Whale and seal watching in Scotland

Our marine mammal friends are amazing, and mostly unafraid of human contact from a sailing boat.

I love to see seals, dolphins and whales on my travels. These are harbour seals at Machrihanish, Mull of Kintyre, where there is a breeding colony.

You can find them on many other Scottish coasts, too: they often curve up in a sort-of banana shape when basking.
Below is a common grey seal, near Rhum. They often frequent small fishing ports and havens.

Here’s a guide to finding them.

And here is a superb Minke whale, off the NW coast of Skye. Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Much larger than a dolphin, at 5-7 metres, and one of the most common whales in these waters..

Dolphins are everyone’s favourites - but whilst I lack the knowledge to name all the different kinds I think this is a common dolphin. Delphinus delphis . See also
Dolphins, porpoise and whales: how to identify and best places to see | Countryfile.com

I’ve seen plenty of porpoises too, but so far not managed any decent photos, as they are often some distance off shore.
And at night, on a slow, quiet sail, anywhere around our coasts, it is not uncommon to hear the breathing and snorting of whales all around you: under the light of the Milky Way, this is a truly magical experience, and worth waiting for.