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Early Visit From Orcas

An encounter with Orcas (Killer Whales) has now become one of the most sought after of wildlife spectacles in a Shetland summer. Although they are few and far between, winter sightings are not unheard of and the situation usually occurs when a pod passes through a sound or channel. This winter however there have been recurrent sightings thought to be of the same pod, creating a record number of sightings for this time of year. There have been at least six sightings from late February to late March and even once in November 2007. All but one of these sightings have been from Bluemull or Yell Sounds. This has made for an exciting and unexpected start to the year, lets hope it is a taste of the summer ahead.

In recent years Orcas are expected to arrive around Shetland's coast in late April with a peak period through June to August. Some pods have been identified as returning on subsequent years through the distinguishing features they bear in the form of scarring and notching on their dorsal fins, identified through photographic records. Internationally, Orcas are known to have diets that vary from pod to pod in different locations. Those visiting or returning to Shetland have been witnessed on numerous occasions feeding on the local seal population, an unforgettable spectacle, and exceptionally they have also been seen on occasion to feed on Eider ducks around our coast. Furthermore, sea boats fishing for herring and mackerel commonly see Orcas in large numbers as they haul their catch. The chances of seeing them during the summer season are reasonably good and unplanned encounters from inter-island ferries are perhaps as likely as from prolonged viewing from headlands and coastal vantage points. They can travel as fast as 30 mph when required though usually cruise at much lower speeds, covering many miles throughout a day. This means that the best opportunity of seeing them usually comes via word of mouth from those who work on or around the coast and this is where it helps to have the benefit of local knowledge to increase your chances of hearing about them and predicting where to intercept them as they travel.

By Brydon Thomason, Shetland Nature Cruises & Tours

 

Also see: 'Early visit from Orcas' story on the Shetland Marine News website.

  

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