A HARBOUR seal that tried to hide from killer whales in a Shetland mussel farm has become part of scientific research.
Drone operator Nick McCaffrey filmed the seal hiding from the orcas at the Grunna Voe mussel farm north of Shetland back in March.
His video was studied by Emily Hague, who is studying for her doctorate at Heriot-Watt University and whose findings were published today in the journal Aquatic Mammals.
Hague said: “Interactions involving man-made structures are rarely, if ever, caught on camera.
“This makes this footage extra special and very insightful from a scientific point of view.
“It gives us a whole new perspective on how marine life, in this case two top predators, are living with manmade structures in our seas.”
She added: “It’s fascinating that these novel structures in the marine environment are potentially being used by prey to hide from predators.
“Interactions like this can also shed light on potential risks to marine mammals.
“Last year, a juvenile member of this killer group died entangled in rope and was found on Orkney.
“If this group is spending a lot of time around marine structures, then this may have associated risks, like entanglement.”
McCaffrey was alerted to the orcas’ arrival by the “Shetland Orca Sightings” Facebook page and a dedicated Whatsapp group, both managed by wildlife photographer and guide Hugh Harrop.
The tale didn’t have a happy ending for the seal – it was killed by the whales once it left the mussel farm.
Read more stories on Scottish Field’s wildlife pages.
Plus, check out our articles about Orkney and Shetland in the August issue of Scottish Field magazine.
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