Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust explained

The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (also known as HWDT) is a marine conservation charity in the Hebrides, Scotland that is dedicated to research and education of whales, dolphins, and porpoises (Cetaceans) in Hebridean waters. It is based in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull although it works across the whole of the West Coast of Scotland.[1] [2]

History

HWDT was founded in 1994 off the back of the UK's first whale watching operator, with the goal of further understanding the rich diversity of whales and dolphins in Scottish waters.[3] [4]

Work

HWDT works 'directly with local communities to ensure whales, dolphins and porpoises are protected and valued throughout Scotland's west coast.'[5] Much of their data is collected through citizen science from members of the public as well as local boat tour operators and fishermen.[3] Data they have collected has contributed to creating Marine Protected Areas (MPA) for Minke Whales, Risso's Dolphins, and Basking Sharks, and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for Harbour Porpoise in Scottish waters.[6] [7] [8] [9]

Whale Track

In 2017, HWDT launched a free app called Whale Track allowing a community of both locals and tourists to the Hebrides to report their sightings to the Trust. Designed to function without phone signal or WiFi, the app allows the Trust to collect data daily from sightings around the Hebrides. The data is also visible to other users allowing the community to know what species are being seen in their local area and encouraging them to report. Data from this has contributed to creating MPAs in the Hebrides as well as increasing the knowledge about what species visit Scottish waters.[10] [11] [12] [13] [14]

Silurian

In 2002, the Trust bought a Research Vessel named Silurian to help them survey and collect data about the Hebridean Seas. The 60 ft ketch had previously been used in the Azores to film the first series of BBC's Blue Planet.[15] [16] Silurian has collected data for the trust every year since 2002, staffed by paying volunteers and crew. In this time, she has sailed over 100,000 km, recorded 15 species as well as collecting over a year's worth of underwater acoustic recordings via hydrophone.[17] [18] [19] [20] [21]

Silurian also operates as a floating classroom taking on schoolchildren to teach them about marine research and the marine life in Scottish waters.[22]

The Trust also use Silurian to monitor the impact of military activities on the local marine mammals during the bi-annual Joint Warrior military exercise that take place in North West Scotland.[23]

Hebridean Whale Centre

In 1997, a discovery centre was opened in Tobermory, in order to increase the public engagement of the charity and educate both locals and tourists about Scottish cetaceans[3]

It currently operates as an interactive visitor centre on Tobermory's Main Street, running education and engagement sessions to teach the public about the wealth of marine life found is Scottish seas[24]

Hebridean Whale Trail

Established in 2019, the Hebridean Whale Trail is a series of whale-watching and whale heritage sites across Hebridean Islands and the West Coast of Scotland designed to encourage accessible and sustainable whale watching from land.[25] [26] [27] [28] [29] The trail also aims to boost local economies and educate visitors about the history and heritage of the Hebrides, particularly Scotland's role in industrial whaling.[30] It includes over 30 sites including: St. Kilda; Tiumpan Head (Isle of Lewis); Kilt Rock (Isle of Skye); Kinloch (Isle of Rùm); Ardnamurchan Lighthouse; Glengorm Castle (Isle of Mull); and The Oa (Islay). The site of Huisinish, on the Isle of Harris, is close to the Bunavoneader Whaling Station which closed in 1953.[31] [32]

