Harbour Porpoise Gills Bay.

The Harbour Porpoise that make an annual appearance in Gills Bay turned up much later this year so there was very little chance of getting a boat out to see them with the Groats Ferry tied up for the Winter and the North Coast Marine Adventure resting at the bottom of a sea cave.
My daughter said she got a good look at them from the Pentland Ferry when travelling to Orkney on Saturday.
My view of them is usually from the Lay by just East of the ferry entrance with a pair of 20x80 binoculars.
They can be seen going back and forth East to West over a 20degree stretch of water with the centre lined up with the Lighthouse on Hoy. You can see periods of splashing and semi breaching. When the ferry arrives there is some sign of panic with the porpoise breaching away from the vessel, when the ferry slows they return to their normal behaviour. The group of about 30-50 porpoise will soon break up, the lates i've seen them in the Gills area is the 3rd week in October.

Colin
caithness-sea-watching