by Centuries of hunting, habitat loss and persecution have left the UK and Ireland among the world’s most naturally depleted nations. But although we have lost our bears and wolves, our great carp and our Irish elk, there is still an abundance of whales and dolphins in the British Isles. In fact, our waters are home to around a quarter of all known marine species. So the recent news from Cornwall of a humpback whale caught in fishing gear showed that these giant animals are closer to home than you might think.
The thought of sea giants around our shores may seem surprising, but the daffodil’s back was no remote sight. “They are appearing in Britain in increasing numbers,” says Hannah Wilson of Marine Discovery, a boat tour operator who helped with the Easter rescue. “We’re also getting a lot more dolphins because climate change is affecting food distribution, bringing the animals closer to shore. The humpbacks have retreated since commercial whaling, so we’ll probably see more of them as they repopulate their range.”
It is not only in the south-west that there is a boom under the cetaceans. “I grew up birding on the North Yorkshire coast in the 1980s and I don’t remember anyone seeing a whale back then,” says Richard Baines of Yorkshire Coast Nature (yorkshirecoastnature.co.uk). “Now we see minke whales on most of our seabird and whale adventure tours.”
With another operator, Farne Islands Tours (farneislandstours.co.uk) also operating on the east coast, North Sea sightings are becoming more reliable. Other highlights of whale and dolphin activity around Wales include the Les Écréhous Jersey reef, the west coast of Ireland and the Celtic Deep of Wales. But the most promising cetacean scene is in Scotland, especially in the north and west.
Here, the Shetland Islands thrive for orcas, with a semi-residential population swelled by Icelandic transients who migrate to hunt seals. Sperm, fin, pilot and minke whales are also frequent visitors, and even an Arctic beluga whale was spotted here in January.
There are even richer pickings in the scattered Western Isles. Their secret is The Minch: a channel between the mainland and the Outer Hebrides that often attracts sei, fin, humpback and pilot whales, as well as the far more common sighting of porpoises, bottlenose dolphins and whales. big mink. Even blue whales – the largest animal that ever lived – are not known here. The conditions are so ideal that whale watching can also be done from land, which is aided by the network of 30 cetacean centers of the Inland Whale Trail.
The whales can be seen due to calm, flat sea conditions from May to September, when a plankton bloom attracts schools of fish on which the whales feed. So could Great Britain one day compete with Cape Cod, the Azores and other whaling places? “The geography is against us,” says Hannah Wilson. “We lack deep-water canyons and nutrient wells that encourage whales to stay, and we’re not on any major migration routes. So while dolphins are becoming more common here in Cornwall, brushes with large whales are likely to remain a rare – but incredible – thrill.”
Five UK dolphin and whale experiences
Leviathans Land’s End
Wild West Cornwall (where the humpback whale was rescued over Easter) is a confirmed hotspot. Expect to spy dolphins, seals and sharks on a four-hour Marine Discovery cruise from Penzance (from £57pp, marindiscovery.co.uk). Sailing on a catamaran ensures stability and comfort for a trip that combines coastal habitats with the deep sea fishing grounds of the cetaceans (actual itineraries depend on sea conditions and recent sightings). Stay nearby in the rolling countryside at Rosehendra, a stone barn conversion situated between Penzance and Marazion. A self-catering week in May costs from £892 (sleeps four; sócoastal.co.uk).
Western Isles
Boat trips are no fun if you’re seasick but in Scotland, whale watching on land rivals that at sea. Harris, Lewis and Skye are some of the Hebridean Whale Trail sites (whaletrail.org). Visit Kilt Rock, Timpan Head, Lewis Point and others on a self-drive Highlands & Islands tour with kayaking, hiking and paddleboarding to complete the experience. The 13-night tour starts and ends in the Fort and costs from £1,645pp, including B&B accommodation, ferry crossings, various activities and detailed instructions for the self-guided elements. Travel to/from Fort William is not included (adventuretoursuk.com).
All at sea
By maximizing the amount of time spent in the animals’ environment, there are many small ship cruises where whales can be seen. Hurtigruten’s nine-night voyage from Edinburgh to Iceland sails via Shetland (an archipelago famous for orca sightings) as well as Fair Isle and Orkney (departing June 29, 2024, from £3,390pp with £300 on board credit, mundyadventures.co.uk). Or go fly-free on an eight-Scenic Scottish Isles sailing round trip from Newcastle on 28 May with Fred Olsen, visiting the Heins, Isles and Minch with an expert from wildlife charity ORCA to spot species find and identify (from £1,199pp, fredolsencruises.com).
Wildlife diving
Whale watching is just one highlight of this escorted week-long Isle of Mull Wildlife Pass. As well as entering the Minch to look for porpoises, minke whales and various species of dolphin, the tour (led by presenters Mike Dilger and Nick Baker) focuses on puffins, hen humps, short-eared owls and terns. yellow eagles (perhaps the highest density in Western Europe at Mull). There is accommodation throughout Knock Mhuire House in the 32,000 acre Binmore Estate. From £2,295pp, including half-board accommodation, guided tours and return ferry from Oban (departing June 9, 2024; wildworldwide.com).
Into the world
Although swimming with cetaceans is not deliberately allowed in the UK, these strange mammals do not play by our rules. On Celtic Deep trips to swim with blue sharks off Pembrokeshire, dolphins often come to encounters on their own terms. The boat itself is a platform for spying pilot, fin whales and minke, as well as other ocean giants such as sharks and bluefin tuna. Available from July to October, full day trips cost £195pp (celticdeep.org). Stay at Tˆ Óstán, whose “floatel” cabins on the water complete the nautical experience (two-night July stays from £392, ty-hotels.com).
