BDMLR Wester Ross

17/11/2025

Join for free, and every time you shop online with your favourite retailers, they’ll donate to BDMLR Wester Ross.
It doesn’t cost you anymore but can help us rescue marine mammals in distress….Join via the app today and we’ll get a bonus £2.

Raising money for your chosen cause has never been easier with the easyfundraising mobile fundraising app. Learn more now!

17/11/2025

Our hearts go out to our Cornish colleagues today who spent the day caring for a stranded newborn Fin Whale at Mevagissey.
Sadly due to this calf being maternally dependent and in poor body condition the most humane option was euthanasia.
It is a little reminiscent of our juvenile Minke in Durness earlier this year… caring for an animal all day only for it needing Euthanising in the end….Euthanasia is never the outcome we, as medics, hope for but sometimes it’s the kindest for the animal.
Well done team for all your efforts today you are in our thoughts ###

⚠️ Incident Update: Fin Whale Stranding at Mevagissey ⚠️

Our updated statement was released at 16:30pm. This provides the most up-to-date information on the incident with the 6.2m female Fin whale.
➡️ https://bdmlr.org.uk/fin-whale-stranding-at-mevagissey

Thank you for your patience as our teams continue working through this challenging incident. ❤️

06/11/2025

The prizes this year are spectacular! Get your tickets and help beautiful marine mammals 🥰🦭🐋🐬

🎟️ 2025 Christmas Raffle - officially open! 🦭✨

💙 Why it matters - Pupping season for grey seals is our peak time. We're aiming to raise £8,000 with our raffle - just a small percentage of our overall rescue costs from the last year alone!

With call-outs increasing year on year, your support means our rescue work continues to help those in need.

🎁 Over 55 Incredible prizes and ticket bundles with free tickets - Get your tickets now! 👇

https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/11164/bdmlrs-christmas-raffle-2025

Over the coming weeks, we will be highlighting all of the amazing prizes and their donors, but if you can't wait, check them all out on the raffle page!

29/10/2025

✨ Calling all hands to the deck! 💙

We need your help to make this year’s BDMLR Christmas Raffle our biggest and best yet! 🎁🎄

We’re on the lookout for prize donations — big or small — to help raise vital funds for our work rescuing seals, dolphins and whales across the UK. 🦭🐬🌊

💌 Could you (or someone you know!) donate a prize, voucher, experience or gift?
📣 Please share this post far and wide to help us spread the word. Every share truly helps! 💙

👉 Email [email protected]
if you can help, or tag a business who might!

29/10/2025

As Christmas approaches and we start to buy our loved ones gifts online… Why not sign up with Easyfundraising?
As you purchase gifts, at no extra cost to you, the companies you buy from will make a donation to BDMLR Wester Ross to help us give the gift of a chance at life to a Marine Mammal in need of help 🥰🐬🐋🦭
Click the link below for more information ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Help us when you shop with 7,000+ brands. Join now.

25/10/2025

Yesterday I mentioned the three pups coming over on the ferry from Stornoway.

Firstly on Thursday 16th October came ‘Mick’, an underweight, juvenile Common Seal with a swollen muzzle and ‘bite wounds’.

Then on Saturday 18th October was ‘Crunchie’ a moulting, underweight, female Grey Seal pup also with puncture wounds.

Finally on Wednesday 22nd October was poor wee ‘Lionel’, another juvenile Common seal with some horrific injuries that it is thought may have been caused by a dog 😔.

All three of these pups were lifted by the amazing BDMLR Hebrides medics, cared for by Aroha overnight, transported across the Minch by CalMac Ferries then collected by Donna, our Area Coordinator, and transported all the way up to Caithness Seal Rehab & Release. where they will receive the care they need to recover and then be released back to the wild.

If you can help with the costs of transporting these beautiful wee souls please donate on the link below, every donation makes a big difference no matter how small. 🦭🦭🦭

British Divers Marine Life Rescue

25/10/2025

It’s been a busy week for our Wester Ross team with three pups coming over on the ferry from the Outer Hebrides (more about those in the next post) then yesterday this beautiful wee female, juvenile Common Seal needing assistance in Ullapool.

