Seen a fin? send it in! Members of the public urged to report whale and dolphin sightings across Scotland
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A CHARITY is calling on members of the public to get involved with efforts to protect Scottish whales and dolphins.
The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust hope members of the public will get involved with their efforts by reporting sightings of marine mammals on their newly improved tracking app.
The Whale Track app, created by the charity, now allows eagle-eyed spotters to document sightings from land or sea and submit images for photo-identification research.
Although the charity is based in the Hebrides, the app is UK wide and every sighting and photograph submitted will make a difference to the Trust’s research into the marine animals seen in Scottish waters.
Sadie Gorvett, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s Education Officer said:“It’s very exciting to see the addition of land-based surveys to Whale Track. Effort based data is crucial in deepening our understanding of the cetaceans which inhabit the seas.
"Knowing not only when and where people are seeing these animals, but also where they are not, enables us to better understand where the important areas for these animals are, allowing us to better protect them.”
Spring is an especially exciting time for marine conservation, as migratory species like the minke whale and basking shark visit Scotland and the charity are eager for even more people to get involved by reporting their sightings, by land or sea, during the warmer months.