Marine Life News Archive 1999

Wednesday 17 November 1999

The autopsy of the STRIPED DOLPHIN revealed it was a female but there was no obvious sign of the cause of the animals death.

Tuesday 16 November 1999

The Redayre PILOT WHALE was transported to Rova Head refuse disposal site today where an autopsy was carried out on it by Bob Reid of the Scottish Agricultural College Veterinary Service under contract to the Department of the Environment. These autopsies are part of of a programme of investigation into marine mammal strandings around the coast of Scotland to determine (among other things) why the animals come ashore. In this case there were no obvious clues as to why this particular whale had stranded. The autopsy determined that the animal was a male. Following the procedure the whale was buried at Rova Head.

A freshly dead 2 metre long STRIPED DOLPHIN was found on Spiggie beach (south Mainland) this morning. As this is a rare dolphin in British waters the entire carcass (which was in reasonably good condition) was shipped south for post-mortem analysis by Scottish Natural Heritage. It is only the fourth record of the species in Shetland waters although the previous three records were also strandings. One stranded in Bixter Voe on the 14th July 1993, one was found at Muckle Roe on the 1st January 1995 and one stranded at Whal Firth on the 2nd March 1998. Striped Dolphin has a world-wide distribution in tropical and warm temperate waters.

Photo right: the 1993 Striped Dolphin stranded at Bixter Voe - Neil Anderson

Sunday 14 November 1999

The PILOT WHALE stranded at Redayre has unfortunately been humanely destroyed by a vet. It was thought that it could not be rehabilitated. A post-mortem of the animal will be carried out to try and determine the cause of the stranding.

On a brighter note a WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN spent most of the day in the sound on the northern side of Bridge End (Burra) allowing very close views as it swam around.

Saturday 13 November 1999

The PILOT WHALE is still stranded at Redayre (Rae Wick, west Mainland - HU 330 456). It has been checked by a vet and blood samples have been taken for analysis but there are outwardly no signs of any disease in the animal. Members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue have arrived in Shetland in an attempt to refloat the whale and hopefully this will be done in the morning. Members of the team and volunteers will be staying with the whale throughout the night to ensure it remains in a stable condition.

Friday 12 November 1999

A 5.3 metre PILOT WHALE has stranded on rocks at the end of the beach at Redayre (Rae Wick, west Mainland - HU 330 456).

The Pilot Whale at Redayre - Kevin Osborn

Friday 15 October 1999

Evan Nisbet of the Shetland Sea Mammal Group reported a COMMON DOLPHIN and a probable Fin Whale off the east side of Yell today.

Tuesday 28 September 1999

The Shetland Wildlife Tours cruise to Noss National Nature Reserve this afternoon saw 2 RISSO'S DOLPHINS and 12 HARBOUR PORPOISES.

Sunday 26 September 1999

Jon Stokes and John Cozens reported the following HARBOUR PORPOISES during the day - c.30 off Sumburgh in small groups of 2 and 3, 20 at Quendale and 15 at Mousa Sound (all south Mainland).

Tuesday 9 September 1999

A pod of 5 KILLER WHALES were off Sumburgh Head in the afternoon.

Tuesday 2 September 1999

A large turtle, estimated to be about 1m in length and probably another LEATHERY TURTLE, was reported in Bluemull Sound, between Yell and Unst, by the crew of the Fetlar ferry. For previous Shetland records, and a photograph of a turtle in Shetland waters, see 8th August in Marine Life Archive 1999.

27/8/99

A pod of 3 KILLER WHALES was off Sumburgh Head today.

21/8/99

A pod of 14 DOLPHINS was off north Unst today, they were either White-beaked or White-sided but could not be specifically identified.

8/8/99

A LEATHERY TURTLE was seen swimming in the sea off the southern end of Bressay (between the Ord and the Bard) by John Tulloch this evening. It is only the ninth live individual to be seen in Shetland waters and was estimated to be around 5 feet in length.

The other Shetland records involving live animals are as follows:

Shoreline carapaces (the turtle's shell) have also been found in Shetland. Martin Heubeck, who organises Shetland's beached bird surveys, recalls finding one at Sumburgh in the 1980s and in 1996 a carapace was found on a beach just west of Punds Voe, Scalloway on the 12th October. The shell measured 110cm by 96cm.

Leathery Turtles are essentially blackish in colour, spotted with white, can grow up to 2 metres in length (almost 7 feet) and have obvious ridges running the length of the shell from the head to the tail. They are the species most frequently seen in British waters, usually during the late summer, and can grow up to an impressive 2 metres in length.

