Sea Mammal Search

Join Shetland Nature onboard the luxurious MV Julie Rose with sea mammal expert Andy Foote of the North Atlantic Killer Whale Project to spend a day in search of whales and dolphins between Skerries, Fetlar and Yell. The stretch of water between these three islands can be one of the best inshore areas to find such species as Harbour porpoise, Minke whale, White-beaked, white-sided and Risso’s dolphins and of course there is always a chance of a highly sought after encounter with Killer whales.

Onboard certified and experienced sea mammal guides will be at hand continually searching the surface through out the voyage. A hydrophone will also be used, offering the unique experience of listening to the extraordinary sounds cetaceans use to communicate under water and also hopefully help to locate them.

Date and times decided as demand allows, contact us for details.

During our summer field seasons in 2007, 2008 and 2009 Brydon Thomason of Shetland Nature has been integral to our research on Shetland’s killer whales. Brydon’s knowledge of the natural history of Shetland and his connections and links throughout the Shetland community, built up from a lifetime on the islands, mean that he is often the first to see or hear about any killer whales in Shetland waters. He has supported the killer whale research from the outset of the project, in our first year in 2007 when we had no funding for boat time, he took us out on the vessel the Julie Rose when killer whales had been sighted. In 2008 and 2009 over 50% of our encounters were a direct result of sightings reported to us by Brydon and we owe a large part of success to his help. Brydon also offered his time and volunteered with the project assisting us with our photo-identification work. Brydon has also become a good friend and his easy going manner and wealth of knowledge make him the ideal guide and companion for watching Shetland’s Nature. Andy Foote – University of Aberdeen,
Founder of the Scottish Killer Whale Project and North Atlantic Killer Whale ID Project.

Example Tour

Departs: 0930hrs from Vidlin marina
Returns: 1600hrs (approx)
Price: Adult £75 concessions £55

Teas and coffees provided onboard.