by Harriet Goodchild

As the world continues to evolve, and technology becomes more prevalent in our lives, organisations must keep up. With this Sea Watch Foundation is embracing the new year with a new us.

The team here have been busy working behind the scenes to upgrade and improve our digital media! We have released a new website (welcome to the new site) and a new app!

The new app can be run off smartphones or tablets and allows you to record dolphins and whales, all without the need for any other equipment, except maybe a pair of binoculars. This is completely free for all to use!

To find out more about our app and download, head over to our Sightings App page here!

The new website has updated features, and an online store arriving soon! Check out our photo gallery, events, fact sheets and more! None of this would have been possible without the hard-work from the team at Colourmedia (https://www.colourmedia.co.uk/) and our Sea Watch Foundation staff.

We hope you enjoy this refresh as much as we do!

By Intern: Alana Zammit

In the spirit of our spookiest season, Halloween, I would like to introduce you all to some of the more unusual looking creatures that roam our vast ocean.

First up, we have the very aptly named fangtooth fish. With the largest teeth in the ocean (proportionally), the fangtooth has evolved specialised sockets on both sides of their brains so that they can *almost* close their mouths. There are actually two species of fangtooth, the common fangtooth (Anoplogaster cornuta) and the shorthorn fangtooth (Anoplogaster brachycera). Both live at depths of up to 5000m, where they feast on fish and any crustaceans they can find. In addition to their impressive teeth, Fangtooths can also detect motion and pressure changes using their lateral line organ. All in all, they are rather impressive fish!

Next up, we have the Humboldt squid. The Humboldt squid, whilst smaller than the giant squid, is not one to be overlooked when it comes to providing the fear-factor. They can thrust themselves through the water at speeds of up to 24km/h, and hunt using two tentacles lined with 200 suckers, each with razor sharp teeth (each animal may have up to 24,000 teeth in total). As well as their two vicious tentacles, they have eight shorter arms that they use to hook and pull their prey towards their sharp, powerful beak. Whilst they primarily feed on fish, there have been accounts of Humboldt squid attacks on people. In the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, they have been given the title of ‘Diablo Rojo’, meaning the Red Devil, from accounts of fishermen disappearing into the grasps of the Humboldt squid. What makes them even more terrifying is the fact that these squid tend to move and even hunt in groups, with shoals estimated to reach up to 1200 individuals! However terrifying they may be to us, we are still far more dangerous to them. Humboldt squid are one of the most heavily fished squid species globally: everyday, fisherman in Mexico catch up to 300 tons of Humboldts, with no signs of relenting. Due to the scarcity of population size data, we are unsure how Humboldts are coping with such a magnitude of fishing, but it seems unlikely that any species could maintain a viable population size with so many deaths daily.

Next, arguably more cute than spooky, is the ‘spookfish’, a new species of ghost shark discovered in the deep waters off New Zealand. The spookfish has big round eyes and a long, pointy nose which it uses to hunt for octopuses, crabs, and other species that live on the ocean floor. To ward off predators, ghost sharks have a large, jagged spine on their dorsal fin. Ghost sharks are also fascinating as ‘living fossils’, in that they have not changed much since they evolved around 375 million years ago, during the Carboniferous period.

Last but not least, we have the goblin shark. Perhaps most notable about goblin sharks is their rather unusual looking noses, which protrude out from their body and are packed with electroreceptors ready to detect their prey in the darkness. To catch their slippery fish food, they have a rapidly extending jaw, which then passes the food to an also-expandable mouth and throat! The goblin shark has a relatively weak, atrophied body, with small fins and poorly developed muscular and visual systems. It is therefore thought that their special jaws are an adaptation to enable them to hunt despite their relatively weak bodies. However, they are deep-sea creatures, and are rarely caught, so very little is still known about them.

All the species discussed below live in our deep seas, where the eternal darkness and immense pressure allow for the most weird and wonderful evolutionary feats! What is even more exciting is that we have seen less than 0.001% of the deep ocean seafloor, so chances are high that there are many more fascinating creatures to be discovered in the years to come.