Photo above: the Leathery Turtle off Bressay - John Tulloch

2/8/99

The 2 MINKE WHALES were still off north Unst today, along with 150-200 WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS.

1/8/99

Two MINKE WHALES were off north Unst today.

29/7/99

A WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN was in Mid Yell Voe today.

28/7/99

A MINKE WHALE was off Hamnavoe (Burra) today.

27/7/99

A pod of 7 KILLER WHALES were off Haroldswick (Unst) today.

26/7/99

A pod of 8 KILLER WHALES were off the West Voe of Sumburgh this evening.

25/7/99

A pod of  6 KILLER WHALES were reported by Hugh Harrop in Yell Sound today.

11/7/99

At least 11 WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS were off Sumburgh Head today, along with 1 MINKE WHALE.

6/7/99

Yesterday's pod of KILLER WHALES were still off the Knab (Lerwick) early this morning but headed further south by about 9am. Also at the south end of Lerwick Harbour were around 20 HARBOUR PORPOISES. Off Fetlar today were at least 5 MINKE WHALES, 5 WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS, 5 RISSO'S DOLPHINS and 20+ HARBOUR PORPOISES.

5/7/99

A pod of about 9 KILLER WHALES (at least one bull, an immature and probably 7 others) were off Fladdabister (south Mainland) during the late afternoon. They made their way slowly north towards Gulberwick, following the coastline. Off Sumburgh Head today were 2 HUMPBACK WHALES, at least 7 MINKE WHALES and at least 20 WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS. A pod of 7 WHITE-BEAKED or WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS were also off the Snap, Fetlar.

3/7/99

Three HUMPBACK WHALES and 5 MINKE WHALES were off Sumburgh Head this afternoon, 3 MINKE WHALES were off Breckon (Yell) and 4 PILOT WHALES were off Hascosay (Yell).

2/7/99

A pod of 3 KILLER WHALES were off the south end of Unst today. 

1/7/99

Three RISSO'S DOLPHIN'S were off Breckon (Yell) today.

30/6/99

A pod of at least 5 KILLER WHALES were off north Fetlar today.

28/6/99

A pod of 3 KILLER WHALES were off Symbister (Whalsay).

27/6/99

The 20-30 WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS were still in Laxfirth Voe during the early morning but departed soon afterwards.

26/6/99

A pod of about 20-30 WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS were off the pier at Laxfirth Voe (central Mainland) this evening.

23/6/99

It was Whales R Us off Sumburgh Head this evening where there were 2 HUMPBACK WHALES, 5 MINKE WHALES and a pod of 5 KILLER WHALES.

19/6/99

A pod of 7 WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS were in Laxfirth Voe (central Mainland) this evening and a MINKE WHALE was off Compass Head (Sumburgh).

Some of the White-sided Dolphins at Laxfirth Voe - photos Bill Jackson

2/6/99

Four PILOT WHALES were reported in Mid Yell Voe today, possibly those reported off Sumburgh Head yesterday.

1/6/99

A pod of 'several' PILOT WHALES were reported just south-east of Sumburgh Head today but the exact number could not be determined.

17/5/99

The pod of 5 KILLER WHALES were off Sumburgh Head again this morning - about 5 miles south of the lighthouse.

16/5/99

A pod of 5 KILLER WHALES were off Sumburgh Head this afternoon.

11/4/99

A pod of 3 KILLER WHALES (a bull, a female and a calf) were off Sumburgh Head today. The animals moved north, about 1 km offshore, and were last sighted at 14.00 hrs off Grutness.

1/4/99

A MINKE WHALE was off Sumburgh Head today.

11/3/99

Another SPERM WHALE carcass has washed ashore at Hillswick (north Mainland). The animal about 10 metres in length is fairly decomposed and has lost most of its skin. It is to be dragged ashore at Hillswick and buried there by the Shetland Islands Council Environment & Transportation Department. A series of photographs of the burial can be seen at the Environment & Transportation Web site.

29/1/99

There was no further sign of yesterday's Sperm Whale after it was last seen swimming out of Weisdale Voe late yesterday so it will hopefully not turn up on a beach somewhere.

28/1/99

A c.40ft SPERM WHALE was in Weisdale Voe this morning, extremely close in to the shore giving excellent views to all the folk that came to see it. Members of the Shetland Sea Mammal Group managed to record its echo-locating clicks which can be downloaded and played -MP3 file 107k. 

  

The Sperm Whale at Weisdale Voe - photos Hugh Harrop - Shetland Wildlife Tours

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