As many as 24 different species either reside in, or pass through, these northern waters making this region one of the most important habitats for whales, dolphins and porpoises in Western Europe!

Dolphins & Porpoises - There are currently 36 recognised species of dolphin of the family Delphinidae and 6 species of porpoise (see taxonomy page for full listing of species and families). Of these, 9 dolphin species have been recorded in the Moray Firth and one species of porpoise:

[Click on the species name or picture to view a detailed fact file on that species]

The bottlenose dolphin		Atlantic white-sided dolphin	Long-finned pilot whale
Risso's dolphin		Killer whale	White-beaked dolphin
Common dolphin		Striped dolphin	Harbour porpoise

Whales - In addition, several species of whale have been recorded in the Moray Firth. Of the filter feeding, baleen whales, minke whales are the most common, but other species have also been recorded in these waters including the fin, sei and humpback. Of the beaked whale family (Ziphiidae), only the Northern bottlenose whale has been sighted in these north-east waters. Sperm whales sporadically occur in this area of the North Sea, but those animals entering the shallow Scottish firths usually become stranded. To learn more about any of these animals, click on the link below for an in-depth fact file: