Tide Times for Aberystwyth – Thursday 17 July 2025

• High Tide: 00:48 BST (4.59 m)
• Low Tide: 07:50 (1.08 m)
• High Tide: 13:17 (4.14 m)
• Low Tide: 19:58 (1.27 m) (tide-forecast.com)

Britain’s shores are home to a remarkable diversity of marine mammals. From the playful bottlenose dolphins of Cardigan Bay to elusive minke whales in the Hebrides, these animals thrive in our coastal waters year-round. With a little planning—choosing the right season, picking vantage points, and following ethical guidelines—you can experience porpoises, dolphins and even whales in their natural habitat.

Cardigan Bay hosts Europe’s largest population of bottlenose dolphins. The bay’s shallow, sheltered waters—from New Quay to Aberporth—provide ideal feeding and calving grounds, with over 200 individuals recorded annually. Summer (May–September) is peak season, as mothers nurture calves near the southern Cardigan Bay SAC and along headlands such as Llangrannog, Mwnt, and Pen Peles (seawatchfoundation.org.uk).

In Scotland’s Moray Firth, about 200 dolphins reside year-round, often playing in the strong currents of Chanonry Point. Sightings spike around rising tides when salmon run back to the rivers Ness and Beauly. Top shore-watch locations include Burghead Visitor Centre, Kinnaird Head, Chanonry Point, and Duncansby Head, with sunrise and sunset offering the best light for photography (pressandjournal.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org).

Delphinus delphis are super-social, forming pods of hundreds or even thousands. The south-west peninsula around St Ives Bay is famous for superpods of up to 400 individuals, viewed from Battery Rocks and the NCI station at St Ives. Other hotspots include Gwennap Head, Sennen Cove, The Lizard, and Falmouth Bay. Dolphins cruise close in spring and summer (April–October), bow-riding waves and feeding nearshore (cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk, cornwalloffers.co.uk).

Shy and stocky, harbour porpoises glide silently in shallow bays and estuaries all year. In Scotland, they peak in summer and frequent the Hebrides, Shetland’s Mousa Sound, and the Firth of Clyde. In Wales, look for the “puffing pigs” from New Quay headland, Aberporth Bay, and Mwnt, or at Strumble Head where tidal races concentrate baitfish into rich feeding grounds (scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk, welshwildlife.org).

While true land-based whale watching is rarer, opportunistic sightings are on the rise:

• Minke whales swirl off Coll, Mull and Tiree, best viewed from Tiumpan Head Lighthouse and Glengorm Estate on Mull (thetimes.co.uk).
• Humpbacks and fin whales have been recorded in late summer around the Hebrides and Moray Firth (thetimes.co.uk).
• Semi-resident orca pods, nicknamed John Coe and Aquarius, patrol Sumburgh Head in Shetland, with occasional reports from Orkney’s Deerness Peninsula (thetimes.co.uk).

Boat trips provide close encounters—look for WiSe-accredited operators such as Dolphin Survey Boat Trips in New Quay or Orca Sea Safaris in Falmouth. Shore-watching is quieter and fully accessible; head to established vantage points at Chanonry Point (Moray Firth), New Quay Pier (Cardigan Bay), and Pendennis Point (Falmouth Bay). Always follow the Scottish guidance for marine mammals: maintain a safe distance, avoid head-on approaches, use neutral engine when pausing, keep a steady speed, limit interactions to 15 minutes, and take extra care when calves are present (invernessmarina.com).

• Use a fast telephoto lens (200–300 mm) to frame distant surfacing dolphins and whales (en.wikipedia.org).
• Set shutter speeds to 1/1000 s or faster to freeze splashes.
• Shoot in continuous burst mode to capture unpredictable breaches.
• Fit a polarising filter to reduce glare and deepen water tones.
• Aim for early morning or late afternoon for warm side-lighting and calmer seas (cornwalloffers.co.uk).

• Check local tide tables and aim for rising tides, when currents funnel fish close to shore (tide-forecast.com).
• Consult the Met Office’s Coast and Sea observations and forecasts for sea state (< 1 m waves = calm) and visibility (> 5 NM = good) (weather.metoffice.gov.uk).
• Wear layered clothing and pack waterproofs – British weather changes quickly.

Coastal Folklore Snippet
In Cornish legend, the Mermaid of Zennor would sing at dusk to fishermen on the cliffs. One lured her ashore to dance in secret, leaving vanished footprints in the churchyard stones. Today, her song is said to drift on the Gulf Stream, guiding wayward sailors home.