Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

Here is a recent sequence of a minke #whale feeding that has been matched to an animal in the CRRU catalogue.

The drone footage can provide information on individual feeding behaviour and morphometrics which can be linked up with all the other data sources through IDs

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

Here is a recent sequence of a minke #whale feeding that has been matched to an animal in the CRRU catalogue.

The drone footage can provide information on individual feeding behaviour and morphometrics which can be linked up with all the other data sources through IDs

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

One for our birder's and another first for many of us on the CRRU team. Yesterday we photographed a single Cory's shearwater amongst a bird raft during a minke survey. A few pics below🥰

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

On Thu 19th Jun, CRRU was alerted to a group of sperm whales in the shallow inner Moray Firth. It it concerning when these deep diving toothed whales appear in such shallow waters, as they often become stranded, so we set out to check them out and establish their well-being.

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

We are grateful to receive any further shore reports and will continue to monitor the situation with our colleagues at SMASS, who are aware of the animals. We are all hoping that the group has found their way towards deeper waters.

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

On Thu 19th Jun, CRRU was alerted to a group of sperm whales in the shallow inner Moray Firth. It it concerning when these deep diving toothed whales appear in such shallow waters, as they often become stranded, so we set out to check them out and establish their well-being.

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

Once we established the group seemed to be okay, and were observed moving NE into deeper waters, we carefully approached the animals to take identification photographs of each whale to provide important records, in case any of the group are subsequently reported stranding.

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

Our BIG GIVE Green Fund is LIVE and we have already exceeded 20% of our goal! EVERY £1 will be DOUBLED, PLUS we receive a further 20% in gift aid if you are a UK tax payer.

Donate now at https://t.co/jirtL1s10K and help us to protect our UK whales and dolphins!

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

Congratulations to the Dutch film crew on this excellent and highly informative educational production!"

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

"Episodes1 to 4 of the long-awaited Dutch production "North Sea Nature Untamed" have just been released on the Dutch Channel NPO today!

https://t.co/Du8BFfe1sZ

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

Whilst the production is only available in Dutch, it is still worth watching, as the film footage (especially the slo-mo sequences of the bottlenose dolphins, minke whales and guillemot jumplings, filmed with ourselves) is stunning!!!

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

We are VERY pleased to announce the publication of our latest paper on the use of environmental DNA-derived co-occurrence networks to infer ecological interactions, which can be downloaded (as early view) from https://t.co/HMfXC5kMbS

Fantastic work by Dr Elizabeth Boyse et al!

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

Porpoises in managed care, for example, are seen to rub each other with their tubercles, which are thought to provide sensory information that may be important during social exchanges.

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

DID YOU KNOW? Porpoises (collectively known as Phocoenids) are a reverse sexually dimorphic group of odontocetes, where, unlike the majority of other toothed whale species, mature females are considerably larger than mature males.

[Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit @CRRU]

New light on the function of the raised, epidermal tubercles on the leading edge of the dorsal fin (shown below) also suggests an anatomical role in sexual behavior.