There is a lot of watching going on these days! Don’t have your day ruined.
From the pollis:-
A 42-year-old man has been charged under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for intentionally and recklessly disturbing a pod of dolphins by driving his boat through the group in the Lossiemouth area on Friday, 25 March, 2022.
The man will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal in due course.
Constable Hannah Haywood, Wildlife Crime Officer, said: “Whales, dolphins and porpoises are wonderful to watch but we need to remember that they are a protected species and it is an offence to deliberately or recklessly disturb or harass them.
“If you are out on the water and are lucky enough to see dolphins or whales then the main thing is to keep your distance, slow your speed and if animals come close to your vessel then do not make any sudden changes in your speed or direction of travel.
“Please do not chase or repeatedly approach them try to scatter them or swim with them. Let the animals be in control of the encounter and if they choose to depart or not to interact then this should be respected.
“Signs of disturbance can be subtle, but could include such things as; swimming speed, tail slapping, or ceasing in what it was doing i.e. feeding or socialising. If you notice any of these changes then slow down and stay back. Everyone on the water should follow the Scottish Marine Watching Code.”
Well I have seen a pod of dolphins being harassed just off Dorhus Mohr. To my shame I did nothing Rib with kids thinking it was great fun . Saw RIB later at Ardfern still said nothing shame on me. Not in any doubt what took place. Disappointing that some that have not personally seen it think it doesn't happen.
I don't think you need to feel shame SolwayCruiser as your experience is common. Often the reason we don't intervene is the fear of being wrong, challenged or the hassle of receiving abuse from those who don't consider their actions as wrong or worse, know they are wrong and feel the need to defend themselves; it's the same with sexism and bigotry, we all probably know people who are abusive in some way or another to other people. The reason Scotland is rife with it is because it's normalised behaviour where those who challenge it are targeted and abused. Irresponsible behaviour is now being recognised and the journey to try and reduce it is well underway.
Anyway, the point of this thread is to raise awareness and give some tools for those of us who want to be aware. I think the links in the OP could also be shared with anyone who is in a club or organisation. We could also print off and have a copy which you could hand over to a group of people if you thought that there was an issue, or just be informed yourself, so that you can confidently advise why certain actions are illegal and risk prosecution. Usually folks are just ignorant and education is the best form of intervention, rather than prosecution.
I think that with the expansion of whale and Dolphin sightseeing trips, research into marine mammals in Scotland and increasing numbers of water users, a bit of self awareness is required.
We must always respect marine wildlife and encourage responsible behaviour around whales, dolphins and porpoises.
We would also encourage all boat users to join a WiSe training course, teaching people to encounter wildlife in a wildlife-safe way: 