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Thread: Killer Whale (Orca)

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  1. #1
    Join Date
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    Default Killer Whale (Orca)

    Found around the Caithness Coast at Around the time Common Seal pups are Born May to August.
    At the moment there is speculation that the increase in Orca activity is the cause of the decline in Common Seal numbers around the far North Coasts.
    This picture was taken at Duncansby Head July 2007


  2. #2
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    Feb 2005
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    I heard Orca were spotted by the North Coast Explorer in the Firth on Sunday. There was also another sighting in Hoxa, Orkney the following day.
    Away with the birds

  3. #3

    Default As the

    Population of grey seals has increased, it is therefore only to be expected that the numbers of their predator, the Killer Whale will also increase?

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by sprint95m View Post
    Population of grey seals has increased, it is therefore only to be expected that the numbers of their predator, the Killer Whale will also increase?
    Your Logic is sound sprint95m but not necessarily true in the case of Kller Whales
    Not all Killer Whales eat Mammals some eat only fish.
    Killer Whales will take Grey Seals thats for sure.
    Their arrival is timed with the comon pup season, they are smaller and are easier for the calves to manage.
    I might add Grey seal may have increased but Commons are down by about 30% Andy Foot from Aberdeen University is studying Orcas around the North of Scotland and thinks Orcas might be the reason for the decline in common seals.
    That is assuming the Orcas are taking the baby commons which unlike greys are born in the sea.
    Andy Foot will be giving a talk in Caithness later in the year to reveal some of his findings.
    There is no evidence to suggest Orcas have increased in numbers.
    The popularity of Digital Photography and seawatching as brought about more reporting of Cetaceans.
    Last year the number of Orcas off Norway was well down as was the Minke Whale.
    2006 there were very few Orca sightings around Caithness compared with 2005.
    Caithness had a good year 2007 with about 15 sightings, but you must remember people are reporting the same groups several times over as they move back and forth along the coast.

  5. #5

    Default

    Thanks for the explanation, Seabird.

    There used to be a killer whale in Strathy Bay each late summer until about ten years ago. A fisherman from Melvich told me it was a male that returned year after year.
    Strathy Point used to be a good spot for seeing various cetaceans and sea birds, but not so in recent years alas.

  6. #6

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    i used to be a fisherman and we saw them around caithness quite often

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