# General > Biodiversity >  Harbour Porpoise

## Seabird

Found around the coast of Caithness.
Gills Bay, Large numbers can be found here when they gather to mate during July and August.
Found to be regular visiters to Thurso Bay, Lybster Bay, Sinclair Bay, but can appear in most locations around the coast.
Can grow to about 6 feet in length
Numbers around the UK coast are in decline.

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## kas

I saw some in Thurso Bay last week and a single one last night.

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## rich62_uk

Saw lots on the ferry back from Orkney a few weeks ago in the Firth, just beautiful.....

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## northener

The best place is in Gills Bay Aug-Sept. 
We get a group turn up as regular as clockwork every year around the same time. If you sit on your boat, leave the engine running (but NO props turning) they'll come right up to your boat and bomb around it.

If you turn the engine off, they seem to become a lot more wary. I believe that this is because they don't immediately recognise it as a generally non-threatening boat and stay away in case it's a large predator - like an Orca.

Speak to the guys at North Coast Marine Adventures in John O'Groats of you want to get up close to Porpoise.

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## Kenn

He he northener, I cheats sits up on the cliff above the bay an' waits for the inflatable to come to a gentle halt. Get a grand view through the binoculars but have also been out there amongst them a wonderful experience.

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## northener

Nothing beats a free show, Lizz!

I like porpoise, they never get any press like their bigger chums - the dolphins - yet they are very endearing creatures.

I like to sit on the tubes of the RIB and watch them wizz past just below the surface. It always makes me smile when they tilt onto their sides to get a better look up at you.

It really is a question of who's watching who? :Smile: 

If there's a lot in Gills Bay and there's a bit of a chop on the surface, it's like watching a bunch of aquatic Hells Angels. You'll get a long line of them all surfing the same wave and rocketing up to the boat at full speed, every one of them puffing away like mad.

Did you know that because of the noise they make, the old sailors' name for them is 'Puffing Pig'?
In Caithness dialect they are 'Paelag'.

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## Seabird

Thurso Bay
   2nd May x2...7th May x1....10th May x10....30th May x8....2nd June x6.....6th June x7
   7th June x4.....16th June x7.....17th June x5
Lybster
   2nd Feb x1....10th Feb x5....22nd March x3.....23rd March x4.....30th March x2...
   9th April x1......15th May x3.....18th May x2......31st May x5....1st June x1
   11th June x1......15th June x4
Whaligoe, Ulbster
    19th May x2
Pentland Firth
     9th June x?
Holborn Head
     23rd Feb x4-6

HP are seen in many areas off the Caithness Coast, i'm sorry if your area is not included but i can only show those areas i have on record

Colin Bird
Sea Watch Coordinator NE

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## kas

They are visible in Thurso Bay every evening, that conditions are suitable for viewing. Up to 9. 
2 at Brimms Ness 03.07.08.

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## Seabird

Kas is correct, in fact she reports all the Thurso Bay sightings.

In June she made 13 sightings 1st,2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 16th,17th,21st,25th, 26th,27th,28th,30th.
July a further 3 sightings 1st,2nd, 5th.

Lybster
      June 11th,15th,27th 29th
      July  13th,28th
Dunnet Bay
       July  3rd, 4th (20 animals recorded on the 4th)
Gills Bay
       July 27th (this could be the start of the Summer Gathering that takes place each year)

If anyone else has any sightings please pass them on.

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## kas

I thought they had left Thurso Bay as I wasnt seeing any for a week. Thankfully they are still about 10 yesterday and 5 on Saturday.

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## kas

Poproise numbers have swollen in Thurso bay with a high count of 39 this morning in Thurso Bay. This was the number I saw surface in the bay as I did a sweep with the telescope this morning, and there would have been more than this as there would have been ones under the water that I would have not been able to count. This morning was 100% IDEAL watching conditions.

Then this afternoon I took a trip on the North Coast Explorer which runs out of John O Groats and we has them right up to the boat in Gills bay. It was brilliant. If anyone wants a close encounter with these great creatures then by the end of the month you are almost guaranteed to see them.

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## Seabird

Harbour Porpoise are being seen almost daily off Lybster but only in small numbers.
2 yesterday 19th Aug - 5 today the 20th Aug.

Harbour Porpoise are again back in Gills Bay but not in the numbers we are used to seeing.
This morning 20th Aug i only counted 6 not the 40-60 we were getting at this time in previous years.

Colin

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## wifie

Is there a reason why numbers have dropped so drastically Seabird?

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## Seabird

Not that i'm aware of Wifie.
I checked the result of this years Seawatch week and it seems the Porpoise reports are the same as previous years.
It could be a simple case of the Porpoise moving about the coast.
Thurso, if you go back 5 years or so had lots of Porpoise in the Bay.
The numbers reported there this year is a lot higher than the last 4 years.
It could be Thurso gain and Gills loss.
Things could change, remember the only predictable thing about animal is their unpredictability.
The Wild life tour boats relied on the Porpoise from late July to the end of the season for customers.
Without the Porpoise they are going to struggle for business.
Things may change back next year.

