0:00:19 > 0:00:20Every day this week,
0:00:20 > 0:00:23we'll be looking at a different group of animals
0:00:23 > 0:00:25that make our seas their home.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27We're here at St Oswald's Bay in Dorset,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29where we'll be delving deep
0:00:29 > 0:00:31into the lives of the UK's whales and dolphins.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35The British Isles is one of the best places in Europe
0:00:35 > 0:00:38to see this marine megafauna.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Later, I'll be looking back at the UK's whaling past,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44and finding out how things have changed.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47All week we're also joined by roving wildlife cameraman
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Richard Taylor-Jones,
0:00:49 > 0:00:53who today is exploring a mysterious whale stranding.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57What on earth was a 45-foot-long sperm whale doing
0:00:57 > 0:00:59washed up on a beach in Kent?
0:01:00 > 0:01:03We'll also be joined by some familiar faces
0:01:03 > 0:01:07sharing their best past experiences of whales and dolphins.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11And I'm heading to Cardigan Bay to meet the UK's largest pod of
0:01:11 > 0:01:16friendly bottlenose dolphins - a place where anyone can see them.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Two animals.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22But first up, here's Richard to give us
0:01:22 > 0:01:26the lowdown on the ocean giants swimming in UK seas.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32For almost 20 years, I've been filming British wildlife.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Whales and dolphins are tough to capture,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38but when you can, it's completely worth it.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Worldwide, there are more than 80 different types of whale,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49dolphin and porpoise, collectively known as cetaceans.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53What's more surprising is that over 29 species have been
0:01:53 > 0:01:56sighted in waters surrounding the British Isles.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00Our little island is in the perfect position.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03With the deep waters and powerful currents of the Atlantic
0:02:03 > 0:02:05not far from our shallow shores,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09nutrients are brought to the surface, making prey abundant.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Most of us will know the harbour porpoise.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18And the bottlenose dolphin.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21These are playful, social animals and you often see them
0:02:21 > 0:02:23in harbours or close to shore.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Heading further out to sea, you are much more likely
0:02:27 > 0:02:30to come into contact with the common dolphin,
0:02:30 > 0:02:35an elegant black-and-white creature often found in large pods.
0:02:36 > 0:02:41Confusingly, pilot and killer whales, despite their name,
0:02:41 > 0:02:43are both types of dolphin.
0:02:43 > 0:02:49And yes, incredibly, we have these stunning animals in UK waters
0:02:49 > 0:02:50all year round.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57If you want to see true whales, you need to have a little patience,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00as they stay underwater a long time.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04But because they aren't fish, at some point, they have to breathe.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12And that's your best chance to spot them.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Sperm whales are around all summer
0:03:19 > 0:03:22and can dive to depths of over 1,000 metres.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30The minke may be the smallest of our whales,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34but they seem to pop up anywhere, at any time.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36And growing up to 27 metres,
0:03:36 > 0:03:42the mighty fin whale is the second-largest animal on earth.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46There's a whale, dolphin or porpoise to suit
0:03:46 > 0:03:49virtually every aquatic environment.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55So, as an island nation,
0:03:55 > 0:04:00is it really surprising that we are a cetacean hot spot?
0:04:09 > 0:04:12'Newquay Harbour in Cardigan Bay is the perfect arena
0:04:12 > 0:04:15'to catch a glimpse of the sea's ultimate show-off.'
0:04:15 > 0:04:20These waters are home to the UK's biggest population of dolphins
0:04:20 > 0:04:25and, this summer, there's a reported 300 animals, but why are they here?
0:04:29 > 0:04:33'Bottlenose dolphins can eat up to ten kilos of fish a day.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40'And this area is rich in a wide variety of fish,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43'from migrating salmon to bass, mullet and mackerel.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49'Where the dolphins gather, the tourists have followed,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51'and today, I'm one of them.'
0:04:51 > 0:04:54This is a special trip for me, because I've never seen dolphins
0:04:54 > 0:04:57in the wild before, so fingers crossed for today.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Have you spotted any dolphins?
0:05:00 > 0:05:03We've been lucky a couple of years ago, haven't we?
0:05:03 > 0:05:04How many did you see that time?