References:

https://factanimal.com/fangtooth/

https://fity.club/lists/suggestions/fangtooth-fish/

https://factanimal.com/humboldt-squid/

https://goodheartextremescience.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/the-red-demons-of-the-sea-of-cortez/

https://animalofthings.com/humboldt-squid/

https://www.sciencealert.com/watch-deep-sea-spookfish-is-one-of-the-worlds-most-eerily-beautiful-animals

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/new-species-ghost-sharks-new-zealand

https://factanimal.com/goblin-shark/

https://www.coolkidfacts.com/goblin-shark-facts/

https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/ocean-fact/explored/

by Ben Phillips

The ancestors of baleen whales that swam through the Peruvian seas approximately 12 to 13 million years ago likely faced a formidable threat in Livyatan melvillei – a fearsome apex predator with a taste for whale flesh.

With an estimated body length of 13.5 to 17.5 meters, Livyatan melvillei was similar in size to modern sperm whales. However, it was far more formidable: its massive head, measuring around 3 meters long and 1.9 meters wide, was large enough that this whale could easily swallow a human whole. Livyatan possessed enormous teeth, up to 12 cm in diameter and 36 cm in length, more than twice the length of those of Tyrannosaurus rex. That makes them the largest known non-tusk teeth ever recorded. These teeth were set in a pair of wide, robust jaws capable of delivering a formidable bite. In contrast, modern sperm whales have much smaller teeth –  over 40% shorter –  confined to their narrow lower jaw and used primarily for social interactions. Today’s sperm whales are deep-diving suction feeders, preying mainly on squid, which they draw into their mouths rather than grasping with teeth.

But Livyatan was no suction feeder – its teeth reveal a powerful, macroraptorial whale adapted to hunting large prey. Deeply embedded in the jaw, the teeth could withstand immense pressure during hunts. Their interlocking design helped secure prey, preventing escape, while their forward-angled orientation suggests an adaptation for grasping curved-bodied marine animals – such as other whales. Livyatan’s short, broad snout enabled its front teeth to clamp down with tremendous force, and its large temporal fossa (see Figure 2) housed exceptionally strong jaw muscles capable of delivering a formidable bite – likely the most powerful of any tetrapod. Tooth wear patterns indicate that the teeth sheared past one another when biting, allowing Livyatan to tear off large chunks of flesh. This hunting technique is still seen in modern killer whales, though on a smaller scale. Preying on other whales would have provided Livyatan with the energy needed to sustain its enormous size.

The concave shape of Livyatan’s skull suggests it possessed a melon and a spermaceti organ, similar to those found in modern sperm whales. While the exact function of the spermaceti organ remains uncertain, it is thought to play a role in buoyancy regulation during deep dives. However, since Livyatan likely did not hunt squid or dive to great depths like modern sperm whales, other theories have been proposed. One such idea is that the organ functioned as a battering ram during intraspecific combat. It may have also enhanced echolocation, potentially enabling Livyatan to stun prey with sound or attract mates – especially considering that male sperm whales have a larger spermaceti organ.

Many factors could have contributed to Livyatan’s extinction. One major cause was global climate cooling toward the end of the Miocene epoch (approximately 23 to 5.3 million years ago), which likely impacted ocean ecosystems. This cooling may have led to a decline in the diversity, distribution, and size of baleen whales – the primary prey of Livyatan. Livyatan likely inhabited the seas off South America alongside the giant shark Megalodon, and the two apex predators may have competed for similar prey. In addition, the ancestors of modern orcas began to diversify during this period and may have been more efficient or adaptable hunters, potentially outcompeting Livyatan for food resources.

Regardless of how Livyatan went extinct, it likely played a significant role in shaping Miocene marine ecosystems. Through the study and conservation of its closest living relative, the modern sperm whale, we can continue to uncover insights into Livyatan’s biology and evolutionary history.

by Cassie Lloyd-Watson

The Amazon River Dolphin or Boto (Inia geoffrensis) is an iconic species with its pink skin, large beak and fascinating role in mythology. The species, which inhabits the basins of the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers, is unfortunately facing various threats which have resulted in its classification as ‘endangered’ by the IUCN. Some of these threats are not specific to the Botos, but rather affect a wide range of marine and terrestrial species in the Amazon: for example the loss of viable habitat and being accidentally killed as bycatch when fisherman deploy large nets. Interestingly, however, this species is also threatened by its own legend, which has its roots in the time of colonial rule.

A popular folk story from the area these dolphins inhabit says that, usually on the night of the full moon, male Botos emerge from the river and transform into handsome and elegant white men. These ‘men’, wearing hats to cover their blow holes, find a party taking place in a community along the riverside. At this party, they seduce and impregnate a local young woman. Before the sun rises, they return to the river and to their dolphin form. They will never go back to the community to see the woman or their child.