Wester Ross medics Cindy and Neil attended the callout and along with the expert guidance and assistance of Noel (our previous Area Coordinator), she was assessed.

Although she appears in relatively good condition with nice wet eyes, a little round belly and able to ‘banana’; her breathing was wheezy and she was coughing and sneezing… all signs of a possible lungworm burden. Lungworm can be fatal and after several wee Commons being lost to this nasty parasite in the Outer Hebrides we were taking no chances.

The decision was made to get her to rehab where she could be treated so she was lifted then transported by Cindy and Neil to Caithness Seal Rehab & Release. where her survival chance are dramatically increased!
On arrival at the rehab centre she was also found to have large tape worms too 🫣 (last picture).

Thank you to our amazing medics, Head Office staff for their guidance, Clare at CSR&R and of course Noel for his support and assistance which was greatly appreciated.

📸 Noel Hawkins, Cindy and Neil Anderson
British Divers Marine Life Rescue

05/10/2025

💥 Spot a seal, dolphin, whale or turtle on the beach? 🐬🦭

✋ Don’t push it back in the sea - Help them best by calling BDMLR for advice. 📞 01825 765546 | 24/7

With winter approaching, reports of young seals are increasing — and this past week we’ve also responded to several cetacean incidents.
Here’s some important advice on what to do (and what not to do) if you come across a seal, dolphin, whale or turtle that may be in distress. 💙

Please help us share this vital information around! ❤️

21/07/2025

There are numerous Whales and pods of Dolphins off the North West Coast currently.

Unfortunately we are also seeing some boat operators not behaving responsibly around the dolphins, with some behaving very irresponsibly: driving directly at the dolphins, changing direction quickly towards the dolphins and staying with them far longer than they should, this applies to boats, jet skis and even kayaks and canoes.

It is very important boat operators behave responsibly around cetaceans as the Whales and Dolphins are not coming in to 'play' they come here to find food, we also have a lot of Mother/Calf pairs and irresponsible behaviour risks separating groups, calves from their mothers and even worse could cause serious injuries to the animals.

Sadly there has already been reports out in the Minch of two Common Dolphins with quite severe injuries; one has injuries on its back and the other injuries to its tail fluke.
Please get in touch if you see these dolphins while out in the Minch.

Below are photos of the individuals and a poster advising on responsible Cetacean watching, enabling you to enjoy the experience without disturbing them and keeping you on the right side of the law ☺️

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15fHonNR8T/?mibextid=wwXIfr

📸 Ullapool Sea Savers Shearwater Cruises, Ullapool

21/07/2025

Yesterday an entangled Minke was reported around 8.5 Nautical Miles NE of the northern most tip of Skye. It is free swimming and very mobile. It was seen once by the Hebridean Whale Cruise’s boat on their morning trip and not seen again on subsequent trips. It has rope around the body and head but the mouth appears to be able to open as it was observed lunge feeding. If you are watching from land or out on a boat maybe keep an eye out for it and hopefully it will show up again and the Large Whale Disentanglement Team can mobilise. Please don’t get too close as there may be loose rope in the water which may foul your prop. Any photos/videos as well as location info would be valuable. If you see it please call British Divers Marine Life Rescue on 01825 765546 or the Coastguard on Chanel 16 if on a boat and you don’t have phone signal.

19/07/2025

** *UPDATE*
At approximately 19:30 the Common Dolphins finally left the area, there were 3 adults and 2 calves. They left Badachro Bay and swam out through The Narrows.

Thank you to Sue for the initial report, BDMLR Inverness medic Fiona and her husband Kevin for travelling over to keep watch and to BDMLR Wester Ross Medic Neil who accompanied our Area Coordinator, Donna, to keep watch earlier in the day and the evening**

We are aware of the small group of Common Dolphins trapped in the shallows on the south side of Loch Gairloch.
PLEASE DO NOT GO OVER IN BOATS, KAYAKS OR PADDLE-BOARDS PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THEM
Any disturbance will prevent them getting back into the deeper water and likely to lead to them stranding.
Thank you ☺️