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We're at COP28 to Save the Whale, Save the World.

We’re at COP28 to save the whale, save the world

Ed Goodall Ed is WDC's head of intergovernmental engagement. He meets with world leaders to...
Gray whales from drone.

We’re taking steps to uncover the mysteries of whales

Vicki James Vicki is WDC's protected areas coordinator, she helps to create safe ocean spaces...
We must protect our non-human allies. Image: Tom Brakefield, aurore murguet, johan63

We’re urging governments to protect all of our climate heroes – CITES

Katie Hunter Katie supports WDC's engagement in intergovernmental conversations and is working to end captivity...
The Natütama Foundation are dedicated to protecting endangered river dolphins. Image: Natutama

Guardians of the Amazon: protecting the endangered river dolphins

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Amazon river dolphins. Image: Fernando Trujillo/Fundacion Omacha

Amazon tragedy as endangered river dolphins die in hot water

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin © Mike Bossley/WDC

WDC in Japan – Part 3: Restoring freedom to dolphins in South Korea

Katrin Matthes Katrin is WDC's communications and campaigns officer for policy & communication in Germany...
Wintery scene in Iceland

Seeking sanctuary – Iceland’s complex relationship with whales

Hayley Flanagan Hayley is WDC's engagement officer, specialising in creating brilliant content for our website...
Whaling ship Hvalur 8 arrives at the whaling station with two fin whales

A summer of hope and heartbreak for whales in Icelandic waters

Luke McMillan Luke is WDC's Head of hunting and captivity. Now that the 2023 whaling season...

Recent Sightings at Spey Bay

Three months in and still seeing something new every week! Most evidence of winter has now disappeared and has been replaced with lush green trees and plants. Quite a different scene to when we first arrived back in February.

We have been enjoying the warmer and lighter evenings, going for walks and having fires on the beach, watching dolphins and osprey most of the time! Although the last couple of days have been rather grey and blustery! Hopefully the sun will have has his hat on again soon.

We’ve had dolphins here at Spey Bay for 16 days straight – not bad going! On one of these days they were out there for eight hours, setting the record so far for this year!

I have been a little more into insects this week, managed to get a few snapshots of different butterflies and identifying weevils! Of the butterflies, I have seen the orange tip, the green veined white, the peacock, small copper and small tortoiseshell. The nettle weevil tagged a lift home with me on one of my walks and the pine weevil found its way into my bedroom!

We have had the arrival of the house martins and the swifts down by the river. On the reserve, the sedge warbler and reed bunting have been spotted. I was lucky the other day, on one of my walks, to spot the first ducklings for the year! Seem to be a lot later than usual this far up north! But they’ve arrived, so on the lookout for some more now. The spotted flycatcher has also been seen which is rather exciting as they are quite scarce in the North. The American widgeon, spotted by Keith, a keen birder and friend of SDC, also ruffled a few feathers! 

Expanding a little further into the Moray Firth, we’ve had some rather exciting ceteceans spotted! Starting with two different sightings of minke whales off of Burghead and also a pod of orcas off of Hopeman! Sadly I haven’t witnessed these for myself, yet!

At the moment, I am getting ready for Big Watch Weekend, where our shorewatchers get together and do as many watches as they can! I will be getting up at the crack of dawn on Saturday 7th June, aiming to get my first watch done at 4am! We will also be having an evening watch with a beach fire (open to all) on one of the evenings. Fingers crossed for some good weather!