As interesting as this story is, the truth behind it is quite disturbing. The likelihood is this legend really covers up the reality of living under colonial rule, especially for indigenous women. These ‘dolphin-men’ were probably powerful men from the colonising groups, enacting their dominance over the women in these territories by rape and sexual assault. Even now, when a woman falls pregnant in this part of the world and isn’t willing to/cannot name the father (because she has been assaulted, or forced into prostitution), it will be said that her child is a ‘filho-do-boto’ (offspring of a dolphin). In fact, there is an NGO based in Brazil called ‘Associação Filhas do Boto Nunca Mais’ (direct translation: ‘Association Daughters of the Dolphin Never Again’) which aims to prevent sexual violence, and to help women who have been victims of it. Having demystified slightly the story of the pink dolphin, let’s consider how this folk tale manifests into a genuine threat to the survival of this species.

The impression that such a story gives about the river dolphin is that they possess some kind of charm or ability to captivate women. Although it is true that male Botos exhibit interesting behaviours to impress females, like beating the water with branches held in their mouths or holding live turtles aloft, their ability to transform and seduce a human woman is certainly far from the truth. Despite this, perfumes called ‘pusangas’ are regularly sold with the claim of functioning as love potions. These perfumes contain dolphin oil and body parts and are quite easily purchased from various markets in the region and internationally from online sellers too. Although the Amazon River Dolphin is protected by various laws in the countries it calls home, they are still routinely killed to produce these ‘pusangas’. Fisheries and aquaculture expert Manuel Soplín Bosmediano claims that the endangered status of the dolphins actually increases demand for such products, as it creates the sense that products made from Botos are a rarity, making them exclusive and therefore desirable.

It is estimated that 10,000 Amazon River Dolphins remain, and their population has decreased due to a culmination of factors: being hunted for the production of ‘pusangas’, suffering from an increasingly small area of habitat (with a rising amount of droughts in the region), more regularly being bycatch and being poached to be used as bait to catch the local delicacy (Piracatinga) catfish. Although the future currently looks bleak, the situation is not irreversible. Tighter control on the trafficking of animal products and stricter fishing regulations could really help this species – as could a very simple and obvious change in human behaviour… if only people could stop using dolphin oils to try to find love!

References: 

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/10831/50358152

https://uk.whales.org/2022/05/10/meet-the-legendary-pink-river-dolphins/

https://filhasdobotonuncamais.my.canva.site/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/amazon-river-dolphin

https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/03/locals-debunk-myths-linking-endangered-pink-river-dolphins-to-love-perfumes/

by Charlie, Cassie, and Geraldine

The beginning of September marks Zero Waste Week – an annual awareness campaign to reassess our relationship with rubbish and reduce waste.

First, a brief introduction to the life story of plastics. Most plastics are made from crude oil, and their production results in the release of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming and climate change. We use plastic in nearly every aspect of life; for packaging food and making clothing, for manufacturing tools, toys and technology… the list goes on. But what happens to plastic when we are finished with it? Only 9% of plastic produced globally is recycled. In contrast, a staggering 70% of our plastic waste ends up in landfill or in nature.

Types of plastic pollution include macroplastics (>5mm in size) which enter the oceans via landfill, from littered beaches or as discarded fishing material, and microplastics (>5mm in size). Microplastics are categorised into primary and secondary microplastics (Figure 1). The former is plastic produced in a size smaller than 5mm, usually called pellets, which is the raw material for plastic products. Once in the ocean, pellets spilled into the ocean are called mermaid’s tears. Secondary plastics result from the breakdown of larger materials, including synthetic clothes.

Figure 1. Sources of microplastics (Borah et al., 2023)

Plastic enters the natural environment through various sources, illustrated on Figure 2. Worldwide, the equivalent of 2000 garbage trucks full of plastic enters the ocean every day – that’s about 11 million tonnes of plastic per year! Unsurprisingly, the levels of plastic pollution in our oceans are increasing and causing harm to our wildlife.

Figure 2. Pathways of plastic in the marine environment

Marine animals can get caught and tangled in plastics and become injured, or may mistake plastic for food, leading to choking or poisoning. A shocking 56% of cetacean species have been documented with plastic in their stomachs. For example, filter feeding blue whales can consume up to 10 million pieces of microplastic per day, both from the water column, and inside the krill they eat. Feeling full up on plastic, they may not feed enough and become malnourished.

