December 21st

There is a dead white-beaked dolphin in the bay two along from the harbour towards Anstruther. It has seen better days (obviously) and is being steadily eaten away. It is just about still identifiable as a white-beaked dolphin. A new species for me and I was surprised to find it is actually quite a common one in the north Atlantic. The key features are still there – a large dorsal fin, a short, rounded head and a white saddle between the dorsal fin and the tail. It is quite a big animal, nearly three meters long. It is always a shame to find new animals dead around Crail but the consolation is knowing that they must also be out there alive to be seen sometime in the future. The local gulls are appreciative regardless: I counted over 40 great black-backed gulls around the harbour, a higher number than usual. They gather around a seal or cetacean carcass like vultures.

The white-beaked dolphin washed up at Crail recently – the local cetacean people know about it and have taken samples