0:05:04 > 0:05:07- About three, wasn't there? - Yeah, we saw quite a few. Two pups.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Have you got any top tips for spotting some?
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Well, there is a tour boat that has been coming backwards and forwards,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15so we basically just follow wherever they're going
0:05:15 > 0:05:17and get our binoculars out, see if we can spot them.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19If you see everybody on the pier pointing and looking
0:05:19 > 0:05:21in one direction, then just copy them.
0:05:21 > 0:05:22There'll be dolphins there!
0:05:24 > 0:05:27'Dolphins are so important to the economy here
0:05:27 > 0:05:30'that locals, like Les and Glenys,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32'have been taking part in the Dolphin Watch Project
0:05:32 > 0:05:34'for over 20 years.'
0:05:34 > 0:05:36What is Dolphin Watch?
0:05:36 > 0:05:39It was set up originally because the community and council
0:05:39 > 0:05:43were concerned about the interaction between the dolphins
0:05:43 > 0:05:45and the passenger boats.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46What do you have to record?
0:05:46 > 0:05:49How many dolphins, if there's been any boat interaction,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52did the boat comply with the guidelines? That sort of thing.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55And once you've collected this data, then, what you do with it?
0:05:55 > 0:05:58We hand it in at the end of the season to the conservation officer.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00And he and his team collate the information.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02And you can see, quite clearly,
0:06:02 > 0:06:06trends of where the populations are, but also
0:06:06 > 0:06:09how the dolphins behave, when they have interactions with the boats.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Basically, the better the boats behave to dolphins,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14the better the dolphins behave for the boats.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17- It's a pretty special place up here, isn't it?- Yes. Oh, yes.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19- It's quite stunning. - It's wonderful.- Amazing views.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27I've taken the advice, got my binoculars
0:06:27 > 0:06:31and I'm heading to join the dolphin spotters on the harbour wall.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35It's not just the tourists that can be found watching the dolphins.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Sarah Perry is from the Wildlife Trust
0:06:40 > 0:06:44and, as part of their work, they conduct land- and boat-based studies
0:06:44 > 0:06:47of the local bottlenose dolphin population.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Here in Newquay, we're really lucky.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53We have dolphins at this time of year almost on a daily basis.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55We can't predict when they're going to arrive -
0:06:55 > 0:06:56they're wild animals.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59We're just out here as much as we can, spotting them.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05Dolphins can hold their breath for minutes at a time.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09But, being mammals, they need to come to the surface to breathe.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11And that's when we hope to spot them.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14There's one animal called Connie.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17She's a real character. She comes in with her young.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20The juvenile tends to do a lot of tail slapping,
0:07:20 > 0:07:23so we kind of know when there's an animal in the bay doing that,
0:07:23 > 0:07:26that it's probably... "Oh, it's probably Connie and her calf."
0:07:26 > 0:07:29So I've got some pictures here, if you'd like to have a look?
0:07:29 > 0:07:31- Yeah, that'd be great. - What we're trying to do is
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- photograph the dorsal fin, so the fin on the top of the back.- Yep.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38And you'll see from these pictures that Connie's got some
0:07:38 > 0:07:40- really, really good markings. - Wow!- So some big chunks.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42They're really distinctive, actually.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44There's a number of chunks there, down the fin.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Yeah, so big notches out of the trailing edge of the dorsal fin.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- Some tooth marks. - Ooh, look at that! Wow!
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- Ah!- What's that?- We just heard, on the radio, there's dolphins in town.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56- OK, brilliant.- Let's go!
0:07:56 > 0:07:57Ah, here!
0:08:00 > 0:08:03There's definitely a crowd of people looking and pointing,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05which is one of my top tips, so hopefully...
0:08:05 > 0:08:09- Oh, there.- There!- Amazing. - Two!- Yeah, two.- Two animals.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13- Wow. Do you know what? I'm amazed by how dark coloured they are.- Yeah.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- They look almost black, they are quite dark grey in colour.- Yeah.
0:08:16 > 0:08:17They have white underbellies.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Do you know what? I'm so torn between using my eyes
0:08:22 > 0:08:24and using my binoculars, because I don't want to miss them!
