Whale, Dolphin
and Porpoise watching in the Moray Firth
The WDCS
Moray Firth Wildlife Centre is based in Spey Bay, and in
June 2007 WDCS opened a second centre at North Kessock near
Invereness.
Seeing the Dolphins on Foot
The Sea Watch Foundation in conjunction with the East Grampian
Coastal Partnership have produced an excellent leaflet, that
shows the places around the Moray coast to spot the dolphins
and other wildlife.
The dolphins come close to shore.
The dolphins are there year-round but particularly from late
May to September.
At Burghead, accessible by road, the point sticks out into
the Moray Firth, and is close to deep water, making it a good
year-round viewpoint for the bottlenose dolphins as well as
minke whales in late summer and autumn.
From Lossiemouth, on the coast north of Elgin, the dolphins
can also be seen.
At the town of Spey Bay, at the mouth of the River Spey,
the dolphins sometimes come in close to feed.
From the shore at Buckie, dolphins can be seen swimming
close.
At Portknockie, a town a few miles east of Buckie, is a
good year-round lockout point for bottlenose dolphins as well
as minke whales in late summer and autumn.
From Cullen, walks along the coast can sometimes result
in dolphin sightings.
On the headlands north of Banff, bottlenose dolphins, harbour
porpoises and sometimes orcas have been seen.
The beaches of Nairn, Findhorn, Findochty,
and Troup Head near Pennan are all good locations to spot different
types of wildlife too. Also Fort George, and Chanonry point on
the other side, near the mouth of the Firth of Inverness are
very good points to see the dolphins from the shore.
Watching by Boat
One of the best ways to see the dolphins is by taking a
boat trip with on of the accredited operators below. These operators
are all accredited by the Dolphin Space program and follow strict
guide lines to ensure the well being of the dolphins and other
wild life.
