Marvelous May Sightings
May Gets Off To A Splashing Start!
The start of May has brought us some brilliant weather and the Moray Firth seems to have sprung alive! We’ve been seeing a lot of Kesslet aboard the Dolphin Spirit, but she isn’t the only visitor making our passengers “ooh” and “ahh” just now. Dolphin Mischief has been struggling with some difficult weather conditions, but when she gets out, they’ve been seeing a lot of two very lovely dolphins in particular, Zephyr and her young son!
Dolphin Spirit’s Sightings
Kesslet has been occasionally joined on her hunts around the Kessock Channel and the River Ness by Scoopy, as her son Charlie seems to be more interested in joining the fun and games further out with the other young males. He has been spotted among a mischievous group called “The Bad Boys Club”, larking about and making trouble. More often than not however, when we spot Kesslet she is often on her own. This is incredibly poignant considering her recent loss, which we detailed in on of our previous blogs (you can read it here). She is a little on the thin side at the moment, but she’s been hunting well on some pretty big salmon when she’s upriver so will hopefully put that weight back on in no time.
Kesslet isn’t the only fish-eater hanging around the Beauly Firth at the moment either; the local osprey have also been putting in an appearance or two! One such encounter with these fabulous birds saw one pass straight over the boat, within 20 feet of our passengers heads! Unfortunately the seals have been a little absent as of late, but in their place the otters have been checking in. One sighting of them allowed us to watch it travel from the river mouth and into the rocks, giving us a unique insight into where the holt lies in the harbour wall!
Zephyr and calf having a look at Chanonry Point
Mischief’s Markings
Our new RIB Mischief hasn’t had much chance to go out recently, as the strong north-easterly winds have prevented the boat from even leaving the marina most days. However, when the Mischief does get out, they are treated to some fantastic sightings. Zephyr and her 1.5 year old calf have been present almost daily at Chanonry Point, and seem very interested in the new vessel, often coming by for a look and even short bow rides! Some of the other local dolphins who visited the Dolphin Spirit last year, like Bonnie and her older calf, have also been spotted up there. Further out, the RIB has encountered some pretty active groups of youngsters who are always up for a bit of fun and mischief of their own!
Want to join the fun? You can book your own Dolphin Spirit or Mischief experience here!