Waternish
has an interesting mammal fauna. Until the Isle of Skye bridge
was opened in October 1995, Skye, a component of the Inner
Hebridean Islands, was isolated from mainland Scotland by the
sea.
Over the centuries, various native mammals have made the
crossing to Skye, including Waternish, either deliberately, or
by accident. Such animals include the red fox, red deer and roe
deer. As an aside, the red deer is Britain’s largest land
mammal, and the pygmy shrew, our smallest ~ both of them
occur in Waternish ~ but no prizes for guessing which is the
easiest to see!
Other mammals, now present and well established here, were
introduced by Man ~ these include the rabbit, brown hare,
and hedgehog. More recent introductions include the mole, now
common in the north of the island, including Waternish, and the
very unwelcome American mink.
Deer and red fox are very common and widespread in Skye,
including Waternish, largely thanks to the extensive conifer
plantations that now exist in Skye ~ ideal habitat for such
animals.
The Skye bridge has facilitated the arrival of other species
too: the pine marten, an inquisitive mammal at the best of
times, soon took the opportunity to cross over the new bridge
and colonise southern Skye. They haven’t quite reached Waternish
yet but one animal got very close. It must surely be just a
matter of time before the pine marten is also fully resident
here in Waternish ~ but it will be a mixed blessing. Pine
martens are delightful creatures but, at the same time, they can
be very destructive and will not hesitate to help themselves to
any ducks and hens that haven’t been securely locked up at
night.
There is one more main element to the Waternish mammal
component ~ the aquatic element. A glance at the map will
show that Waternish is a peninsula which is almost totally
surrounded by water, mostly sea. Furthermore, being situated
along the northern coastal fringe of Skye, we are well placed to
see whales and dolphins that people further inland would not be
likely to see.
It is pointless to list all the potential sea mammal species
that one might see around the Waternish coast from time to time,
but to give a realistic flavour of what one might hope to see
during the course of a year, let us begin with the common or
harbour seal and harbour porpoise ~ both these mammals can
be seen around Waternish at all times of the year, but are
easier to spot if the water is calm.
Otters are resident around the Waternish coast, and in local
rivers, as they are elsewhere in Skye. However, otters are
generally shy and elusive and seldom seen by the casual
observer. Nonetheless, there is always a chance of being lucky,
especially if walking quietly along the coastline during an
early morning or late evening stroll.
During summer months, common dolphins, perhaps a hundred, or
more, at a time can sometimes be seen splashing and leaping
about in the local sea lochs. If the fishing is good, they may
remain in the local lochs for several hours. Bottle-nose
dolphins and killer whales are also seen from The Smiddy
occasionally.
And finally, during summer months, when the water is warmer,
minke whales patrol up and down the west coast of Skye ~ and
frequently enter the larger sea lochs, such as Loch Dunvegan.
Local boat trips, or a walk out to a headland, such as Waternish
point, will significantly increase your chances of seeing one of
these magnificent creatures.
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