Nothing Fishy About Killer Whale Sightings

Friday, February 16, 2007
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - Animal experts today insisted there are killer whales in the Forth, after fears they may have been confused with a humble dolphin.

A large black and white dolphin was washed up dead on the beach at Cramond, leading to claims it may have been responsible for a spate of killer whale sightings which have sent tourists flocking to the shores.

The dolphin has been sent for a post-mortem examination as the Scottish SPCA said its distinctive black and white markings may have led to the confusion.

But whale experts maintained that earlier sightings of killer whales, whilst unusual, were 100 per cent accurate.

The Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrew's University said today it had now confirmed that the dead animal found yesterday was a white-sided dolphin.

It is being held by the National Museums of Scotland where it will be frozen before being taken for its post-mortem at the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) in Inverness.

A Scottish SPCA spokeswoman today said the killer whale sightings may have been a case of mistaken identity.

"It's really unusual to get killer whales here at this time of year because they don't usually migrate in winter months. If they are on the coast it's not usually till April."

She said recent reports of sightings of killer whales in the Forth had never been completely confirmed although they did not rule it out.

"The Firth of Forth has a rich marine life and has had killer whales in the past.

"It could also be that large dolphins with unusual colourings could have been mistaken for killer whales," she added.

But whale expert Erich Hoyt, a research fellow with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, who directs a project on killer whales in Russia, said he was certain killer whale sightings were for real.

He said: "There have been at least two killer whales in the Forth.

"I've seen the photographs and they have been 100 per cent identified as killer whales. This is the first time they have come so close to the bridges and have stayed three to four weeks."

A pod of up to eight orcas was spotted in January - the first confirmed sighting of killer whales in the Firth of Forth for 30 years.

The pod of killer whales was first spotted by workmen on the Forth Bridge, feasting on seal pups off Hounds Point.

Tourists have flocked to see them and The Maid of the Forth boat service is even running special killer whale-spotting trips.

Bob Reid, Scottish strandings coordinator, based at the SAC in Inverness, said the latest discovery was a dolphin but he had been told by reliable sources that there were killer whales in the Forth.

He said: "What washed up was an Atlantic white-sided dolphin. It's being frozen and will come to us for post-mortem in a couple of weeks. They are more common on the west coast of Scotland but are not unheard of here.

"Because it's black and white and there have been killer whales in the Forth people may have thought it was a whale. Also a porpoise was found a few weeks ago and it was reported to us as a baby orca. I haven't seen the killer whales myself but I've talked to reliable people who have told me they've seen them."

Source: Scotsman.com