# General > Biodiversity >  Minke Whale

## Seabird

This 30foot Whale is often seen during the Summer Months.
Most sightings are in  the Pentland Firth or seen feeding off the East Coast.
This picture was taken from the Whaligoe Steps last year 2007.

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## Seabird

Thurso Bay
   26th May x1....16th June x1.....17th June x1.....18th June x3.....21st June  x1
Whaligoe, Ulbster.
   31st May x1
Duncansby Head
    20th May x1

Colin Bird
Sea Watch Coordinator NE

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## Seabird

1 seen off Dunnet Head by the Silverline Angling Boat out of Scrabster.
The Whale was seen at about 19.40.
3 Whales were seen by Dave Nicolson at The Whaligoe Steps at about 12 noon.

Colin

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## Seabird

Minke seen from Swiney Hill Lybster this evening at 19.40.
Whale surfaced 4 times and seemed to be heading towards Dunbeath.

Colin

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## kas

1 distant sighting, Dunnet Bay 30.06.08.

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## horseman

Some people have all the luck ::

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## Seabird

Lybster
      13.7.08
Thurso
       17.7.08,  
Dunnet
        17.7.08

7 sightings reported June and 3 in July.(poor watching conditions during July)

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## Seabird

A very small Minke got it's self entangled in nets near Dwarick Harbour.
The Whale was released by fishermen and sent on it's way none the worse for it's ordeal.
Thats the second Minke entanglement recorded this year around Caithness, the other Minke wasn't so lucky.

Colin

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## kas

Saw a small minke out in the middle of Dunnet/Thurso bay last night, it could be the small whale that was trapped in the fishing net earlier in the week.

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## kas

Due to ideal conditions this morning I had great views of a minke in amongst the diving Gannets.

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## kas

Due to ideal conditions this morning in Thurso Bay I had fantastic views of a Minke feeding on some type of fish, in amongst the diving Gannets.

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## Seabird

Minke feeding S.E. of Stroma at 08.12hrs 20-8-08.
Watched the Minke from Duncansby Head for 45 minutes.
The Minke would surface 4 times for air then dive for 5 to 10 minutes.
The John O' Groats ferry past quite close to the Minke on it's outward journey to Orkney.

Colin

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## Seabird

1 seen from Thurso 17th August
1 seen from Swiney Hill Lybster on the 23rd August
1 seen off Crosskirk on the 31st August.

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## Seabird

2 Minke Whales seen at 18.30 this evening approx 5k off shore heading West.
One Whale looked a little smaller than the other with a much straighter dorsal.
The Whales seemed to be harased by a creel boat, that seemed to head for their location each time they surfaced.
I hope this was not the case, but i must say i did see this skipper change direction some years ago and run down a whale that was tail slapping.
On that occasion it was very blatant.
Without video evidence it's very hard to bring a prosecution.
Cetaceans are a protected species while in UK waters and successful prosecutions have taken place.
So boat operaters be aware of the legal implications when near Cetaceans.

Colin

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## ett23

> The Whales seemed to be harased by a creel boat, that seemed to head for their location each time they surfaced.
> I hope this was not the case, but i must say i did see this skipper change direction some years ago and run down a whale that was tail slapping.
> On that occasion it was very blatant.
> Without video evidence it's very hard to bring a prosecution.
> Cetaceans are a protected species while in UK waters and successful prosecutions have taken place.
> So boat operaters be aware of the legal implications when near Cetaceans.
> 
> Colin


That is disgraceful. Who would be so thoughtless as to attempt to run down a whale?!  ::  They live in the ocean and have more right to be there than we do!

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## Seabird

> That is disgraceful. Who would be so thoughtless as to attempt to run down a whale?!  They live in the ocean and have more right to be there than we do!


Some fishermen (minority) have a different view ett23.
They are competition for fish, and to fishermen that means ££££££.
It may not always be a deliberate attempt to harm the cetacean, just drive it away.
Cetaceans can easly avoid slow moving boats. (unless they are sleeping, ie half the brain is switched off)

Speed boats are much more of a risk.
Cetaceans hear a noise they then surface for a look, out of curiosity or fear.
They then have little time to dive to avoid a boat moving at high speed.
The skipper may feel a slight bump and think nothing of it.
Many Whales and Dolphins carry scars from boat or propeller strikes.

Colin

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## Seabird

Minke close inshore at Lybster at 17.50hrs
Surfaced several times before i lost sight of animal who was heading towards Forse bay.
Again i chose the wrong observation point.
If i had been at Swiney Hill the whale would have been about 400m in front of me, making it an easy photo oportunity even in the poor light.

Colin

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## Seabird

Two minkes observed by the North Coast Explorer this morning at 11.30am in the Pentland Firth.
The Minkes were heading East with the flow of the tide.
I was informed by Ali that the Minkes had been seen earlier in the morning further to the West.

Colin

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## Seabird

Minke Whale feeding 400meters off Lybster Harbour at 12.54 until 13.30.
The whale looked quite small my estimate was about 20 feet.
The bird in the pic is a Gannet they were feeding in the area along with 8 Harbour Porpoise about 300m from the shore.
This pic was taken from the cliffs on the North side of Lybster as the Minke passed.



Colin

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## Seabird

12.27hrs a Observed a Minke rounding the headland into  Lybster Bay.
Then it resurfaced near the Ceann Hilligeo about 50 meters from the shore.
Last seen heading South. at 12.55
The Minke was quite small my estimate would be arounf 5 meters.
I had the camera ready for a picture, but the behaviour was unpredictable.
This Minke is the first i've recorded in November.

Colin

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## Seabird

At 13.32 hrs a Whale was seen to surface twice NW of Stroma, Pentland Firth  heading East with the tide.
I could see a curved dorsal fin and the whale looked quite small.
In all probability it was a Minke.
The first i've recorded for 2009

Colin

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## Seabird

First Minke seen from Thurso. 19-5-09 17.20
Lots of birds were seen feeding on the outer edge of the Bay, this may well of attracted a passing Minke to feed.
The whale was described as very big and was seen churning the surface water.
Latest Caithness sightings see

www.caithness-sea-watching.co.uk

Colin

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## Jovi

Hi Colin, love the new Caithness Sea Watching website. Lots of useful information  and tips for local and visiting sea watch enthusiasts. Good luck, hope you get 'lots of hits'  ::

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## kas

Minke approx 4 mile off of the coast between Forss and Dounreay today at 1020, and just seen another in Thurso bay. Quite elusive though and you needs binoculars as it is not close enough to see with just your eye.

One dodgy photo!! of this morning

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## kas

We had a minke feeding off Strthy point yesterday evening the whole two and a half hours we were there. THe countryside ranger had seen 2 at four thirty before we arrived.

Report of 2 off Holborn Head last night and another mid way between Holborn and Dunnet Heads.

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