Orkney birdwatching, wildlife & culture holidays.  Self-catering also available.

Cetaceans - whales & dolphins - and seals

The Orcadian waters teem with marine life and especially cetaceans and seals.  It is estimated that up to 30,000 seals (20,000+ grey and 8,000 common) frequent the seas in and around Orkney and so showing our visitors seals is straightforward and enjoyable.  Come in mid-late October to see the gorgeous fluffy white grey seal pups!  Click seal pups for more pics and information.

Watching cetaceans is more difficult - or skilful - but if the sea conditions are good at the right time of year we can usually find harbour porpoises for you to enjoy.  Lucky guests may also see other species of cetacean - we see minke whales and dolphins reasonably regularly, whilst other species of cetacean including orcas or killer whales are present in our waters but much more difficult to see...there's a lot of water out there!  All 2008 and 2009 cetacean sightings are listed below, to give you an idea of dates, places and species.

Cetaceans may be seen at any time of year from April - October inclusive, with May being prime time - in this month in 2008 we saw 5 species of cetaceans!  Harbour porpoise sightings are pretty consistent over the summer months, and in 2008 began on 10 April and continued up until 8 October, with a maximum of 44 on 17 September 2009.  Minke whales were seen in 2008 during the months May - September inclusive.  2008 was also a good year for basking sharks, with several being sighted, often very close to shore.  Although orcas were present in Orkney in 2009 and seen several times, we only had one sighting, of a pod of four on 10 May at Noup Head in Westray.  A further pod of three orcas was seen by our group in Bressay Sound, Shetland, on 18 July 2009.  A very exciting first for us in 2009 was a group of 3 fin whales (one adult and two young) seen in the Pentland Firth on 9 June 2009.

For lovers of cetacean jewellery see Roger & Jo Philby's website www.flukejewellery.com - we like to visit Roger & Jo's gallery to catch up on his whale and dolphin sightings in Birsay, West Mainland.

Please use the bookings page to book or enquire for 2010 weeks or short breaks.

2009 cetacean sightings:

10/05/09            Pod of 4 orcas, Noup Head, Westray (4)

10/05/09            Risso's dolphin, Noup Head, Westray (1)

20/05/09            Harbour porpoise, Grimness Head (1)

21/05/09            Harbour porpoises, Grimness Head (2)

22/05/09            Harbour porpoise, Grimness Head (1)

09/06/09            Fin whale(s), Pentland Firth (1-3)

09/06/09            Harbour porpoises, Grimness Head (2)

10/06/09            Harbour porpoises, Grimness Head (2)

10/06/09            Risso's dolphins, Grimness Head (2+)

21/06/09            Harbour porpoises, Grimness Head (2)

28/06/09            Risso's dolphins, Scapa Flow (# 2 Barrier) (10+)

[01/07/09           Basking shark, Saviskaill Bay, Rousay (1)]

[18/07/09           Pod of 3 orcas, Bressay Sound, Shetland (3)]

14/09/09            Harbour porpoises, Hoxa Head (18)

14/09/09            Minke whale, Hoxa Head (1)

17/09/09            Harbour porpoises, Switha Sound (41) and Rackwick Bay (3)

In summary for 2009 in Orkney, 3 species of whale (Fin, Minke and Orca); 1 species of dolphins (Risso’s); the ubiquitous harbour porpoises; & 1 basking shark record – not quite as good as the 2008 season, although the Fin whales on 9 June was a first sighting for us in Orkney. 

2008 cetacean sightings:

10/04/08            1^st harbour porpoise of season, Hoxa Head (1)

11/05/08            Solitary Risso’s dolphin, Grimness Head (1)

14/05/08            Minke whales, Noup Head, Westray (5, in 2 groups of 2 + 3)

16/05/08            Basking shark, Echnaloch Bay (1)

18/05/08            Minke whale, Rackwick, Castle of Burrian, Westray (1)

18/05/08            Atlantic white-sided dolphins, Noup Head, Westray (10+)

19/05/08            Common dolphins, Hoxa Head (30+)

27/05/08            Atlantic white-sided dolphins, seen from Barrier #s 1,2 & 3 (2)

30/05/08            Minke whale, Marwick Head (1)

30/05/08            Harbour porpoise, Eynhallow Sound (1)

16/06/08            Harbour porpoises, Hoxa Head (3)

24/06/08            Harbour porpoises, Hoxa Head (3)

24/06/08            Minke whale, Hoxa Head (1)

27/06/08            Harbour porpoises, Grimness Head (2)

03/07/08            Harbour porpoises, Cantick Head, Hoy (3)

03/07/08            Minke whale, Cantick Head, Hoy (1)

[14/07/08            Bull orca, Yell Sound, Shetland (1)] *

28/07/08            Harbour porpoise, Hoxa Head (1)

02/08/08            Basking shark, Rackwick Bay, Hoy (1)

02/08/08            Harbour porpoises, Rackwick Bay, Hoy (4)

01/09/08            Harbour porpoises, Hoxa Head (6)

03/09/08            Minke whales, Barth Head, S Ronaldsay (2 adult + calf)

19/09/08            Minke whale, Hoxa Head (1)

08/10/08            Harbour porpoises, Hoxa Head (2)

In summary for 2008 in Orkney, 1 species of whale (Minke); 3 species of dolphins (Atlantic white-sided, common & Risso’s); the ubiquitous harbour porpoises; & 2 basking shark records – not a bad haul for the April – October 2008 season!  The only killer whale we saw in 2008 was in Shetland on 14 July in Yell Sound, a solitary bull orca.