I fly drones

Drone imagery of marine mammals

As part of the BLUE CONNECT project, we are interested in collating and analysing drone imagery and videos taken of marine mammals around Shetland for a number of reasons, including to held understand behaviours (such as porpoise social aggregations) and to understand threats (for example, we can analyse images for scarring, to understand past entanglements).

We are interested in drone footage taken of all marine mammal species taken within the IMMA. If you do capture any drone imagery or videos that you'd like to share, please email Emily emily.hague@uhi.ac.uk or shetlandmarinemammals@outlook.com for more information.

Always fly your drone responsibly

When flying your drone near or over marine mammals, follow the Scottish Marine Wildlife Watching Code, including the Guide to Best Practice for Watching Marine Wildlife. To reduce potential for disturbance or injury, keep your drone a minimum 30 m (90 ft) above any marine mammals, at all times. Many newer drones have zoom functions, which can allow you to take great pictures or video without needing to be at low altitudes. Some species, such as seals, may still hear or be disturbed by a drone at 30 m height, so consider flying higher, or positioning your drone so it is not directly above animals, where possible.

Banner Image Credit Hugh Harrop / Shetland Wildlife

Humpback whale Nick McCaffrey / Southspear Media & Surveys Ltd

Harbour porpoise aggregation Sophie Smith / UHI Shetland

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