Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Healthy seas for nature and communities

Our mission is to continue to advance knowledge, inspire action and drive ocean recovery. www.hwdt.org
(2)

OUR VISION:

Healthy seas for nature and communities

OUR VALUES:

Responsibility: towards the environment and each other. Integrity: to act on evidence based, robust research data. Honesty: to be transparent and open in our work. Empowerment: to inspire all to make a difference

Inclusivity: to proactively encourage all to participate. Creativity: to embrace innovation, be brave enough to
try new things. Warmth: from a warm welcome to a fond farewell.

Last but not least, introducing this year’s final outreach assistant!🐋��Hi! my name is Maddie. I am a Conservation Biolo...
18/06/2026

Last but not least, introducing this year’s final outreach assistant!🐋��

Hi! my name is Maddie. I am a Conservation Biology and Ecology graduate, and I have always loved sharing my passion for wildlife with others. There is something very special about watching someone realise that incredible wildlife isn’t just something you see on a screen, it’s all around us! 👀��

One of the reasons I was excited to join HWDT is because everyone is made to feel like part of our story. I love the way community science is at the heart of what we do, ensuring every sighting, conversation and contribution is valued.

So far I’ve loved meeting visitors on our guided walks and swapping wildlife stories from completely different corners of the globe. I feel like I learn just as much from our visitors as they learn from me! 🩵

As for my dream sighting this summer, I would love to finally see a Minke Whale. However, if a certain West Coast Community happen to swim past my binoculars, I think you’d hear my excitement from the mainland…

🌊 795km surveyed. 171 animals recorded. 9 species encountered. £2,128 raised for HWDT! ⚓ In May, we joined the inaugural...
16/06/2026

🌊 795km surveyed. 171 animals recorded. 9 species encountered. £2,128 raised for HWDT!

⚓ In May, we joined the inaugural Wild Scotland Conservation Cruise with Wild Discovery and Wild Earth Travel - an unforgettable 11-day voyage circumnavigating Scotland and exploring some of our most remote and rarely surveyed waters.

🐬 Some standout moments included an incredible encounter with 30+ white-beaked dolphins at St Kilda, discovering previously uncatalogued offshore bottlenose dolphins, and collecting valuable photo-ID images of killer whales that are helping build our understanding of individuals recorded in Scottish waters. Much of this Photo-ID work was made possible by the dedication of Steve Truluck At Sea whose efforts collecting sightings data and photographing animals throughout the voyage helped capture valuable records from areas of Scotland’s seas that are rarely surveyed.

🔗 Read the full story: https://www.hwdt.org/news/discoveries-from-wild-scotland-conservation-cruise

🫶 Every sighting and photograph collected on this expedition will now contribute to HWDT’s long-term monitoring databases, strengthening our understanding of whales, dolphins and porpoises off Scotland's coast. Thank you to Dan and Rachael for inviting HWDT to be part of this epic voyage and provide a platform to collect this valuable conservation information. As part of this voyage Wild Discovery passengers also raised £2,128.25 in donations for HWDT!

Our next outreach assistant to introduce is Ishbel! 🐋I am so excited to have joined the HWDT team this summer! I have sp...
16/06/2026

Our next outreach assistant to introduce is Ishbel! 🐋

I am so excited to have joined the HWDT team this summer! I have spent the last few years working and travelling around the UK and abroad – meeting new people, seeing conservation from a variety of perspectives and having some incredible wildlife experiences.

I applied for this role with HWDT so that I could help make a positive and practical impact in conservation, and to learn more about Scotland’s amazing seas and creatures. 🐋

My favourite part of this role is the community engagement! I love leading the wildlife walks, chatting to people about their experiences and getting to learn from and alongside the HWDT team and the other volunteers.

One of the highlights of my first month was spotting a minke whale while on a watch at Glengorm, and I’m so excited to see what the rest of the summer (and the sea!) holds. 🐳🧡

Species of the week: The Killer Whale! 🖤🤍Killer whale are normally at the top of people's must-see lists and recently we...
15/06/2026

Species of the week: The Killer Whale! 🖤🤍

Killer whale are normally at the top of people's must-see lists and recently we have been lucky enough to have lots of sightings around Mull! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Alongside our local West Coast Community, we have also recently been lucky enough to have a visit from a mystery pod who were recorded hunting down common dolphins near Mull. 🐬

The West Coast Community are a very vulnerable pod and their numbers have dwindled in recent years, with only sightings of local legends John Coe and Aquarius, being reported.

The Hebridean Whale Centre has a great Killer Whale wall featuring lots of information about our research into the West Coast Community. We also have lots of great Killer Whale gifts in our shop, including some special John Coe and Aquarius merch, a must have for any super fan! 🛍️🐋

Come in for a killer time!



Wild About Argyll VisitScotland Visit Mull and Iona

‼️FINS & GINS THIS WEEK IS SOLD OUT ‼️Thursday 7pm - Sea Life Sightings with Jimmy Hall Wildlife guide 'Jammy Jimmy' sha...
14/06/2026

‼️FINS & GINS THIS WEEK IS SOLD OUT ‼️

Thursday 7pm - Sea Life Sightings with Jimmy Hall

Wildlife guide 'Jammy Jimmy' shares incredible footage from some of his top encounters from Sea Life Mull. Jimmy recently captured the viral footage of a pod of orca hunting a common dolphin off Mull, and has been lucky enough to spot some of Mulls rarer visitors such as humpback fin whales.

