Photos by public in far north will help protect Risso’s dolphins
Thousands of photographs by members of the public – including many taken around Caithness and north Sutherland – have been published in two catalogues that could help researchers protect Risso’s dolphins for years to come.
Marine charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) has so far received more than 2000 photos, including historical images, that have been processed to create the Orkney and North/Northeast Scotland Risso's Dolphin Photo-Identification Catalogue and a similar catalogue for Shetland.
Recognising individual dolphins from photos is possible because Risso’s have distinct scars and marks on their dorsal fins and bodies, allowing individuals to be identified – over the course of a decade or more, in some cases.
They get their characteristic scarring from interactions with other dolphins and from their prey, as they feed mainly on squid and octopus.
WDC Shorewatch coordinator Katie Dyke said: “Risso’s dolphins are amazing creatures and to protect their long-term future we need to better understand where they go and how they use different habitats.
“We basically need as many photographs as possible to continue to piece together the Risso’s jigsaw puzzle – we couldn’t have got to this stage without the help of the community”.
Anyone who has managed to take pictures of Risso’s dolphins is asked to contact WDC (shorewatch@whales.org) and the images may appear in future revisions of the two catalogues.
Katie added: “It’s thanks to WDC supporters, WDC Shorewatch volunteers, fellow researchers and members of the public that these Risso’s dolphin photo-ID catalogues have been published – citizen scientists helping to protect the local species they care about.”
The Orkney and North/Northeast Scotland Risso's Dolphin Photo-Identification Catalogue can be downloaded from the WDC website.
It contains images taken around the Moray Firth all the way along the east and north coast to Strathy Point, and across the Pentland Firth to Orkney. Images have been submitted from as far back as 2001, with the majority taken since 2019.
