BUY ME A COFFEE
Shetland Whales Trip 2020

During the past fifteen years, while I have published >850 hillwalking reports, I have not published a wildlife report. This report is my first such report. Please note that to see the wildlife featured in this report, I had to both walk and map read .

I first visited wonderful Shetland in 2013. On my first visit, over a period of eight days, I ascended all of Shetland's 19 Marilyns which are spread across Shetland Mainland, Fetlar, Unst, Yell, Bressay, Noss, Foula and Fair Isle. During this whistle-stop, action-packed trip, I got a flavour of the wildlife Shetland had to offer. I subsequently visited Shetland for a week in December 2019 and for a further week in August 2020.

On seeing numerous recent photos of Orcas and Humpbacks on the Shetland Orca Sightings Facebook Group, I literally dropped everything and within one hour of doing so had booked the overnight ferry for later that same day, had packed my campervan, and had set off from home towards Aberdeen to catch the ferry. I had no fixed duration of stay in mind but suspected I would stay for around three weeks which would hopefully provide sufficient time for a whale sighting. Little did I know what was to come!

I arrived into Lerwick on the 31st October and had to fairly immediately find somewhere sheltered to park-up as 70mph gusts were forecast. I headed south, parking-up beside the Mousa ferry pier where I spent the first day watching seals and a Red-throated Diver. While doing so, I also kept an eye on the Facebook Group to see if there had been any Orca sightings. There were none.

After a fairly rough night, I again spent the morning at the Mousa ferry pier and again there were no sightings on the Facebook Group. However, on watching the very rough sea I could see a large group of gulls flying above the water. Having seen similar groups of gulls previously above Bottlenose Dolphins and a Basking Shark, I had a closer look through my camera and lo and behold I saw the most enormous fin. Orcas!

A few photos from my first Orca sighting on Shetland:











I was on a high for at least 48 hours following my first sighting.

A few days later I was fortunate to be in the near vicinity of an Orca Sighting which had been posted to the Facebook Group. The Orcas were travelling down Sullom Voe so I parked-up just outside Brae hoping to see them as they travelled down the voe.

Alas, the Orcas decided to about-turn before reaching the point I was standing doing a 180 degree turn at Voxter Voe heading back out the way they had come. Fortunately I was still able to get a few long distance shots thanks to my 400mm prime lens with 1.4x extender which on a cropped-sensor camera is equivalent to just a few millimetres short of 900mm.

On this sighting it was nice to meet and briefly chat with a local lass who was also chasing the Orcas.

A few photographs follow from my second sighting.











My third Orca sighting followed soon thereafter but I misjudged where the Orca would pass by resulting in seeing only fins from a distance of perhaps one mile away. I should say that Orcas are living sentient beings that go where they want to go often turning round and almost always going at great speed. Orcas can travel at 30 knots.

My next sighting however was really special.

I was fortunate to be within close proximity of a sighting of Humpback Whales. Three Humpback Whales had been sighted in Lunning Sound and I was in nearby Vidlin. This time I used Viewranger in an attempt to work out from where I could see them and hopefully be in their direction of travel. I drove along Lunna Ness, parked-up and then walked about a kilometre up a small hill in the hope of seeing them.

In the distance, circa 2km away (first pic below), I could make out three Humpback Whales. I was really happy to see them but I did not expect what was to happen next. From circa 2km away, two of the three Humpback Whales swam directly towards me coming to within 200 metres of where I was standing.

Unlike the Orcas which tend to pass by within a matter of minutes, I stood watching the Humpack Whales for 1 Hour 20 Minutes .

It was a privilege to watch and listen to these massive creatures. Unlike the Orcas, which generally do not stay underwater for long, the Humpbacks disappear under water for three or four minutes at a time. There she blows - what a sound .

A number of photos follow from my Humpback Whales sighting.





























Only two days later I was again chasing Orcas. This time the Orcas were seen at Hillswick so I made my way to Eshaness hoping to see them as they passed by. On reaching Eshaness, I decided to walk one kilometre to get to a lower vantage point. I watched the Orcas as they passed by Stenness.

This was arguably my closest sighting to date but I didn't get many photographs as they passed-by so quickly.

A few photographs follow from my sighting near Eshaness.









Having already seen the Orcas four times and the Humpbacks once, I thought my good fortune had now expired. It would be five days before I would see the Orcas again. Two of these no sighting days were due to my van being off-road with brake problems which were fixed in Lerwick at extortionate cost. New pads front and rear, new rear disks, and a new caliper front and rear. Big ouch!

My next Orca sighting involved a fair bit of travel. There were three different Orca sightings posted up almost simultaneously. One sighting just south of Lerwick, one sighting just north of Lerwick and another sighting at the Whalsay ferry terminal at Laxo. I initially headed to see the ones north of Lerwick but saw nothing. I then made my way north to see the ones at the Whalsay ferry terminal which by then were approaching South Nesting Bay. I parked-up in South Nesting Bay and made my way down to the shore.

This time the Orcas did not rapidly swim past, they stopped right in front of me to kill a seal. I loved this sighting but despite being close, some rocks were partially obscuring my view.











This large Orca literally passed within 20 metres of where I was standing.

















After seeing the Orcas at South Nesting Bay, I decided to go see some other wildlife Shetland had to offer on Unst and Yell. I still can't believe what happened next. The same Orca pod (the 27s) decided to visit the North Isles. Until now they had been circuiting the mainland so the last thing I expected was to see them on Yell.

To see the Orcas on Yell, I parked in Mid Yell and walked out to the narrowest point of the voe in the hope of photographing them as they passed by. This was a fairly good plan as they did pass by albeit very quickly.

While on Unst, I was also fortunate to see numerous Harbour Porpoise at Haroldswick, which are small and real quick and thus difficult to photograph, and also two White Beaked Dolphins at Belmont .

Some photographs from Orca sighting number six follow.











... and finally, not content with having seen the Orcas six times, yet again I was fortunate to see them once more at Sumburgh. This time I joined the chase following the Orcas from Boddam to Ness Boating Club, to Sumburgh Head, to Scatness and then finally to next to Sumburgh Airport. The chase was in somewhat unpleasant conditions with strong winds, hail and snow. It was great to be in the socially-distanced company of many local Orca chasers including Hugh Harrop and Karen Hall.

Photographs follow from my Sumburgh area sighting.

















I am now aboard the ferry heading home basking in my good fortune while at the same time getting thrown about in Severe to Storm Force winds. The wildlife has been stupendous, the weather has not.

Thanks to Hugh, John and my friend Katie for these comments.









Postscript: the Otters were pretty-good too .