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Risso's Dolphin
Seen around the Caithness Coast at Thurso Bay and Lybster.
Now quite Common in the Spring and Summer Months.
Quite a large Dolphin at around 10ft and can appear white from lots of Scarring caused when they mate.
Picture taken from the Swiney Hill viewpoint at Lybster 2007
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Risso's Dolphins 10-5-08
Five Risso's off Lybster today 14.20.
Watched them for about 90 minutes and got a few pictures.
Some splashing and one leapt clear of the water (breaching)
Last seen heading North along the coast.
Colin
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Risso's Dolphins 14-5-08
Two Risso's off Lybster this evening going West into the Moray Firth.
Sighted at 18.42 when one was leaping clear of the water.
Although i got some snaps they didn't leap while i had the camera on them.
Colin
Just had a txt from kas over in Thurso, Risso's Dolphin seen in Thurso Bay.
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Risso's and Harbour Porpoise Lybster 15-5-08
Only one Risso's this evening and that spent more time under water than on the surface.
Stayed in the area for 30 minutes before vanishing to the East last seen at 19.55hrs
3 Harbour Porpoise seen close in shore, look very much like the residential family group that i've been watching for the last 3 years.
Colin
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Risso's and Harbour Porpoise 18-5-08
2 harbour Porpoise feeding 300m off shore at Lybster, visible from the viewpoint at Swiney Hill 11am until 11.30am when i lost sight of them.
3 Risso's Dolphins swam slowly past around 500m out at 12.15pm heading West lost sight of them at 13.00hrs
Colin
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Cithness Risso's Dolphins sightings to 21st June 08
Lybster 2008
10th Feb x8-10.....10th May x5 .....14th May x2.......15th May x1......18th May x3
1st June x5......21st June x1
Thurso Bay
26th May x1
Holborn Head
5th May x4-5
Pentland Firth near Stroma
5th May x11
Colin Bird
Sea Watch Goup Coordinator NE
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5 in Thurso bay most of the evening on 30.06.08.
Away with the birds
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Risso Sightings
June 3 sightings at Lybster 1.6.08. 21.6.08 30.6.08
July 1 sighting at Lybster 27.7.08
2 sightings at Thurso 13.7.08 14.7.07
1 sighting at Gills Bay 27.7.08
1 sighting at Scarfskerry 26.7.08
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The angling boat Honestas saw them earlier this week while fishing in Thurso Bay and I saw 4 or 5 this evening put on a good show.
Away with the birds
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Risso's Dolphin 8oo meters off Lybster at 13.55hrs today 20-8-08.
The Dolphin breached and almost collided with creel boat WK29.
The dolphin was last seen heading West.
Colin
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Dolphins off Lybster 16-3-09
11.39 3 Large Dolphins seen to the East of Lybster heading East.
It was very hard to work out what species they were even with 20x80 binoculars.
But what i did see suggest they were probably Risso's Dolphins.
One Dolphin breached giving me a clear view of it's outline.
It had a very large dorsal and the front was very rounded and bulbus, this is what i would expect for a Risso's.
Colin
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Risso's with pics 17-3-09
More dolphin activity at Lybster.
It was 2hrs wait before the first sighting at 13.45
3 dolphins leaping and splashing about 1 mile out going with the tide westward.
Not sure of species but the dorsals suggested Risso's.
With the tide turning at 15.18 if it was Risso's i knew they would return.
16.00hrs saw a lone Dolphin 1 mile out to the East going East drat! missed them so i thought.
Then 100 meters from me a single dolphin swam slowly past at 16.25, i was just thinking to myself where have all the Risso's that come in close gone.
It was well worth waiting fore.
Colin
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More Dolphins off Lybster 2-4-09
Just after 6pm a group of Risso's Dolphins headed West past Lybster into the Bay opposit Latheron.
I watched them through binoculars as they played leaping and splashing, tail slapping and even a backward flip.
They started to leave at 7.50pm and the last one passed me at 8pm.
There were at least 3 very large dolphins and a number of slightly smaller dolphins.
I counted about 8 but there could have been more.
These pictures show the last one to pass me on it's way East
Light was quite poor by this time.
Colin
Sea watch Group
Coordinator.
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More Risso's Pictures from Lybster 18-4-09
This evening at 17.18hrs a group of at least 3 Risso's Dolphins passed the viewpoint at Swiney Hill, Lybster.
I heard them rather than saw them first.
They have a very load snort when surfacing to breathe.
They were about 150 meters off shore, so i was able to get the following pics of 2 of them.
Colin
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Risso's Dolphins 18-4-09
Colin
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Those latest photos are the best yet buddy. The ones with the calf are fantastic and its colour is something like a Belugas around the bulbous head, is that a little type of beak it has??
Here is to many more and hopefully the group will stay in your area for the season. These are amazing animals and their behaviour can be spectacular when they get going.
Away with the birds
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More Risso's about
Risso's x 4 Reported at Holborn Head Thursday Evening 23-4-09 by Kas.
No pics because her camera is still not back from repair.
Risso's off Lybster Saturday 25-4-09 10.36.
Small light grey calf seen with mother.
2 other Dolphins also seen, but to far out for a clear identification.
Colin
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Another 2 passed through the bay yesterday afternoon heading east. Lens back on Tuesday and I will probably never get the chance I got last week to photograph them. So I will have to come to Lybster me's thinks.
Away with the birds
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