Six orca sighted off Durness on Scotland’s north coast

Orca spotted off Durness. Photo credit Colin and Natalie Morrison

Killer whales off the coast of Scotland
June 2010. Readers Colin and Natalie Morrison recently sent us some lovely images of a couple of Risso's dolphins off Durness Beach in the far north of Scotland. However they have surpassed themselves with their latest sighting of five or six Orcas hunting seals 150 yards off the coast.

Colin writes "One unfortunate seal was caught and killed. The remains were sent skywards several times, and the thump of the Orca's tails could be clearly heard. The speed at which these fantastic creatures can move at, has to be seen to be believed - we were thrilled by the encounter. However it became apparent that they weren't finished with our local seal population and proceeded to spook just about every set of flippers in the Durness area. 

Another reader, Peter Lock, has sent us this image of Orca whales off the beach at Balnakeil near Durness,  late afternoon 20th June 2010. Scroll down to see a larger image.

Once they were finished trawling the shallows, they then proceeded to breach in spectacular fashion, and two killer whales left the water completely. What a privilege.

Unfortunately our pictures are not the best, they are very grainy, but they do clearly show Orca, and at the end of the day is amazing whatever way you call it. In 25 years of living in Durness we have never seen these animals inshore, and the only other account is from an elderly prawn fisherman who once witnessed two Orcas beaching on a gravel beach in Loch Eriboll to catch and kill seals."

X marks the spot where the Orca were spotted - Photo credit Colin and Natalie Morrison