Closer to home, numbers of the UK West Coast community of killer whales are declining because of plastic pollution. At the top of the food chain orcas are magnificent hunters, but every piece of plastic in the stomach of an orca’s prey, and in the stomach of an orca’s prey’s prey, ends up in the orca belly, in a process called bioaccumulation. As the consumed plastics break down in their stomachs, persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic chemicals (aka PBTs) leach from their stomach into their blubber and affect their fertility and ability to reproduce.

Cetaceans are even breathing plastic – microplastics were found in the blow spray of dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida, and may be giving the dolphins respiratory problems.

To make matters worse, plastic does not break down for hundreds of years, and when it does, it only breaks into smaller pieces. In fact, every piece of plastic ever made is still with us, in some way or another.

But have hope! It’s not all doom and gloom – we’ve got the power to make a change. Our best way to prevent plastic pollution is to stop using it and to stop making it in the first place. If we aren’t making plastic, we don’t need to worry about disposing of it appropriately. The Plastic Free Foundation has launched Plastic Free July, a campaign to reduce public consumption of single-use plastic, by inspiring people to change up their daily habits. We want you to take part! This doesn’t mean you have to banish all plastic from your life (although, that would be impressive); it’s the small changes that collectively make a big difference.

So where do we start? Here are our three best suggestions.

1 – reduce our consumption of single use packaging plastics. Nearly 40% of plastic waste comes from packaging – that is a huge proportion! It may also be the proportion which is most easily targeted for reduction by the public. Our shopping choices influence how big companies (and big plastic producers) decide to package and sell their products. Let’s keep it simple. This month, I’m going to keep a clean thermos in my bag, so that when I want a coffee on the go, I do not buy a single-use plastic coffee cup. When I go grocery shopping, I’m going to avoid buying fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic, and bring my own tuber ware to store lose berries and grains in. Want to take it a step further? Use beeswax sheets and reusable tuber ware, instead of clingfilm, to wrap up your packed lunches, or buy toilet roll wrapped in paper instead of plastic.

2 – buy less clothing made from plastics. About 60% of material made into clothing is plastic. Every time these clothes are washed, they shed microplastic fibres, which end up in the water system and our oceans. Every year, enough plastic to make almost 3 billion polyester shirts is shed from our laundry alone and ends up polluting our ocean. We can reduce this form of plastic pollution by supporting a more sustainable fashion industry. This means buying clothes second hand, to prevent clothing from being wasted, and avoiding buying new clothes that have been made with plastic fibres such as nylon and polyester. Some companies are trying to reduce their plastic waste – check out more sustainable brands that use paper packaging to transport their wares! Even washing your clothes less, so that they last longer, is a good way to prevent microplastics from entering the ocean.

3 – get involved with local beach cleans! The less plastic pollution on our beaches, the less in our seas, and the less affecting our marine wildlife. The Marine Conservation Society, and Surfers Against Sewage, can help you to plan a beach clean in your local area. The plastic you collect can be re-used or recycled. Get creative! Artists from around the world are now making incredible art works from plastics collected from beaches, repurposing plastics and raising awareness of plastic pollution at the same time. On Saturday 20th of September, Sea Watch Foundation will be hosting a Great British Beach Clean in New Quay, Wales!

Lastly, we would love to hear from you. Let us know how you are going to reduce your plastic waste and keep an eye on our social media, to find out when you can join us at our beach clean events!

References

https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/

https://stories.undp.org/why-arent-we-recycling-more-plastic

https://www.unep.org/plastic-pollution

https://www.bpf.co.uk/plastipedia/how-is-plastic-made.aspx

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/everything-you-need-know-about-plastic-pollution

https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/maps-and-charts/nearly-40-percent-of-plastic

https://www.sas.org.uk/plastic-pollution/plastic-pollution-facts-figures/

https://www.sas.org.uk/

https://oceanblueproject.org/ocean-plastic-pollution-facts/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33334-5

https://sarasotadolphin.org/microplastics-dolphin-breath/

https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.aat1953

https://www.mcsuk.org/what-you-can-do/join-a-beach-clean/

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/fashions-tiny-hidden-secret

by Luke Maynard

Happy June Sea Watchers! It’s Pride Month, and to celebrate, I thought I would write a brief blog about queer ecology, looking particularly at the ways that queer identities and nature can interact and what we can learn about nature, and humans, by ‘queering’ up our understanding of the world.