Notes and References

  1. News: Massive walrus spotted in the Inner Hebrides . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-07-14.
  2. Parsons . E. C. M. . Rose . Naomi A. . 2010-02-01 . Whale Watching and the International Whaling Commission: A Report of the 2008 Whale-Watching Subcommittee Meeting . Tourism in Marine Environments . 6 . 1 . 51–57 . 10.3727/154427309x12602327200343 . 1544-273X.
  3. Web site: What We Do . 2023-07-13 . Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust . en-GB.
  4. News: Press Association . 2016-04-01 . Dopey Dick, killer whale that swam into Derry in 1977, still alive and well . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-07-14 . 0261-3077.
  5. Web site: Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust . 2023-07-13 . Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust . en-GB.
  6. Web site: 2020-12-03 . Protected areas for whales, dolphins and sharks designated in Scottish waters . 2023-07-13 . Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust . en-GB.
  7. Web site: Safeguarding Scotland's marine environment . 2023-07-13 . www.gov.scot . en.
  8. Web site: 2016-09-26 . HWDT welcomes UK porpoise protection . 2023-07-13 . Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust . en-GB.
  9. Woods-Ballard . A.J. . Parsons . E.C.M. . Hughes . A.J. . Velander . K.A. . Ladle . R.J. . Warburton . C.A. . June 2003 . The Sustainability of Whale-watching in Scotland . Journal of Sustainable Tourism . en . 11 . 1 . 40–55 . 10.1080/09669580308667192 . 154580882 . 0966-9582.
  10. 2017-08-08 . Innovative app to transform cetacean citizen science in the Hebrides . 2023-07-13 . Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust . en-GB.
  11. Web site: Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust . 2023-07-13 . en-GB.
  12. Web site: 2019-07-18 . Rookie tour skipper tops table for whale sightings on new Hebridean Trail . 2023-07-14 . HeraldScotland . en.
  13. Web site: 2017-08-10 . Innovative app set to transform cetacean citizen science in the Hebrides . 2023-07-14 . Sea Watch Foundation . en-US.
  14. Web site: 2021-08-06 . The whales which have visited Scotland every summer for 20 years . 2023-07-14 . BBC News . en-GB.
  15. Web site: Our love took us to another planet; The couple who helped make the amazing Blue Planet recall how the ocean brought them together. - Free Online Library . 2023-07-13 . www.thefreelibrary.com.
  16. Web site: 2023-04-22 . Silurian: from smuggling to science . 2023-07-13 . Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust . en-GB.
  17. Web site: Sail with Us . 2023-07-13 . Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust . en-GB.
  18. News: The Newsroom . 23 July 2019 . Mystery killer whale pod could be part of previously unknown Scottish population . 14 July 2023 . The Scotsman.
  19. Web site: Our spectacular Hebridean marine wildlife . 2023-07-14 . TheEcologist.org . 27 February 2020 . en.
  20. Web site: Green marine environment fund distributes £3.2m . 2023-07-14 . NatureScot . en.
  21. Wilson . Ben . Benjamins . Steven . Elliott . Jim . Gordon . Jonathan . Macauley . Jamie . Calderan . Susannah . 2014-11-05 . Estimates of collision risk of harbour porpoises and marine renewable energy devices at sites of high tidal-stream energy. . University of the Highlands and Islands.
  22. Web site: Education . 2023-07-14 . Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust . en-GB.
  23. News: 2020-10-01 . Whales shooed out of Scottish loch before NATO exercise . 2023-07-14 . Times of Malta . en-gb.
  24. Web site: HWDT Discovery Centre . 2023-07-13 . Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust . en-GB.
  25. Web site: Why a Trail? . 2023-07-13 . Hebridean Whale Trail . en-US.
  26. Web site: 2018-05-18 . *PRESS RELEASE* Unique Trail to Promote Scotland as Top Whale-Watching Destination . 2023-07-13 . Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust . en-GB.
  27. Web site: 2019-06-28 . *PRESS RELEASE* New Hebridean Whale Trail launches on Scotland's spectacular west coast . 2023-07-13 . Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust . en-GB.
  28. Web site: Campsie . Alison . 28 June 2019 . Hebridean Whale Trail: Best places to see whales and dolphins in Scotland revealed . 14 July 2023 . The Scotsman.
  29. Web site: Delahaye . Julie . 2019-07-15 . New UK whale and dolphin trail unveils best places to see marine life from land . 2023-07-14 . mirror . en.
  30. Web site: The Hebrides . 2023-07-13 . Hebridean Whale Trail . en-US.
  31. Web site: Bunavoneader Whaling Station - Isle Of Harris . 2023-07-14 . Outer Hebrides . en-GB.
  32. Web site: Ltd . Reefnet . 2023-07-14 . North Harris Trust . 2023-07-14 . www.north-harris.org . en-US.

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