WDCS Fieldwork Blog

I’m on the train heading back to our field study site off the west coast of Scotland. It’s a beautiful journey from Edinburgh to Auchnasheen – the end of the line on the way to Gairloch. I left Nicola and Kila to survey and snuck away a couple of days ago to present at the Institute of Acoustics Conference in Southampton. The conference was focused on underwater noise measurement, impact and mitigation and it was very interesting (details of the conference can be found here: https://underwaternoise2008.lboro.ac.uk/index.php).

My presentation was on “navy guidance to protect marine mammals from active sonar” (which I gave at the same time as Nicola spotted a sei whale!!), based on a paper that will soon be published. Very timely!! In addition to presenting this piece of work, attending the conference gave me the opportunity to talk to a number of acoustic and other experts about noise issues more generally. The most promising issue that I took from the meeting was the commitment to make progress on the issue of noise though a UK Noise Forum that includes all stakeholders. This group formed over a year ago and is the first concerted effort to better understand possible impacts of noise pollution on marine life in UK waters.

Navy sonar and potential impacts on whales and dolphins have had considerable exposure in the media of late. The US supreme court case brought about by the US conservation group, NRDC (www.nrdc.org) about protection of marine species during the operation of US mid-frequency active sonar. Closer to home in the UK, the common dolphin stranding in Cornwall back in June looking increasingly like it was connected to navy activities with the release of information from the MoD following a request from WDCS and other charities. The link is by no means certain but there is no doubt that a number of countries were involved in a major exercise that took place in the days that led up to the stranding - and the Royal Navy was still using active sonar during the afternoon after the stranding had occurred (we think it happened in the early hours of the morning). This could of course have been a problem for animals that were still alive and attempted to be refloated and brings into question why the Navy was still operating sonar after such a major incident that received national media attention.


More generally, as my presentation recognised, the UK Navy and some other navies around the world are taking the issue of noise pollution seriously and considerable resources and effort are being applied to finding solutions to mitigate their impacts. But we don’t believe that the current measures go far enough. ‘Atypical’ strandings continue to happen around the world and an increasing number of species are involved in these strandings (although this common dolphin stranding was unprecedented, our leading UK pathologist did identify gas bubbles in a common dolphin back in 2003 and made a possible connection with navy activities then). Put simply, navies need to conduct full, detailed and public Environment Assessments. Navies also need to identify important habitats and vulnerable species and conduct exercises around these, outside of important breeding, feeding and migration habitats. On-board mitigations need to be strengthened but the limitations also need to be acknowledged. On-board mitigation alone can not protect marine wildlife. Importantly, the Royal Navy, as with other marine users, should be funding basic research to improve our understanding of the marine environment and the populations and trends of populations as well as potential impacts. Without this information, we can not truly know the potential impacts of repeated and ongoing sonar on marine life.

The Americans are here! You could hardly miss them as the Minch has begun to see quite a bit of activity over the past few days. Unfortunately the weather hasn’t been too accommodating but we’ve still been able to find some moments of calm to keep up the search for animals.

Tuesday saw a break in the weather (we even had moments when there was no wind…short moments indeed but moments nonetheless) and sighting conditions were perfect! It was gannet central all day today, in any one field of view you could spot at least 20 of them, dive-bombing from one end of the Minch to the other, inshore and offshore – we were anticipating a productive day (as were the gannets obviously).

Apart from the avian displays, the morning was otherwise quiet on the wildlife front but not so on the navy one with one of the American warships patrolling the waters between Skye and Lewis and thereby the entrance to the Minch, and two other as yet unidentified navy vessels patrolling the northern horizon. By early afternoon they’d moved on and the waters became becalmed once more.

Patience and our powerful binoculars enabled mid afternoon sightings of 2 basking sharks and a …(drum roll please)….a very unexpected visitor to these shores, a sei whale, scouring the shallower waters for tasty treats. As the afternoon wore on, worsening conditions and a setting sun meant further sightings were not the order of the day. The navy also made a reappearance and the patrolling began in earnest once again…..they were still there when the sunlight faded and the Minch was bathed in the light of the full moon.

Even with the high winds, and in between the mild squalls (otherwise translated as torrential downpours), visibility for navy vessel spotting has been good! Gaps in the rain (apparently “nature’s way of washing the Scottish cows”) on Wednesday morning allowed us to spot no fewer than 6 navy vessels ducking and diving through the Minch – one minute they were there, the next….gone! No animals so far and even the birds appear to be having a bit of a day off!

Having checked the forecast, it’s not looking good for the coming days however we can but hope that the guts are taken out of the gale force winds currently making their way towards the Outer Hebrides before it hits land this side of Skye. (Not that I want folk in the isles to suffer of course…..but you’d guess they were used to the winds by now!)

The gale force winds that are blowing over us provide plenty of time for us to think about the navy activity that is happening here in the Minch. Exercise Joint Warrior happens twice a year for two weeks at a time (until a few years ago it was three times a year). Eight nations descend upon Scottish coastal waters to train with the UK to prepare for war. Joint Warrior is the biggest joint nations military exercise in Europe and it’s happening here, right here.

The wind has not only given us time to think about this but to talk to the community around us. Those who live here are all too familiar with the war games being played out on their doorstep. Fishermen, commercial whale watch operators and residents alike, all report that when they start seeing navy activity in the Minch, they stop seeing marine wildlife. And it’s not just the Minch that is feeling the brunt of all this military activity – the military training is occurring throughout the UK, including at Cape Wrath and Pembrokeshire.

