Sadly, we have been seeing some bad examples of wildlife disturbance locally: pods of dolphin being chased and sometimes run through by high-speed boats, being closely circled and pursued for long periods of time - even whilst young animals were with them. Seals have also been visited very closely by boats, paddle boards and kayaks and driven from their haul outs.

This behaviour can harm, scare and even kill wildlife so we’d like to try and help those heading out on the water to understand the best way to behave around our dolphins (and all wildlife.)

We teamed up with Shearwater Cruises in Ullapool to create an awareness-raising campaign with special posters for places where people with boats might see them (including welcome packs in local B&Bs etc) and signs for display on all the harbours and jetties around our coast. We also have some posters with a colouring in option of the reverse to encourage people to put them in the window.

We’re hoping that by doing this everyone will learn how to treat the dolphin in a way that not only respects and protects them, but might actually make them more likely to come visit us again, allowing us all to enjoy and love them when they choose to visit.

Thanks to Duncan Todd for making our poster and graphics, and to everyone who helped put up signs at Ullapool Harbour and Jetty, Badentarbet Harbour, Ullapool Campsite, Ardmair Campsite and Badluarach and Scoraig jetties on Little Loch Broom.

Thanks also to everyone who donated to the #TedSquirrel Sign fund as this is has helped cover costs for the signs and posters. Full guidelines for how best to view marine life can be found at https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/land-and-sea-management/managing-coasts-and-seas/scottish-marine-wildlife-watching-code

(Basic summary - don’t go too fast or too close, don’t stay too long and always let them decide if they want to interact.) If using commercial tour boats and guides, we always recommend going with WiSe trained and accredited operators.