Whilst often used to discuss gender and sexuality, queer theory more broadly refers to the challenging of traditional ideas and norms, particularly those that marginalize certain groups or discredit ways of thinking. When applied to the natural world, the field of queer ecology was born! Notarized by Catriona Sandilands, queer ecology rejects interpretations of the natural world that include heteronormativity, cisgender ideals and anthropocentrism (the notion that humans are in some way unique or superior), instead focusing on an unbiased understanding of the diversity of identities seen in nature. In addition, queer ecology examines issues of justice, colonization and marginalization through an ecological perspective.

Our cultural norms can greatly influence our interpretation of the natural world, and there are numerous examples where heteronormative ideas have shaped, and even undermined, our understanding of the natural world. One well-known example is Dr. George Murray Levick R.N’s accounts of Adelie penguin’s sexual behaviour on his Arctic Expedition in 1910. These were not included in the official expedition reports due to their aberrant and shocking nature, with only 100 copies published despite them being “accurate, valid and, with the benefit of hindsight, deserving of publication”. In this case, scientific insight was lost due to the incongruency of the natural world with notions of goodness in contemporary society, with scientific observations being omitted as a result.

When we challenge these traditional ways of interpreting the world, the natural world often surprises us with its diversity and can even help us to understand the complexities of sex and gender within humans. For example, in the clownfish, social hierarchy plays a determining role in the sex of each clownfish. The largest, most dominant fish is the female’ with the breeding male just below the female within the group hierarchy and an all-male rest of the group. If the female disappears, the breeding male will undergo a sex change to assume the role of the dominant female.

We also see behaviour that challenges classical ecological understanding in bottlenose dolphins, an animal that Sea Watch Foundation studies closely! Bottlenose dolphins are one of few mammals known to form close male-male cooperative relationships within social groups. We’ve even identified several strong male pair bonds in the semi-resident population here in New Quay, including a strong connection between Frodo and Dumbledore. These relationships challenge held notions of male-male competition and kinship-dependent cooperation within animals, as these bonds are the strongest social bonds formed by bottlenose dolphins and are unrelated to kinship.

Queer ecology emphasises consideration of behaviours like those of the clownfish and the bottlenose dolphins, to recognise them as integral to the identity of these organisms, rather than anomalous. A ‘queer’ perspective can therefore help us to look beyond commonly held notions and expectations to examine the complexities and beauty of the world in more vivid detail. Furthermore, by considering humans as part of, rather than distinct from, nature, these findings also have relevance to the diversity of queer ways of life experienced by humans and can help us to think more compassionately and with greater understanding to all that identify outside of the hetero- and cisgender norms. Maybe then, this Pride Month and beyond, we should all try being a bit queerer in our approach to the world!

This blog post was heavily inspired by an excellent article by Nat Knight about this topic, which can be found here: Queer ecology, LGBTQ+ liberation and conservation | Surrey Wildlife Trust

Bibliography

Mortimer-Sandilands, Catriona; Erickson, Bruce; Mortimer-Sandilands, Catriona; Erickson, Bruce (2010). Queer ecologies : sex, nature, politics, desire. Bloomington, Ind. ISBN 9780253004741. OCLC 670429594.

Queer ecology, LGBTQ+ liberation and conservation | Surrey Wildlife Trust and

Dr. George Murray Levick (1876–1956): unpublished notes on the sexual habits of the Adélie penguin | Polar Record | Cambridge Core

Functional hermaphroditism in teleosts – De Mitcheson – 2008 – Fish and Fisheries – Wiley Online Library.

Alliance membership and kinship in wild male bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) of southeastern Australia (https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2001.1756)!

Queer Ecologies: The Decolonisation, Deconstruction and Liberation of Nature and Ourselves by Jasmine Isa Qureshi — JMB Consulting.

by Rebecca Schouten

The National Animal Rights Day (NARD) is a celebration involving 50 countries around the world, on the first Sunday in June, for the purpose of giving a voice to all animals and raising awareness for their rights. Three major pointers are emphasised during this day – Commemorate, Educate and Celebrate. We commemorate the animals impacted by anthropogenic stressors, we educate the public of our responsibility and how we can better treat animals and we celebrate the progress being made to end the suffering of animals around the globe.

