ICELANDIC killer whales have been spotted in the Moray Firth, the furthest south the sea mammals have been recorded along the east coast of the UK.
Six of the animals have been spotted in the Moray Firth by the regional co-ordinator of research charity Sea Watch Foundation, Alan Airey.
The killer whales, also know as Orca, are expected at this time of year in the Pentland Firth, the strait that divides Orkney from mainland Scotland, but the Moray Firth sighting places them 60 miles south of this more usual habitat.
Mr Airey notified other observers and a local wildlife trip boat operator, North 58, was able to head to the area.
Having seen the photographs on Facebook, the Icelandic Orca Project said that this may well be the furthest south along the east coast of the UK that killer whales from the Icelandic population have been recorded.
Sea Watch’s sightings officer, Kathy James said: “Although this is now the furthest south that individuals from the Icelandic population have been confirmed, other killer whale sightings have occurred in the Moray Firth and further south on many occasions.
“It may well be that amongst these, were unidentified Iceland killer whales.
“One must remember that clear photographic evidence is required to recognise individual orcas,” she added. “We don’t know very much about the movements of killer whales around Britain.”
D. Filipa Samarra of the Icelandic Orca Project said that amongst the Moray Firth sighting were catalogue numbers 993, IS172 and IS408.
The killer whales are catalogued according to unique dorsal fin shapes as well as the shape of their flank markings.
Dr Andy Foote, of Aberdeen University, said around 50 individual orca are sighted each year around the Northern Isles and Caithness, with occasional sightings of these individuals off the west coast, for example St Kilda and North Rona.
Their diet includes seals, and occasionally sea birds.
Dr Foote said: “Some groups have been repeatedly re-sighted in Iceland, with photographic matches dating back to at least the 1990s. We also have photo-id matches of one group that is regularly sighted around Scotland with the Faroe Islands in different years.
“We also now have insights into the social structure between these individuals.”
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