East of Scotland Basking Sharks (2 Viewers)

[Ian Hay]

Incredible movement of Basking Sharks into the North Sea. I saw about 12 in and around Nairn Bay last Saturday. Today someone counted 54 (Fifty Four!!!) in the same place with others seen in the Forth.

Two weeks ago I saw a pod of well over 100 common dolphins from Stonehaven. Another west coast species in our area.

These sightings are very strange but possibly the start of a new normal.

Ian

 

[etudiant]

Incredible movement of Basking Sharks into the North Sea. I saw about 12 in and around Nairn Bay last Saturday. Today someone counted 54 (Fifty Four!!!) in the same place with others seen in the Forth.

Two weeks ago I saw a pod of well over 100 common dolphins from Stonehaven. Another west coast species in our area.

These sightings are very strange but possibly the start of a new normal.

Ian

Wonderful news, these are truly ancient creatures, some live hundreds of years. They were hunted for their liver oil after WW2 and became rare.
It is encouraging to see their numbers increasing again.

 

[Ian Hay]

Count of 67 today!!!!

 

[etudiant]

Count of 67 today!!!!

Astonishing number.
Is there a marine biology institution around that could give answers as to the cause, big food or courtship concentration, unusual water conditions, migration, even climate change? It seems noteworthy and deserves an answer.

 

[cafe birder]

Astonishing number.
Is there a marine biology institution around that could give answers as to the cause, big food or courtship concentration, unusual water conditions, migration, even climate change? It seems noteworthy and deserves an answer.

Aberdeen University pioneered the tagging of basking sharks in the late 70s and may well still be researching their movements so I would start with them

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Aberdeen University pioneered the tagging of basking sharks in the late 70s and may well still be researching their movements so I would start with them

Think Exeter does that these days (despite them being much closer to Aberdeen!):

Basking shark satellite tracking | Working with natural systems for sustainable futures | University of Exeter

www.exeter.ac.uk

 

[maplekong]

Hope they make a complete comeback. This sounds like good news?