At Sea Watch Foundation, we celebrate this day by promoting our “Code Of Conduct”. This legislation ecompasses a set of rules that must be followed to ensure that boat-cetacean interactions are safe, to not disturb their feeding, breeding and resting grounds. Dangerous interactions can not only disturb cetaceans from their habitat but can also physically damage them. There have been several encounters of boat strike on bottlenose dolphins, permanently damaging their dorsal fins.

When considering boat activity, it is important to remember that “boat” does not just mean vessels with an engine, but also includes paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and other means of water use. Therefore, to prevent incidents affecting marine mammals, the code states that:

1) Boats must be at least 100 m away from marine mammals and remain at a “no wake speed” i.e. no more than 5 knots.

2) Boats are not to remain in the cetacean area for more than 10 minutes and are to spend time with a specific encounter only once on a boat trip.

3) Animals should never be approached directly and boats must stay on their current route.

4) Boats must pass at least 100 metres away from bird breeding colonies and 200 metres during their breeding season with a “no wake speed”.

So how does this affect you? There are some basic steps you can do to avoid disturbing our beautiful cetacean species.

1. Follow the Cardigan Bay code of conduct and read up on what rules we must follow.
2. Plan – Before a boat trip, make sure to avoid breeding areas and locations with large concentrations of birds/seals. Check the agreed access restrictions map for specific areas. Research boat tour companies before choosing to ensure they follow the code of conduct. The Sea Watch Foundation provides a ‘Recommended Boat Operator’ award to companies that follow and maintain regulations.
3. Report disturbances to Dyfed Powys police on 101 or on the CBSAC website

References

https://www.pembrokeshiremarinesac.org.uk/codes-of-conduct/

https://www.cardiganbaywatersports.org.uk/marine-code-of-conduct/

https://cardiganbaysac.org.uk/ceredigion-marine-code/

by Harriet Goodchild

Orca Watch 2025 was the 12^th year running this event, this year between the 24^th of May to the 1^st of June. During this time, trained volunteers surveyed from land and sea across the North of Scotland, recording any marine mammal spotted, with a focus on Killer whales or Orcas.

During Orca Watch 2025, 230 sightings of marine species were recorded by Sea Watch Foundation volunteers! A total of 500 animals were reported to the database, including harbour porpoise, Risso’s dolphin, common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, killer whale, minke whale, humpback whale, grey seal, harbour seal, European otter and basking shark. All recorded sightings are available to see on the new Sea Watch Foundation Map Viewer, filtering by date and species.

On Saturday 24^th May 2025, a sighting of a lone male orca – later confirmed as a male named Úlfur – was reported at Scarfskerry heading east towards the main hub at John o’ Groats. This then sparked excitement as the bull was then spotted again an hour later at Gills Bay. After 1.5 hours of anticipation, volunteers were alerted to the bull approaching Duncansby Head from the North after bypassing everyone at John o’ Groats. Onlookers were then treated by the sight of this lone bull on the first official day of Orca Watch, bringing the event to a brilliant start.

The third orca sighting occurred on Thursday 29^th May 2025[ST1] , with volunteers at The Trinkie, Wick being treated also to a close view of a calf in the 169 pod. Although not a newborn, this was the first sighting many of the volunteers have had of this particular calf.

On the final day of Orca Watch, two known males, Hulk and Nótt, were spotted off the coast of Orkney, roaming around Holm Sound. These two bulls created one final buzz for volunteers on the mainland, first being seen heading southeast possibly towards Duncansby Head. However, they never arrived and instead went north past Mull Head, Orkney.

The most frequently reported species during Orca Watch 2025 was the Risso’s dolphin, being spotted almost daily. The Risso’s dolphin, although not the target species, created a lot of excitement with the volunteers. These dolphins put on a fantastic display at Brims Castle, Thurso, with numerous breaches and aerial behaviour.

Orca Watch is not only about the sightings, but also about the community and events. This year we were lucky enough to be joined by experts in the cetacean field for two evenings of talks. These experts included: Emma Neave-Webb, Dr. Ruth Esteban, Dr. Filipa Samarra, Maddie Matei, Jule Volland, Dr. Saana Isojunno and the Director of Sea Watch Foundation, Prof. Peter Evans. As well as the evenings of talks, we held a BDMLR strandings workshop with the help from Cath Bain, multiple volunteer social events including a quiz, and our online roundups chaired by Ambassador Robin Petch.

