Porpoises in Gairloch Bay are spotted regularly on our sea kayaking trips. Some of our guests this week had a lovely surprise when, as well as our resident Grey Seals, they spotted a couple of porpoises in the bay. This is the second time in the last week we have seen porpoises, but it is still unusual for us to spot them on a regular basis.

There must be plenty of fish around too as we have seen gannets plunge diving a few times this week. Amazing to spot such wildlife from the comfort of your kayak seat.

Porpoise or more correctly, harbour porpoise, is the smallest species of whale or dolphin (cetacean) found in Scotland. They are less than 2 metres long and weigh less than 45kg.

As well as their dark colouration they are distinctive as you only see a tiny part of their back when they surface to breathe. They tend to eat fish and squid.

We are much more likely to see porpoises inshore than dolphins, but we have occasionally seen those too in Gairloch bay.

Differences between a dolphin and a porpoise

The biggest difference is size, with all species of porpoise being that much smaller than their dolphin cousins. Porpoises don’t have the pronounced beak (nose) that most dolphins have. A dolphin has a hooked or curved dorsal fin (except for those species that don’t have a dorsal fin) whereas a porpoise has a more triangular dorsal fin.

To read more about Scottish cetacean’s check out the Scottish Natural Heritage website. Scottish Natural Heritage produce a wide range of literature about the wildlife (plants, animals and habitats) of Scotland.

Why not come and join us for some sea kayaking around Gairloch to try and spot the Porpoises in Gairloch Bay. Enjoy spotting the wildlife with one of our experienced, qualified, local guides. We spend lots of time looking for the best wildlife to spot on a sea kayak tour, but are always respectful of the wildlife and never approach too close to the wild animals.