic Deterrent Devices, which are used to deter seals at aquaculture sites. Here, Dr Charlotte Findlay, details the research she led to better understand the impact on this species.
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The second survey of the season kicked off amidst April showers and strong winds. Our intrepid team of volunteers were trained in Silurian’s scientific protocols and battled the waves to collect valuable data. Read all about their experiences here…
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This May, HWDT are visiting the Clyde to run a series of Whale Track watch events. Join us to find out what whales and dolphins can be spotted in the Clyde and get involved in helping us deepen our understanding about these animals by conducting a ‘watch from land’ using Whale Track.
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The first expedition marked the start of the 2024 summer field season and despite some challenging weather - namely Storm Kathleen - the crew and team of citizen scientists monitored areas of the Southern Hebrides and recorded five species of marine mammal.
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This April, thanks to support from The Waterfall Fund and Baillie Gifford, we will be setting sail around Mull to welcome schools aboard our research vessel, Silurian. HWDT’s education team are also inviting local communities to join them aboard during our drop-in open boat events.
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Our winter survey programme on board Silurian, our research vessel, has been running since 2019 and aims to understand more about the year-round presence of whales, dolphins and porpoises in Hebridean seas.
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Our winter survey programme on board Silurian has been running since 2019, trying to understand more about the year-round presence of marine vertebrates within the Hebridean seas. these surveys are important given that before the start of the programme, little winter data existed for the region. below, the team onboard the first winter survey of this year, give an update…
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Many of us have little comprehension of how noisy the aquatic world is, you’d be forgiven for assuming it’s a peaceful environment…it’s anything but! Our seas and oceans are a cacophony of sound and getting increasingly noisier, as human activity intensifies the soundscape.
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Long-term monitoring is the foundation of effective conservation. At HWDT we talk about long-term monitoring a lot but what is it and why is it such an important part of wildlife conservation?
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Over 90 people joined an expedition during the 2023 field season. Trained in data collection and survey protocol, these citizen scientists joined a community of people - stretching back over 20 years - helping to improve the understanding of whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks off Scotland’s west coast and safeguard them for future generations.
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The Crew of our sixteenth research expedition surveyed The Minch and Sound of Rasaay, encountering four species of cetacean in their week-long trip. Unfortunately, the trip was cut short due to a mechanical issue but not before the team were inundated with dolphins! Read all about their time on board Silurian
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This September we set sail to Shieldaig and Gairloch to invite 4 schools, never before visited, aboard our research vessel and floating classroom, Silurian. Our Education and Sightings Officer, Sadie, shares the fun had by pupils, teachers and crew.
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The crew of our fifteenth research expedition of the year left Mallaig and monitored water east of the Isle of Skye. Despite challenging weather, the fantastic team of citizen scientists who joined the crew onboard encountered six species of marine mammals across the seven days.
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Silurian is not just a research vessel, she’s home to the hundreds of volunteers who join us each year and doubles up as a floating classroom, welcoming on board school children to be inspired by their local marine environment. Our First Mate Jake has been giving our hardworking vessel some TLC.
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Christine Tansey, the Better Biodiversity Data (BBD) project Partnership Officer from the National Biodiversity Network Trust recently joined Silurian on a trip from Ullapool back home to Tobermory. With a background in terrestrial conservation and recording, this opportunity gave Christine an insight into the protocols used and challenges faced when collecting and processing cetacean sightings and acoustic data.
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The crew of our fourteenth research expedition surveyed the Sea of the Hebrides, encountering four species of cetacean in their week-long trip. One the first afternoon the team were surprised to sight the West Coast Community killer whales travelling past Ardnamurchan Point. Read all about their time on board Silurian here…
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The crew of our thirteenth research expedition of the year left Tobermory and monitored the waters of the Southern Hebrides. The fantastic team of citizen scientists who joined the crew on board encountered 5 species of marine mammal across 101 sightings during the nine-days.
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