On behalf of everyone at Sea Watch, thank you to those who got involved! Whether you were a volunteer, member of public, or an official partner – we could not do it without your support.

Sea Watch would like to thank the following for their support of Orca Watch: Pentland Ferries, Orkney Marine Mammal Research Initiative, High Life Highland Countryside Rangers, The Cabin at John o’ Groats, Dunnet & Canisbay Community Council, and our host at John o’ Groats, Together Travel, together with the other official Accommodation Partners for 2025, and from previous years.

by Harriet Goodchild

Orca Watch 2025 has officially begun. The Sea Watch Foundation team are in John O’ Groats, Caithness, Scotland, to hold this 10-day event from the 24^th of May to the 1^st of June. Orca Watch has been running for 12 years, originally starting to help research the effects of a tidal turbine installation on marine wildlife, with a focus on orca, in the Pentland Firth. This event has now expanded to include all cetacean and seal species, as well as any other exciting marine wildlife such as sharks. All sightings recorded get inputted to a nationwide citizen science database, the largest and longest-running in the UK and possibly also across Europe. It is vital to continue this work, not only during Orca Watch but throughout the year to monitor and observe cetaceans, recording numbers and behaviour.

This year, the Sea Watch Foundation volunteers and citizen scientists are stationed at 11 watch sites across the North Scotland coast, spanning from Wick to Thurso and around the Orkney and Shetland islands. The team are also conducting surveys onboard Pentland Ferries, travelling from Gills Bay to St Margarets Hope on Orkney. The Sea Watch Foundation’s trained volunteers are also joined by members of the public and ‘Orcaholics’ whilst conducting dedicated searches.

Image of Sea Watch Foundation Volunteers on the John O’ Groats pier whilst waiting for a male orca to pass on Saturday 24^th May 2025 (image taken by Harriet Goodchild).

There has been a total of seven different species recorded since the beginning of the event, including five cetacean species and two seal species. In 2024 there were a total of nine different cetacean and seal species, and one basking shark!

This year, there has already been a total of seven orca reports, with 15 individuals counted, as well as 32 individual Risso’s dolphins, two bottlenose dolphins, two harbour porpoise, 36 grey seals and 21 harbour seals. On 27^th of May 2025 there was also a report of a basking shark at the Trinkie, Wick.

The first orca sighting of this year’s event was on the 24^th of May 2025, first being spotted at Scarfskerry at 18:28. It was confirmed to be a lone male orca (bull) which then travelled slowly round to Gills Bay at 19:33. The Sea Watch Foundation believe that he then travelled north around Stroma Island before being seen again heading towards Duncansby Head at 21.03.

The second orca sighting occurred in the early hours of 05:57 on the 26^th of May 2025. This was a small group first seen in John O’ Groats by a Sea Watch Foundation volunteer before heading south from Duncansby Head at 06:44.

On the same day, a pod of 4/5 individuals was seen at the Trinkie, Wick, at 16:19 around 20 meters from the shore. This pod was later confirmed to be the 169’s along with a young calf.

Image of two 169 female Orcas and calf from the Trinkie, Wick, on Monday 26^th May 2025 (image taken by Kris Simpson).

Despite the name, Orca Watch does not only record the killer whales seen around the coast but also record all cetaceans and seal species. Sea Watch Foundation volunteers recorded an incredible Risso’s dolphin sighting at the Trinkie at midday on Saturday 24^th May 2025.

Image of the Risso’s dolphins seen from the Trinkie, Wick, on Saturday 24^th of May 2025 (image taken by Karen Munro).

There will be continual updates on sightings, events and information on the website, social media and in the hub at John O’ Groats. People can come and visit the team and volunteers in the base which is open from 8am to 5pm every evening. Events are being held in person and online, with more information available on the website.

You can see what sightings have been recorded and where by going to Sea Watch’s Map View on the website: https://seawatchadmin.imardis.org/sightings-viewer.

Sea Watch Foundation are partnering with local companies, charities and organisations to create a successful event.
Thank you to: Pentland Ferries, RSPB, Orkney Marine Mammal Research Initiative, High Life Highland Countryside Rangers, The Cabin at John O’ Groats, Scottish Natural Heritage, Shetland Wildlife, John O’ Groats Development Trust, Dunnet and Cannisbay Community Council, NatureScot, our John O’ Groats host Together Travel.