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| Copyright Graham Campbell |
Orcas (often referred to as "killer whales") frequent the Orkney waters in the summer. There are at least two pods that regularly come through Scapa Flow and past my house. However actually seeing them is more of a challenge! I follow a site on Facebook (Orkney Cetacean sightings) which gives alerts of their presence and direction. However this year even on the occasions I KNEW they were coming past the house, sea mist or choppy seas prevented me seeing them. But this week - whoooo hooo we got the best view I've had in years! So here are just a couple of picture showing them going past Sandside. The pictures were taken by Graham Campbell on a small boat - he followed them (at a respectful distance) for 6 hours as they moved up the flow. He kindly let me share them here.
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| Copyright Graham Campbell |
In both the pictures above you can see a small crowd to the right of the sandy beach. That's me and some neighbours standing on the old lighthouse pier watching the show. It was wonderful. We spotted at least five. Though I heard later there were two bull orcas further out and four or five females with calves nearer the shore hunting for seals and young seabirds.
And other pictures he took during the day....
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| Copyright Graham Campbell |
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| Copyright Graham Campbell |
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| Copyright Graham Campbell |
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| Copyright Graham Campbell |
Exciting.
ReplyDeleteIt was! :-)
DeleteExcellent! We've grey whales right now hanging out near the shore in my hometown. They're breaching, but not a whole lot. -still very exciting, though.
ReplyDeleteI do love seeing them, but even if I miss them, even knowing they are in these waters is wonderful.
DeleteWow, what an amazing sight.
ReplyDeleteIt was!!
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