Cetaceans: Whales & Dolphins

Orkney is one of the best places in the United Kingdom to see those wonderful sea mammals called cetaceans, or in plain language, whales and dolphins.

Like most wild creatures, a little knowledge and experience is always useful in order to identify exactly which species it is that you are enjoying.  At first it may be difficult to even separate a dolphin or a porpoise from a whale, as very often all you will see is a fin (or fins) which disappears almost as soon as it has surfaced.  The key to successful identification is to choose a calm day, with a good sea state (not rough), and to concentrate on the shape of the fin and the way in which the animal behaves.  And of course – practice, practice, practice.  Try and learn from others who know the animals in order to build up your experience.

The species most often seen in Orcadian waters are placed below in order of likelihood of observation, with the commonest species ranked first in the different families of porpoises, dolphins and whales.  They are normally present during the summer months (April – October) although some of the larger whales may visit irregularly during the winter months.

Harbour porpoise

Easily our commonest, and also our smallest cetacean (adult 1.9 metres).  Present in reasonable numbers all around Orkney year round, but most often seen in the summer months April – October inclusive.  Usually seen alone, or in small family groups, but sometimes in late summer in much larger groups of 40 or more.  Look out for a very small dorsal fin which breaks the surface and no more.  It is highly unusual for any other part than just the small porpoise fin to break the surface, which contrasts sharply with dolphins and whales – see below – and this observation is often the key to successful identification.

Dolphins

Dolphins are larger than porpoises and much more agile, which means that you’re likely to see more of the animal out of the water – not just its dorsal fin.  It’s possible to see several species of dolphin around Orkney, but the one that you are most likely to see is Risso’s dolphin, which, fortunately, is very easy to identify.

Risso’s dolphin

A very large and distinctive dolphin (adult 3.8 metres).  It has a very large sickle shaped dorsal fin (you could be forgiven for confusing it with an orca at first sight!), with a blunt head (no beak) and a very pale grey colour.  They have a great habit of sticking their blunt heads vertically out of the water (known as ‘spy hopping’!) and come into Scapa Flow so that they are sometimes seen easily from the Churchill Barriers.

Atlantic white-sided dolphin, Bottlenose dolphin, Common dolphin and White-beaked dolphin

These dolphins are all seen annually around Orkney but need a little more experience to separate.  Because they are dolphins they are fast, athletic and agile, so they will break the water, sometimes spectacularly.  Bottlenose (rarer) and Common dolphins have prominent beaks; the Atlantic white-side and white-beaked (despite its name!) less so.  They all vary in size from the smaller Common, to the much larger Bottlenose; and they all have varying stripes or marks on their sides.  Try and photograph the animals when they break the surface as even a poor photograph will invariably assist in later identification.

Whales

Orca or killer whale

Taxonomically the killer whale is actually a very big dolphin, hence the preference for the use of its name orca – which in any case is much more appropriate to Orkney (but is just a coincidence)!  This animal, especially the male, has a spectacularly large dorsal fin which can reach nearly 2 metres in height, and even ‘flop’ sidewards.  It is extremely fast and agile, to reflect its hunting method of surprise attack, and not for nothing is it known as the ‘wolf of the sea’.  It hunts seals, porpoises, even small dolphins and whales, and fish.  Although difficult to see in Orkney, because of their speed and mobility, they are regularly seen in May and June in particular, as they migrate from the north Atlantic into the inshore waters of Caithness, Orkney and Shetland.  It is usually seen in family pods and can come very close inshore following its prey.

Minke whale

Easily our commonest true whale, it uses baleen plates to sieve its food.  You will see a long dark back break the surface with a dorsal fin eventually showing – it is placed towards the rear of the animal’s back, and not more centrally as with dolphins and porpoises.  Adults are about the same size as orcas (10 metres), so are distinctively large compared with dolphins.  Usually seen alone or in small groups.

Fin whale, Humpback whale, Pilot whale and Sperm whale

All very large whales (except for the Pilot whale which is smaller than the orca) and all recorded around Orkney in recent years, but much less regularly than all other cetaceans.  The good thing about wildlife though is its unpredictable nature, and, with luck, you may see any of these species in Orcadian waters.

Where to Watch?

See map on nature page for recommended viewing locations.

It isn’t necessary to go on boat trips to watch cetaceans around Orkney, although there are boat operators available should you wish to do this.  The large and nearby expanse of Scapa Flow and the many headlands enable cetacean spotters to operate easily from land.  There are of course ‘hot spots’, but these are just as likely to be associated with observer effort as much as cetacean presence, so it’s worth looking for cetaceans just about anywhere off the Orkney coastline.  A few excellent spots would include Burwick or Hoxa Head in South Ronaldsay; Yesnaby or Mull Head on the Orkney Mainland; or Noup Head on Westray.

References:

See “Whales, Dolphins & Porpoises” by Mark Carwardine, published by Dorling Kindersley, ISBN 0-7513-1030-1