I was on the ferry the other day looking out across the water, the way you do whenever you travel on public transport, (not fully conscious) when the small fin of a porpoise cut into my thoughts. Away it went again and as it surfaced I pointed it out to a few of passengers who were sitting close by. Suddenly the passenger lounge came alive as the children jumped over to the window; smiles and pointed fingers made a Mexican wave as the news of the porpoise passed along the boat.

If you spot a mammal on the Clyde you can report your sighting to the Clyde Marine Mammal Project website. The clever people there mark it on the map which is updated and accessible on the web. Just last week the CMMP reported an orca off Arran, during the summer we had a humpbacked whale, minkes, porpoise and dolphin cruising around.  The project looks for volunteers to help with their research and they regularly write up their sightings on Facebook. Just one of the ways they engage and educate the rest of us ‘pointers and smilers.’ For more information here is their link: http://www.clydemarinemammalproject.org