2005-present Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) Shorewatch Programme records
The Shorewatch Programme trains volunteers to conduct land-based watches for cetaceans in coastal waters around northern Scotland. Shorewatch data is effort-based and collected from specific sites using consistent methodology. The complete Shorewatch data set contains effort and sightings from 2005 - 2009 (Spey Bay only) and from 2010 through the most recent completed calendar year from all Shorewatch sites. Longstanding sites can be found in Aberdeen, along the south coast of the Moray Firth, Inverness area, the North coast, the West coast, and the outer Hebrides. Pilot sites exist in some of the other Hebridean islands and on Orkney.
dataset
name: WDCS Shorewatch database
description: A link to the Shorewatch online data entry portal
name: whales.org
description: A link to the main WDC website
Shorewatch
http://www.whales.org
eng
urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326
biota
revision
2008-01-06
revision
2009-11-16
-8.8537
-1.2951
59.6695
56.8028
creation
1954-01-01
Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland
creation
1954-01-01
North Atlantic Ocean
creation
1954-01-01
North Sea
revision
2010-01-01
water column
creation
2014-05-16
IVb
creation
2014-05-16
VIa
creation
2014-05-16
IVa
2005-01-01
2016-12-06
publication
2016-11-30
creation
2005-01-01
continual
Local volunteers are trained up to carry out 10-minute watches for cetaceans from specific sites around the north coast of Scotland. A 'Shorewatch' methodology is to scan each quadrant of the survey area (left to right) for one minute with binoculars (provided) followed by a one minute naked eye scan and then repeat this process a second time. Watches can occur no more often than once per hour and take place as randomly or scheduled but not because cetaceans are known to be in the area. Casual sightings can be recorded outwith a watch at any time. Volunteers have attended a one day training on methodology and cetacean-ID. They use shared / provided equipment and enter the data into an online database or send in paper datasheets. Regular updates and trainings are provided.
Data is freely available for use in teaching and conservation but permission must be sought for use if the data will be reproduced in full or part or if used in any analyses. Upon request data can be made available for research or commercial use providing that the originators are acknowledged in any publications produced.
The sightings data is visible on the NBN gateway / Atlas of Living Scotland but the full effort-based data set must be requested from WDC Shorewatch.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC)
originator
Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC)
custodian
Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC)
pointOfContact
2016-12-02