Northern Bottlenose Whale Loch Riddon (Hyperoodon ampullatus)

One of a pair of Northern Bottlenose Whales that entertained us for several hours while we were anchored in Loch Riddon (Ruel) at the very top end of the Kyles of Bute on the west coast of Scotland.

Normally an open ocean very deep diving species this pair were breaching and tail slapping while hunting in this small sea loch. Later, with the rest of their pod, these whales were featured on the national news as volunteers tried to herd them back into the open sea prior to a large multi-national naval exercise taking place in the area.