An internationally famous solitary Bottlenose Dolphin known as Clet has been identified making a surprise appearance in Scotland’s Sound of Mull, according to researchers from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.
The rare sighting of a lone bottlenose dolphin following a ferry between Oban and the Isle of Mull triggered some rapid detective work at the conservation charity.
Bottlenose dolphins are not unusual in the Hebrides, even during winter – but the species usually occurs in small groups, with individuals rarely being seen alone.
By studying the dolphin’s distinctively scarred dorsal fin and using photo identification techniques, the Trust’s experts identified the animal as one that made international headlines with its unusual behaviour when it was last seen in September. That was in Galway in Ireland, some 600 kilometres away from the Sound of Mull.
“To our knowledge, this is the first time that Clet has been recorded in Scotland, and in fact this is the furthest north he has been recorded to date,” says Dr Conor Ryan, Sightings Officer at Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.
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