0:08:24 > 0:08:28You know, we're so lucky, we can stand here on a harbour wall,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31on the west coast of Wales and look out and see dolphins.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33It's just amazing. It really is.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48Each year, around 500 cetaceans are washed up onto the UK shoreline.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Richard Taylor-Jones has been finding out how scientists are using
0:08:52 > 0:08:56this sad scenario to get a better understanding of the mysterious
0:08:56 > 0:08:57life of the whale.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03This is Pegwell Bay in Kent.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07It's like many other stretches of coast around our UK shores -
0:09:07 > 0:09:11a few houses, some industry, a small nature reserve.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13In many ways, it's pretty ordinary.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17But on the 3rd of March, 2011, something very,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20very extraordinary happened here.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24A 45-foot sperm whale has washed up on a Kent beach today.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27The animal was first spotted this morning in Pegwell Bay
0:09:27 > 0:09:28near Ramsgate.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Claudia Sermbezis reports.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Experts were initially unsure whether it was male or female,
0:09:34 > 0:09:35alive or dead.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40To find one of these colossus in English waters is an extremely
0:09:40 > 0:09:42unusual event.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Yet despite Pegwell Bay being visible from my front door,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48I had absolutely no idea
0:09:48 > 0:09:51there was a sperm whale outside my house.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55It was only when I got a call to tell me what was going on that
0:09:55 > 0:09:59I grabbed my camera and got myself down to the bay.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02And I wasn't the only one. Word had spread quickly.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04People began to gather at the scene.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06The whale became an instant sensation.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Never seen anything like this before.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11To see this and so many people, it's amazing.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13I think everyone's quite shocked, really, aren't they?
0:10:13 > 0:10:16Yeah, we've all been texting and phoning our friends frantically.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18When I saw that the tide was going out, I thought,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22"Let's come down and take the opportunity to have a look," so...
0:10:22 > 0:10:23Incredible sight.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29But things had not gone well for the whale.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31The tide had gone out, and the whale,
0:10:31 > 0:10:35stranded on the mud flats, unable to breathe under its own body weight,
0:10:35 > 0:10:36had died.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43This was an undeniably tragic event, but it did, of course,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47raise the question of, what on earth was a 45-foot-long sperm whale
0:10:47 > 0:10:50doing washed up on a beach in Kent?
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Usually, sperm whales are found in deep waters across the globe,
0:10:58 > 0:11:02from Scandinavia to South America.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06They are creatures of the deep sea, diving over two kilometres down
0:11:06 > 0:11:09in search of their favourite food, squid.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15To investigate why this whale ended up in Kent, Rob Deville
0:11:15 > 0:11:17from the Zoological Society of London,
0:11:17 > 0:11:22an expert in whale strandings, also rushed to the scene,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25and I've met up with him again to see what he learned.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30So how do you think this particular individual ended up here,
0:11:30 > 0:11:31at Pegwell?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33We don't know why he ended up in the North Sea.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35I guess what we can say is, given where it's stranded, here in
0:11:35 > 0:11:39Pegwell Bay, it's right next to the busiest shipping lane in the world.
