Record numbers of dolphins have been recorded off the west coast of Scotland, according to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, a conservation charity.
Volunteers and scientists spotted 2,303 common dolphins, 42 bottlenose dolphins and 94 Risso’s dolphins in expeditions last year. Sightings were made from the trust’s research yacht Silurian, which was used in the BBC TV programme The Blue Planet. The figures for all three species are the highest ever recorded in annual surveys by the charity.
The average numbers over the last 14 years have been 463 common dolphins, 14 bottlenose dolphins and 12 Risso’s dolphins. For common dolphins, records range from zero in earlier seasons to 1,862 in 2007.
Lauren Hartny-Mills, science officer at the trust, said: “The reasons