Populations of basking sharks near Scotland have plummeted to their lowest on record, with just seven sightings, according to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust. However, there were record high sightings for minke whales off Scotland’s west coast with more than 160 spotted in our waters.

Published by Scotland’s wildlife agency NatureScot, the charity’s new report presents findings based on their marine research expeditions onboard its research vessel, Silurian, over the past three years. That’s combined with sighting rates and numbers for minke whales and basking sharks from the 20 years the programme has been running.

The latest findings suggest changes in spot rates for minke whales and basking sharks, with experts seeing a potential link in these two marine species. Data shows when sighting rates for basking sharks are high, they are low for minke whales, and vice versa.