The MoD state in recent press releases that it recognises the impact of military activity and takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously. WDCS have requested details of the measures taken by the MoD to ensure that the marine environment is fully protected during these games that involve anti-submarine warfare, counterterrorism, close-air support, electronic warfare and minesweeping training. But the truth is, after sustained activities including almost 60 years of on-going military exercises and no on-the-ground environmental monitoring to date, we’re not sure that the MoD is taking its environmental responsibilities seriously enough. Is the MoD doing enough to ensure the protection of the marine environment?

As far as we are aware the MoD has conducted no Environmental Impact Statement that considers the long term and cumulative impacts of continuously conducting such massive exercises in the Minch, or elsewhere. All other marine users, for example oil and gas and marine renewable industries, are expected to demonstrate environmental responsibility before being allowed to operate in the marine environment (although of course there remain flaws in this process) and we should expect no less from the MoD.

We look forward to receiving a response from the MoD to our request for information about the exercise and to working with them to ensure increased efforts towards ensuring the protection of our marine species in the future - in the Minch, and everywhere that they exercise.

I knew before opening my eyes this morning that we wouldn’t be watching the sea today. The wind was howling around the house and rattling the windows and the dustbin lid outside. On venturing into the lounge I could see nothing but whitecaps on the gunmetal grey sea, stretching from the beach out to the horizon. Even the navy vessel that had been patrolling outside of the entrance of Loch Ewe was no longer visible in the distant fog. There were no fishing vessels and no whale watching boats out there. Only the gannets, using the opportunity that the gale force south-westerly winds provided, were conducting their incredible dives to forage between the white horses.

Loch Ewe, to the north of our study site, has been a navy fleet base and convoy point since the second World War, when it was strategically important as it was the most northerly of the suitable west coast sea lochs. It is a big, deep, natural sea loch, making it such a suitable defence site. During the second World War an anti-submarine net was deployed across the entrance of the loch and it was further defended by the coastal defence artillery on both the northern and southern headlands at the lochs entrance. It was one of these historic and now derelict coastal defences from which we watched HMS Somerset enter the loch on Wednesday.


Today we decided to drive south to explore Red Point, a beautiful headland that no doubt gets its name from the incredible red sand that make up the tall dunes and the beach. Black-backed gulls sheltered on the near side of a rocky outcrop, and oystercatchers and turnstones scurried along the beach, battling the wind in search of food. The sand was whipping up and swirling so much that Kila often couldn’t find her stick! We had hoped to get a glimpse of the small Island of Rona, which is sandwiched between the mainland and the north-east coast of Skye, but we had trouble seeing our noses in front of us, and it was as if the western isles had completely disappeared.

The wild weather looks set to stay with us for the next couple of days so our viewing opportunities are likely to remain limited. We can only hope that the winds die down and the fair weather returns and in the mean time we will enjoy long walks on the glorious local beaches, in full wet weather gear, whilst keeping a keen eye out for any activity at sea!

Day 3 apparently….but for me it started like all the others – just as it’s getting light the humans throw on several jumpers and woolly socks and I get all excited that a walk (sorry a stick throwing session) is on the cards but as usual, it wasn’t to be …. And the shifts begin for one or t’other of the humans to join me outside come rain or shine!

However this morning was to be different after all (apparently although it was sunny it was something called a “sea state 5” which I can only think has something to do with the wind as I do indeed believe that those dastardly sheep smelled even closer!), and only a few shift changes in, they’d packed up and loaded the moving box (the one that gets you to and from walks…and stops you from getting at those dastardly sheep)!! The humans appeared to enjoy the time in the box (taking photo things whilst I on the other hand just kept seeing sheep going past the window at 40mph….) and were rather happy when we rounded a corner to be greeted by “4 navy ships” (one was called the “Bulwark”, weird name if you ask me but hey…) hanging out in Loch Ewe. I was excited cos I finally got to go for a walk….but not before we were buzzed by the biggest bird I’ve ever seen (even bigger than the eagle we saw the other day), turns out it was of the species Helicopteri francais.

For the next wee while we (the humans actually, if truth be known) stumbled over heather covered rocks and took up residence in what used to be a gunnery outpost in WW2…very nice view of all the activity going on in the Loch and out into the Minch, some of these birds really can fly fast can’t they? No chance I’ll be catching one of them…and they’re a bit noisy for my liking too!



By the time we got back to the house it was sunnier but windier than before and although there was still lots of human discussions on-going, lots of “maps” being poured over and lots of standing around looking out to sea with those big glasses they have, there was also much more stick chasing for me, when I wasn’t running up and down the length of the fence to get at those dastardly sheep that is – if only they’d leave the gate open….!!

An exciting moment happened when the human called Sarah spotted a group of surfing porpoises, and then the one called Nicola found us a basking shark (just off the beach at the end of the garden!!) – don’t like the sound of that but I’m assured they only eat plankton and never come onto land, so I feel better knowing that… although I may think twice about swimming down there now! And if that wasn’t enough excitement for one day, we then got buzzed by what I presumed was another member of Helicopteri francais, however I was informed that although it was from the same genus, it was in fact a different yet similar species, Helicopteri royali navyi – there must be quite a diversity out here!

I’ll bid you farewell for the moment as I’m guessing it’s about time for the trip in the moving box to the place called the “temporary office” (I call it the pub…they claim it’s the only place they can get wireless…and after driving around in the moving box for ages trying to find an alternative source I’m beginning to believe them!) but I get packets of pork scratchings and lots of attention from other people so I don’t mind….and they might even stop at a beach for a walk on the way home before dinner and an evening of lying on the sofa for me…whilst they pour over more maps and talk about “data”, “navy ships” and “minke whales” – all Greek to me!

It’s a hard life being a dog…..and ensuring there are enough sticks to last the day – I had to make do with a chair leg the other day, after they’d taken the bone off me, how was I to know it was from a whale?!

Until next time….woof!