Watch for whales and dolphins from the shore
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
A headland and a pair of binoculars are enough to see dolphins, porpoises and sometimes whales, and watching from land does not disturb the animals at all. In Scotland, trained Shorewatch volunteers turn the same pastime into data by running ten-minute surveys from fixed sites around the coast.
GentleFreeAn afternoonOutdoorsAlone or with othersUK and US
How to start
- Read Whale and Dolphin Conservation's Shorewatch page in the UK, or its US whale and dolphin watching page, which recommends watching from land.
- Choose a cliff top or headland with a wide view of the sea and go on a calm day, when fins and blows are easiest to spot.
- Scan slowly with binoculars for ten minutes at a time, and sign up for Shorewatch training if you live near one of its Scottish sites.
Where to go
- Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Shorewatch Scotland (UK charity's shore survey programme) UK
- Whale and Dolphin Conservation USA, whale and dolphin watching US
- NOAA Fisheries marine life viewing guidelines (US government) US
We opened these links on 7 October 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. The hard part of a day out is the timing: the right season, tickets and getting there. The plan watches the calendar for you.
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