Binoculars at the ready for Orca Watch

Researchers from Sea Watch Foundation have got their binoculars at the ready as they launch their annual Orca Watch, today, Saturday.

The foundation hopes that this week-long whale watching event will coincide with the passage of a school of Orca through the Pentland Firth.

The principle aim of Orca Watch is to collect data on Orkney’s visiting orcas as well as similar species in the area. The main watch site, Duncansby Head, will be surveyed daily by a core team, though members of the public are also being encouraged to get involved.

Anna Jemmett, a Sea Watch volunteer and Orca Watch organiser, hopes that others can share the experience of witnessing a whale in the wild.

“Although it takes both luck and patience — and many layers of warm clothes — the rewards are worth it,” she explained.

“Seeing a cetacean is magical!”
Further information on Orca Watch can be found on www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk