Shetland Islands wildlife · Wildlife in Shetland Islands
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Wildlife in Shetland Islands
Wildlife in Shetland Islands
Shetland is of great interest to the naturalist and anyone who is keen to see wild animals and birds in their native habitat .
Otters 'Draatsi' are relatively common here, and you are far more likely to see this elusive animal in the wild here than anywhere else in United Kingdom. Yell is supposed to be the best location, but any isolated piece of coastland (particularly with a source of fresh water running into the sea) is a possibility, and the best times are early morning or evening and/or at low tide. They have even been seen (and filmed) investigating boats in the working port of Lerwick. Other mammals to be found in Shetland are rabbits, mountain hare, hedgehogs and stoats; all of these are believed to have been introduced by mankind.
Birds are particularly prolific here, with Shetland being one of the main breeding grounds for a number of common and rare species. Particular centres for nesting seabirds are Sumburgh Head, Hermaness, Noss and Foula (with the second highest cliffs in United Kingdom after St Kilda). Easily observed species are puffins, gannets, guillemots, kitiwakes, fulmars, shags, great and artic skuas, storm petrels, oystercatchers, eider ducks, cormorants and razorbills. Inland, curlews, whimbrels, golden and ringed plovers, lapwings and redshanks can be spotted, with Fetlar being the breeding ground of 90% of the UK's population of the rare red-legged phalarope (though sadly Snowy Owls are no longer seen here). Shetland also sees a fair number of rarities which makes it a favourite location for twitchers. Probably the best known of these was the lost albatross which visited Hermaness for a number of years and appeared to be attempting to find a mate amongst the gannets. The best times to birdwatch are between April and July when the birds return to land to rear their chicks.
Marine Mammals are also to be seen. Most prolific are Grey and Common Seals (constantly in evidence around the fish processing plants in Lerwick looking out for a free feed) which can be seen all over the islands. They are curious of humans and will often follow a party walking along a shore at a safe distance. Whales and other cetaceans can also be spotted, although this tends to come down to a question of how lucky you are. Minke whales are the most common, but other species of whale, together with porpoises and dolphins can also be seen. Orcas (killer whales) are becoming more prolific around Shetland. One of the best places to see whales can be from the ferries.
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Shetland Islands Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
