Where has all the marine wildlife gone?

[Better Out Than In]

Is it my imagination but are all the numbers down for the last few years? When out in Thurso Bay previous summers there always were squadrons of sea birds, water boiling with Mackrel, lots of dolphin, sometimes Orca off Holburn Head etc. etc. Recently it has been getting quieter and quieter or have I just been unlucky?

[Even Chance]

Its all still there.
During Sundays sail, we saw dolphins off Staxigoe. Theres been more Puffins to be seen at the sea this year, but no Basking sharks as yet this year.

[Seabird]

I can't answer for most fish, but i have only received 3 Basking Shark sightings around Caithness so far this year.
My web site is over a hundred sightings down on cetacean sightings compared with this time last year.
We are not seeing or getting the number of Harbour Porpoise, Minke Whale or Risso's Dolphin sightings that we would have expected for this time of year.
The weather has played a part in the drop in sightings but even so i have spent hours in reasonable weather and sea conditions and not seen the cetaceans numbers that i have learned to expect. So the facts do support some of what you have said Better out than in.
The cetacean and Basking Shark figures for 2009/2010 and the sightings reported this year are on my web site.

Colin Bird
www.caithness-sea-watching.co.uk