11/12/98Marine Life News Archive - 1998
11/12/98A dead SPERM WHALE has washed up on the island of Noss to the east of Bressay. The animal is about 42ft in length and has lost most of its skin. Plans are currently afoot to tow this animal to the landfill site at Rova Head, Lerwick and then strip the blubber off to enable the recovery of the skeleton. The rest of the carcass will then be buried at the Rova Head Landfill. A series of photographs of the animal being brought to Rova Head can be seen at the Environment & Transportation Web site.
The dead Sperm Whale on Noss - photo John Leach
The 2 COMMON DOLPHINS are still in Sullom Voe at the Mavis Grind.
Twenty WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS were seen from the Skerries to Vidlin ferry this afternoon and the 2 COMMON DOLPHINS are still in Sullom Voe at the Mavis Grind.
The 2 COMMON DOLPHINS are still in Sullom Voe at the Mavis Grind.
The 2 COMMON DOLPHINS are still in Sullom Voe at the Mavis Grind.
The 2 COMMON DOLPHINS are still in Sullom Voe at the Mavis Grind.
The 2 COMMON DOLPHINS are still in Sullom Voe at Mavis Grind (north Mainland).
Two COMMON DOLPHINS are in Sullom Voe at Mavis Grind (north Mainland).
Ten WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS are in Whiteness Voe.
Howard Loates reported one possibly two large whales blowing about 5 miles east of Sumburgh Head, along with a few jumping dolphins.
Jonathan Wills reported the MINKE WHALE again in the Voe of Culbinsbrough, Bressay during the afternoon, and 6 NEESICKS (Harbour Porpoises) north of Noss around mid-day.
Robbie Leask of the 'Maid of the Mist' reported that he and other sea anglers saw yesterdays MINKE WHALE several times during the two days, while fishing north of Noss and Bressay.
Jonathan Wills reported a young MINKE WHALE, about 20 feet long, observed for about 20 minutes in Voe of Culbinsbrough, Bressay, in the morning with apparently the same animal observed for 15 minutes half a mile north of Noss later in the afternoon. He also saw about 20 NEESICKS in the Voe of Culbinsbrough, Bressay in the morning and 28 NEESICKS between Grif Skerry (SE of Whalsay) and Out Skerries in the evening.
Nick Walton sent the following account of a pod of KILLER WHALES off Unst.
Thursday 6 August 1998, 12:00 to 13:15 - we saw a pod of killer whales hunting around Sandwick Bay, SE Unst, Shetland. There were two groups, one at least four individuals, one at least three individuals. One particularly large one was a male we presume. One of the groups came within 10 m of the rocky shore where we were standing at Qui Ness, breaking surface and blowing - incredible! They carried on to pass close to the next small rocky headland: Kirk Geo. The second group cut more across the bay towards Ham of Muness. The two groups may well have been working together to hunt for seals. We next saw the whales moving NE along the NW shore of Ham Ness, then heading N inshore of the The Vere and towards the island of Huney. The group was at least four at this stage as we sometimes saw four fins at once breaking surface. With The Yei behind them this was the last we saw of them. It cetainly looked like they swam across the sand bar between Huney and the main island as there was no sign of them again over the next hour.
Jonathan Wills reported c.20 NEESICKS between the Noup of Noss and Score Point, Bressay during the morning.
Jonathan Wills reported c.15 NEESICKS in the Voe of Culbinsbrough, Bressay in the afternoon.
The pod of at least 6 KILLER WHALES seen yesterday spent most of the day around the coast of Fladdabister before heading back north in the evening to Gulberwick and around into Briewick Bay again.
A pod of at least 6 KILLER WHALES, including a large male and a very young individual, spent the evening in Briewick Bay, Lerwick, before moving slowly south at around 8 p.m.
A pod of 12 SPERM WHALES were seen about 14 miles off Sumburgh Head during the late morning, heading south-west. They were photographed from a helicopter and also from the Fair Isle ferry which was about 100 metres away from them.
A pod of five KILLER WHALES were in Mousa Sound today.
Five WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS were off Hamnavoe during the afternoon, along with about 30 HARBOUR PORPOISES.
'Several hundred' WHITE-BEAKED DOLPHINS were off Sumburgh Head during the early afternoon and Jonathan Will reported a MINKE WHALE just south of the Ord, Bressay from the mv Dunter II..
A pod of at least 4 KILLER WHALES were off Sumburgh Head today.
At least 3 KILLER WHALES were in Bluemull Sound (off Fetlar) today.
Jonathan Wills reported 3 HARBOUR PORPOISES in Bressay Sound, just off Breiwick.
Off Sumburgh Head today were a pod of at least 3 KILLER WHALES and 2 MINKE WHALES.
There were'several hundred HARBOUR PORPOISES off Sumburgh Head today - you could not scan anywhere on the sea without seeing them.
The HUMPBACK WHALE was off Sumburgh Head again today.
Howard Loates reported the first HUMPBACK WHALE sighting of the year today - a single animal off Sumburgh Head at about 13.20, along with about 6 WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS. A bull KILLER WHALE was also off Haroldswick, Unst.
The Coppister SPERM WHALE arrived at the north end of the O.I.L. base at 11.00am. It was then brought to the shore and after a bit of pulling from a large crane was dragged onto the small beach there. In a scene probably not too dissimilar to the days of Shetland whaling (apart from the use of heavy modern machinery) the very messy and smelly task of breaking it up was then carried out (by a large car crusher!) and the pieces taken to Rova Head Landfill site for burial. The whole operation only lasted until late afternoon, although the large head proved to be a bit of a problem to break up.
The Sperm Whale being brought ashore and broken up for burial at Rova Head. Photos by Graeme Storey.
The Coppister SPERM WHALE is to be being towed to Lerwick for disposal at Rova Head tommorrow. It should arrive at around mid-day being towed by one of the Lerwick Harbour tugs. It will then be dismembered and buried ! - its true and you heard it here first.
The saga of the dead SPERM WHALE at Coppister, Yell continues. It is no longer to be buried in Yell due to operational difficulties and may end up being towed to Lerwick for disposal.
The dead SPERM WHALE at Coppister, Yell is due to be buries by the Council's Environment and Transportation Department today - quite a task as its nearly 15 metres long.
A badly decomposed SPERM WHALE carcass (11+ metres long) has washed ashore at Heylor, Ronas Voe.
A STRIPED DOLPHIN (2 metres long) has stranded alive at Grimister Beach, Whalefirth, Yell, (the third such occurrence in Shetland), but unfortunately died.
A very large (14.3metres), freshly dead SPERM WHALE has washed up on the Ness of Caltagarth (Coppister), south Yell. Samaples of its tissue are being taken for analysis and it remains to be seen how the carcass will be disposed off.
The two BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS are still in Uyea Sound, Unst.
The two BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS are still in Uyea Sound, Unst.
The two BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS are still in Uyea Sound, Unst.
Two BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS were in Uyea Sound, Unst today. They are extremely rare in Shetland and are probably the first well documented sightings here.
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