Colin

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## Seabird

Kas over at Thurso Bay is seeing large numbers of Porpoise during the evening.
The numbers being seen is between 40 and 60.
Most evening this week the sea has been calm in the bay so if you have a pair of binoculars it's worth a look.
Last night there was also a Risso's Dolphin and a Basking Shark.
This time of year Porpoise can get quite animated, with lots of splashing and small leaps.
It's worth a look if your in the Thurso area.

Colin Bird
Seawatch Foundation
NE Scot Coordinator

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## Kenn

Would the dredging that has been taking place at Gills along with the ferry activity have any effect on the porpoises or their food source?
As we are now reading reports that sonor exploration may affect other species such as dolphins could the increased noise be a factor allowing for the fact that sound is magnified under water and also they might be subject to sub harmonics that are inaudible to human

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## Seabird

> Would the dredging that has been taking place at Gills along with the ferry activity have any effect on the porpoises or their food source?
> As we are now reading reports that sonor exploration may affect other species such as dolphins could the increased noise be a factor allowing for the fact that sound is magnified under water and also they might be subject to sub harmonics that are inaudible to human


Dredging at Gills is unlikely to effect the HP.
The Dolphins seen at Wick last month followed a dredger and seemed to be attracted to it when it started it's engines.
HP are often found near Harbours, so every day movement and noise of ships and boats dont seem to be a problem.
At Lybster they will move away from moving boats, but are quite happy to swim near them when they are stationary even if the engine is still running
Sonar can be a problem, but there are different frequencies of sonar.
I'm no expert in that field, but some of the latest sonar can be quite damaging to any creatures including humans if under water when it is used.
Some deep diving Whales loose their ability to sence their surrounding when sonar is used, this makes them panick and rush to the surface and they then suffer from the bends and it is this that kills them. (nitrogen bubbles in the blood)
I dont think we will ever know why the HP at Gills are fewer than previous years, it could be a simple case of lack of food in that area.
My last count of HP at Gills was 6 but i have heard that there is about 12 at the moment.
Perhaps they are much later this year.
It's very much a case of watch, wait and see what happens and trying to learn something from the situation.
Thats what Sea watching is all about.

Colin

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## Kenn

Once again thank you for the information seabird, now i'm off to book a week's viewing through kas's telescope!

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## Seabird

Some good news for anyone wanting to see the Gills Harbour Porpoise.
I was told by a friend who was out on the North Coast Explorer today, that they counted about 60 Harbour Porpoise in Gills Bay.
It looks very much like the Porpoise from Thurso Bay have now moved to Gills.
Probably very much to the relief of the tour boat operators.

Colin

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## Seabird

Harbour Porpoise are a daily sighting  at the moment in Gills Bay where the numbers have improved.
They can also bee seen Daily in Thurso Bay and in smaller numbers off Lybster.
The Lybster Porpoise seem to prefer a falling tide, but are quite close to the shore if you go to the cliffs to the North of Lybster rather than the Swiney Hill Viewpoint.

Colin

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## Seabird

These small cetaceans are difficult to spot during the Autumn and Winter Months but they are still about.
1 off Lybster on the 16th Nov 08
2  ........................29th Nov 08
2  ........................  6th Dec 08

Colin

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## Kenn

Quite amazed that they are still about, your posts are a revelation seabird.

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## kas

I saw two in Thurso Bay on New Years day around 1pm. It was great as I had not seen any for a while and wasnt even looking for them.

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## Seabird

First Caithness sighting of cetacean for 2009.
Two Harbour Porpoise seen in Thurso Bay at lunch time 1-1-09 By Kas.

Not the first cetacean sighting of the year, that honour at the moment goes to Kevin at 08.30 1-1-09 with a sighting of 6 Bottlenose Dolphins at Aberdeen Harbour. (I think thats Kevin Hepworth Seawatch coordinater for that area.)

Colin
Seawatch coordinater
Duncansby to Cromarty

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## red ranger

I spotted 3 porpoise at Strathy Point on Wednesday 7th January at about 1.15pm. They were close in right at the very end of the point heading west.
I spoke with the local crofter and he has seen up to about 12 animals recently all porpoise but no other cetaceans.

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## Seabird

> I spotted 3 porpoise at Strathy Point on Wednesday 7th January at about 1.15pm. They were close in right at the very end of the point heading west.
> I spoke with the local crofter and he has seen up to about 12 animals recently all porpoise but no other cetaceans.


Well spotted red ranger.
Although HP are around the coast all year, sightings during the Winter month are difficult.
HP i've sighted seem to be there one second and gone the next.

Colin

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## kas

At least 2 Harbour porpoise off Holborn Head this afternoon.

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## kas

I saw 2 again today in Thurso Bay, which were probably the same 2 I saw on Sunday.

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## Seabird

Small group of HP seen from the view point at Swiney Hill first thing this morning.
I had 4 sightings involving 5 animals in what was ideal watching conditions, flat sea and very liitle wind..
The nearest being about 2-300 meters fron the cliff face.

Colin

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## Seabird

2 Harbour Porpoise seen off the coast of Murkle this morning by Kas at around 07.20.
1 seen off Lybster this evening at 17.30.

Colin

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## kas

Being seen on and off in Thurso bay but not in great numbers one or two at a time when the weather is calm. 
3 at Gills Bay yesterday at 10.30, 22.05 and at least 8 were off Strathy point yesterday22.05. evening between 1700 and 1930hrs.

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