Second whale stranded in Firth of Forth is put down

A minke whale has been put down by vets after it became stranded in the Firth of Forth just days after the death of a pilot whale in the area.

The 4m long juvenile whale became stuck near the shore at Crombie point in Fife at 07:40.

The animal was in distress "lifting its tail and tremoring". Firefighters had been pouring water over the whale to keep its skin from cracking.

Experts said it was a "long way from the sea".

Medics from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue kept the mammal sedated but with high tide not due until mid afternoon a decision was taken to euthanise the whale because refloating was not possible.

On Tuesday, a pilot whale was stranded north of Edinburgh but later died.

A team from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue had spent the day in the shallows off Silverknowes trying to save the animal.

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Moray Firth dolphins appearing in Firth of Forth this summer

Dolphins are among east Lothian sun-seekers

July 2013. Local families and visitors haven't been the only ones enjoying the seaside sunshine at the coastal town of North Berwick at the weekend. Local resident Peter Dollive set sail on a lunchtime seabird cruise from the award winning Scottish Seabird Centre to see the many seabirds that make the Firth of Forth their home at this time of year, and spotted a pod of dolphins just off the Bass Rock.

Peter, a member of the Scottish Seabird Centre, said : ‘I was having had a wonderful time on the Seabird catamaran around the Bass Rock using my new camera system. The icing on the cake was to see the dolphins so close-up, especially I was unaware you could see them off North Berwick. When the captain spotted them and slowed down, I just aimed and fired hoping to get at least one shot. It was fantastic to be so close and see then moving so gracefully through the water - and capture them on film as well - a real thrill!'

Moray Firth dolphins

Erich Hoyt, Research Fellow with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and author of the new book ‘Weird Sea Creatures', said: "Bottlenose dolphins swim into the Firth of Forth from time to time. The dolphins seen on Sunday near the Bass Rock are most probably part of the northeast Scotland population of about 130 animals that spend most of their time in and around the Moray Firth. Over the past decade, their appearances in the Firth of Forth have often occurred during a spot of very warm weather. Also, when they have come to this area, they will often stay in the area for a few days. One of the best lookouts is from the Scottish Seabird Centre, but it will be worth keeping an eye out on both the south and north shores of the Forth over the next few days.'

Continued

Rare sighting of sperm whales in Firth of Forth

The largest group of whales thought to have been seen travelling together in or near the Firth of Forth has been recorded from the air. 

The pod of 14 sperm whales was seen on Thursday heading from the island of Fidra to the Lamb, just a mile offshore at North Berwick in East Lothian. 

The whales then changed direction, heading towards Crail in Fife. 

They were reported to the Scottish Seabird Centre by microlight pilots who saw them from a height of 500ft. 

The whales were also spotted by Scottish Natural Heritage staff and other researchers on the Isle of May who were able to identify the whales' tail flukes, dorsal fins and plumes of spray. 

“Sperm whales are rarely seen in the Firth of Forth”, Erich HoytMarine conservationist 

Erich Hoyt, North Berwick-based marine conservationist and author, said: "Sperm whales are rarely seen in the Firth of Forth, and to see 14 of them travelling together is very special. 

"The previous close sighting of sperm whales in North Berwick was exactly 10 years ago this month when a large sperm whale landed on the beach at Canty Bay, but this is certainly the largest group of living whales we've seen travelling together in or near the Firth of Forth. 

"Sperm whales are usually residents of deeper waters off the north and west of Scotland where they hunt squid." 

Tail fluke 

He added: "The images confirm that they are sperm whales, including a few that are either immature males or females. 

"Sperm whales in groups are usually either all males or females with juveniles and calves, so given the absence of calves and the location this is most probably a group of young males. 

"The one tail that is visible is consistent with a sperm whale tail fluke." 

David Pickett, Scottish Natural Heritage's National Nature Reserve Manager on the Isle of May, said: "This was a thrilling experience. We were able to get distant views of two pods of sperm whales, distinguished by the flattened dorsal fin, the way the plume of spray went forward rather than up, and their enormous size." 

Tom Brock, CEO of the Scottish Seabird Centre, said: "This sighting is truly wonderful news and helps to highlight some of the amazing wildlife that can be spotted right here on our doorstep. 

"It's thrilling that such a large pod of whales were seen so close to the Seabird Centre." 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-22342041