Fins & Gins are held in our Hebridean Whale Centre in Tobermory, and spaces are very limited. The talks are supported by Tobermory Distillery who have supplied a glass of delicious local gin for attendees. We also have soft drinks available.

Find out more about Fins & Gins: https://www.hwdt.org/finsandgins

Tobermory Distillery Sea Life Mull

⛵ Six cetacean species recorded in a single day during latest research expedition! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Our latest expedition aboard ...
13/06/2026

⛵ Six cetacean species recorded in a single day during latest research expedition!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Our latest expedition aboard Silurian was a spectacular reminder of just how special Scotland’s seas truly are. Over 12 incredible days, six citizen scientists joined us to survey Hebridean waters, collecting vital data that helps deepen the understanding of species in our seas.

🐬 One extraordinary day delivered sightings of six cetacean species in just a few hours, including Risso’s dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoises, white-beaked dolphins, common dolphins, and feeding minke whales.

🔗 Read more about the expedition: https://www.hwdt.org/news/2026/6/8/6-cetacean-species-in-one-day

📸 A real highlight came while surveying within the North-east Lewis Marine Protected Area, where we recorded 13 sightings of Risso’s dolphins, totalling more than 60 animals. Thanks to the distinctive scars and markings on these animals, photographs collected during expeditions like this help us identify individuals and better understand their movements and habitat use.

🤝 By sharing this data with research partners like MARA, we’re helping build a clearer picture of Scotland’s marine wildlife, proving once again that conservation works best when citizen scientists, researchers and organisations work together.

💙A huge thank you to our brilliant citizen scientists who joined us on this expedition: Paula, Alun, Helen, Annika, Bill & Jacqui. Without you this vital work wouldn't be possible!

Introducing the next of this year’s outreach assistants!🌊Hi I’m Cairenn, one of the new outreach assistants this year wi...
12/06/2026

Introducing the next of this year’s outreach assistants!🌊

Hi I’m Cairenn, one of the new outreach assistants this year with HWDT! I’m a marine biology graduate, I’ve always been fascinated by marine mammals and the challenges they face, especially how noise pollution affects them in our seas.

I am really excited to be working alongside the team here in Tobermory, gaining new skills and experience in conservation and science communication. I’ve already enjoyed leading guided walks to Tobermory Lighthouse and Glengorm, meeting visitors and teaching them about the wildlife they may encounter around Mull.

The species top of my list to see this summer are definitely Risso’s dolphins and obviously catching a glimpse of John Coe and Aquarius! 🐋

🕵️ Mystery orca pod resighted off Shetland!🔎 The mystery pod of killer whales seen hunting common dolphins off Scotland'...
11/06/2026

🕵️ Mystery orca pod resighted off Shetland!

🔎 The mystery pod of killer whales seen hunting common dolphins off Scotland's west coast has been spotted again... this time off Shetland!

🔗 Read the full story: www.hwdt.org/news/mystery-pod-update

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Thanks to photographs taken by Hugh Harrop (of Shetland Wildlife) in Shetland and images captured during the original west coast encounters, researchers from the Scottish Killer Whale Group have been able to confirm that these are the very same animals. The match was made using photo-identification (Photo-ID), a powerful, non-invasive technique that allows individual whales and dolphins to be recognised from their unique markings.

🧩 This latest sighting provides another important piece of the puzzle as we work to determine the identity of these animals and better understand their movements through Scottish waters. Co-ordinated by HWDT, researchers from several organisations are currently reviewing these images and comparing them against existing catalogues from Scotland and beyond.

🐋 Have you spotted whales, dolphins or porpoises in Scottish waters? Report your sighting through Whale Track and help contribute to the next big discovery.

📷 © Jimmy Hall, photographed on 01 June 2026

👋 Welcome to the Whale Track Scheme, Immerse Hebrides!🗣️ "Family owned and operated marine tourism business based in Sto...
10/06/2026

👋 Welcome to the Whale Track Scheme, Immerse Hebrides!

🗣️ "Family owned and operated marine tourism business based in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. We offer marine mammal and seabird watching tours with our 10m, 12 passenger RIB."

Follow 👉 Immerse Hebrides

🤝 Through the Whale Track Scheme, we’re building a network of passionate, conservation-minded wildlife tour operators who are helping to gather vital data about whales, dolphins, and porpoises in their local area.

📸©Immerse Hebrides

Introducing the first of this year's incredible outreach assistants 🐋🐬Hi, I’m Jaime, one of the newest outreach assistan...
09/06/2026

Introducing the first of this year's incredible outreach assistants 🐋🐬

Hi, I’m Jaime, one of the newest outreach assistants! I am a recent marine biology graduate with interests in conservation and climate change. In my spare time I love dancing, I actually compete and teach in different types of street dancing!

I decided to join the HWDT team as I had always admired their work and I wanted to take part in meaningful conservation work whilst gaining new skills and experiences to take a step forward in my career. I am really grateful to be part of the team and I am looking forward to spending this summer learning, meeting new people and spotting whales and dolphins all whilst exploring life on the west coast of Scotland.

The species on the top of my to see list this summer is definitely a Risso's dolphin! I’m really hoping to see one during my Silurian trip. 🌊

Address

28 Main Street
Tobermory
PA756NU

Telephone

+441688302620

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust:

Shortcuts

Share

Category