The Clyde is alive with marine mammals
From harbour porpoises and dolphins to visiting whales, the waters of the Clyde support an increasingly diverse range of marine life.
Why the Clyde?
A changing marine environment
The Clyde appears to be becoming an increasingly important area for marine mammals. Harbour porpoises are regularly encountered throughout the region, while dolphins and occasionally larger whales are also being recorded. But the Clyde is also a busy and changing environment. Shipping, recreational boating, fishing, underwater noise, coastal development and climate change all have the potential to affect marine mammals. Understanding how animals use these waters is an important first step towards ensuring that the Clyde remains a healthy place for marine life.
THE ANIMALS
The Clyde is home to more marine life than many people realise. From harbour porpoises moving quietly through coastal waters to dolphins and visiting whales, every sighting helps us build a better understanding of the animals that share this remarkable place.
EXPLORE THE SPECIES →
THE HIDDEN WORLD
Much of the marine world cannot be seen from the shore. Through acoustic monitoring, we can listen beneath the waves for porpoise clicks, dolphin communication and the sounds of an underwater world that is usually hidden from us.
LISTEN BELOW THE SURFACE →
THE CONNECTION
The Clyde does not exist in isolation. Its waters connect the sea lochs, the Firth of Clyde and the wider North Channel, linking marine mammals, communities and researchers across a much larger marine landscape.
EXPLORE THE CONNECTIONS →
We don’t know the whole story!
Marine mammals do not recognise council boundaries, marine plans or organisational boundaries.
The animals we see in the Clyde may also travel through the sea lochs, the Irish Sea and the wider North Channel.
To understand them, we need to understand the connections.
WHERE DO THEY GO?
Marine mammals can travel vast distances, but we still have much to learn about how they move through the Clyde and surrounding waters.
WHEN ARE THEY HERE?
Understanding when animals are present helps us build a clearer picture of how they use the Clyde throughout the year.
WHICH PLACES MATTER?
Some areas may be particularly important for feeding, travelling, resting or social behaviour. We need to find them.
WHAT CAN THEY HEAR?
The underwater world is filled with sound. Ships, boats and human activity all contribute to the acoustic environment marine mammals depend upon.
WHAT CONNECTS THE CLYDE?
The Clyde is part of a much bigger marine landscape. Understanding those connections is essential.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
Better understanding creates better opportunities for communities, researchers and decision-makers to protect marine life.
What we do
Research, monitoring and practical conservation across the Clyde
Research, monitoring, collaboration and community knowledge all have a role to play.
Monitor
Recording cetaceans and other marine wildlife across the Clyde to build a clearer picture of where species occur, when they appear and how they use the area.
Listen
Using passive acoustic monitoring to record porpoises, dolphins and whales, helping us understand when they are present and what is happening beneath the surface.
Research
Turning observations, acoustic recordings and field data into useful research that can improve our understanding of cetaceans in the Clyde.
Connect
Bringing together people, observations and information from around the Clyde so that local knowledge and scientific evidence can support each other.
Collaborate
Working with researchers, communities, conservation groups and other organisations to share knowledge and develop useful projects across the Clyde and North Channel.
Protect
Using evidence, local knowledge and collaboration to support better decisions for cetaceans and the wider marine environment of the Clyde.
Our work
Discovering the Clyde beneath the surface
Our work focuses on understanding the animals, exploring their hidden world and building connections that can help protect their future.
The Animals
Porpoises, dolphins and whales use the Clyde in different ways. We record sightings, behaviour and acoustic activity to build a better picture of the animals that share these waters.
The Hidden World
Much of the lives of cetaceans happens beyond our sight. Hydrophones allow us to listen beneath the surface, revealing clicks, whistles and other sounds that help us understand their presence and behaviour.
The Connection
The Clyde is connected to the wider west coast and North Channel. By bringing together research, local observations and shared datasets, we can understand these animals across the range they actually use.
Acoustic monitoring
Listening beneath the waves
What can we hear?
Hydrophones let us listen to a part of the Clyde that is normally hidden. Porpoise clicks, dolphin whistles, whale calls and vessel noise all leave an acoustic trace that can help us understand when animals are present and what conditions they are experiencing.
By recording over longer periods, acoustic monitoring can reveal patterns that sightings alone may miss — including activity at night, during poor weather and when animals are below the surface.
Research & collaboration
Working across the Clyde and North Channel
Better research through collaboration
The Clyde does not exist in isolation. Porpoises, dolphins and whales move through a much wider marine landscape, connecting the Clyde with the west coast, the North Channel and waters around Ireland and the Isle of Man.
We want to work with researchers, universities, local communities and conservation organisations to connect observations, acoustic recordings and other datasets. Sharing knowledge across these boundaries can help build a much clearer picture of how marine mammals use the region.
Get involved
Help us build a better picture of the Clyde
Sightings, photographs, recordings and local knowledge can all add to what we know about cetaceans in the Clyde. Whether you are on the water, watching from shore, working in research or simply interested in what is happening locally, we would like to hear from you.
Latest from the Clyde
Notes and observations from Clyde Porpoise
More field notes, research updates and stories from around the Clyde will be added here soon…..