0:11:39 > 0:11:40Lots of marine noise,
0:11:40 > 0:11:42lots of potential disturbance for that whale,
0:11:42 > 0:11:44and so that's probably why it's stranded here, as well,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47that noise may have had an impact on the animal not being able
0:11:47 > 0:11:50to get out to where it should have been. When we opened it up,
0:11:50 > 0:11:52on the inside, we found, in the stomach, there was nothing
0:11:52 > 0:11:55in there apart from some squid beaks and some parasites,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57so it hasn't been feeding recently.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59The North Sea is fairly shallow, maybe 100 metres depth,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01so very different to the normal 1,000 metres
0:12:01 > 0:12:03depth off the continental shelf edge.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05So they probably can't feed here,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08cos they're preferential deep sea feeders.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13There are over 500 whale and dolphin strandings every year in the UK,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16and the work that Rob does really helps us understand
0:12:16 > 0:12:20what is going on with the different populations around our coast.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23If we talked about the humpback whale as an example,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26we didn't have any humpback whales stranded in the UK at all
0:12:26 > 0:12:27for about 80 years.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Most people know that we've banned commercial whaling, largely.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Since then, we've seen a really nice recovery,
0:12:32 > 0:12:35an ongoing recovery, of humpback whales in the North Atlantic.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37They're doing really well, which is great news.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Still an ongoing situation.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Because there are more of them out there, we see more strandings,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46so in that time since the mid-'80s we've seen about 20 humpbacks
0:12:46 > 0:12:47stranded around the UK.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49It's obviously bad news for the individual, but actually,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52paradoxically, it can be quite good news for the population.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54It tells you that there are more of them out there.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57It's indicative of a healthier or recovering population.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59So, in fact, it's among species where we don't see
0:12:59 > 0:13:01strandings where we might expect to see them -
0:13:01 > 0:13:04that's where we have much more cause for concern.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Whale and dolphin strandings are always going to take place.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Of course, where we can rescue them, we do.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Like the pod of pilot whales that were stranded in Scotland
0:13:14 > 0:13:16earlier this summer.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19The majority were successfully put back to sea.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22But where we fail to keep animals alive,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25we have to look at them as an opportunity to
0:13:25 > 0:13:29learn about species that are otherwise very hard to study.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33And it's not just scientists that are learning from these strandings.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36When I was here down at Pegwell, there were thousands of people over
0:13:36 > 0:13:39the course of the day that had come down to film
0:13:39 > 0:13:40and take photographs of the animal.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43They were becoming more aware of what lives out
0:13:43 > 0:13:45there in the big blue around our shores.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49That new awareness can only be a good thing.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58The other unexpected upside of these sad strandings is that they
0:13:58 > 0:14:03provide us with a supply of cetacean bones for scientific study,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06and that's been really crucial in developing our understanding
0:14:06 > 0:14:08of these creatures.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12Science aside, actually seeing a whale skeleton for yourself
0:14:12 > 0:14:16is a brilliant way to get a sense of the sheer scale of these creatures,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19and there are all kinds of exhibits all around the country
0:14:19 > 0:14:21where you can do exactly that.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25The Oxford Museum of Natural History has a killer whale,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28the National Museum of Wales a young humpback,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32and if you're willing to wait, there's a 25-metre blue whale
0:14:32 > 0:14:36being hung from the ceiling of the Natural History Museum in London.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39You'll just have to hold on until 2017.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43But meanwhile, Lindsay, where should we head to to see the real deal?
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Seeing a whale or dolphin for yourself might
0:14:50 > 0:14:52seem like an impossible task,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54but there are some great spots around the UK
0:14:54 > 0:14:57where your chances are pretty high.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59None more so than the Moray Firth near Inverness.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06There is a resident population of 130 bottlenose dolphins.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Hang out at Chanonry Point for an hour,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14and you're almost guaranteed a sighting of these playful creatures.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21If you're boarding a ferry this month, head up to the top decks.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23It gives you a ringside seat.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Whether it's the Channel ferry to France or
0:15:26 > 0:15:28a trip across the Irish Sea,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31it's a great opportunity for spotting dolphins and whales.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39Keep an eye out for the distinctive blow shooting out of the water.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46If you're after something more specialist
0:15:46 > 0:15:51and willing to put in the time, why not head to Orkney or Shetland?
0:15:51 > 0:15:53These islands are the best place to see a killer whale,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56which, remember, is our largest dolphin.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02And that's not all.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Since 1980, 18 species of cetacean have been recorded here.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Although I've namechecked some of the best locations, whales,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17dolphins and porpoises live all around the UK.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21This group of 30 pilot whales was spotted in the Thames Estuary.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24So if you're going to the beach or heading to sea,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26keep your eyes peeled.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28You never know what you might spot.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37I've been looking long and hard,
0:16:37 > 0:16:42but sadly, I haven't seen any whales spouting or dolphins leaping today.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45But if you want some more suggestions for the best
0:16:45 > 0:16:48places around the UK to spot cetaceans for yourself,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50then go to our website.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55Catching a glimpse of these wonderful giants of the sea is
0:16:55 > 0:17:00a rare privilege, and unfortunately we're largely to blame for that.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05Historically, the UK's whales were hunted almost to extinction.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07By the beginning of the 20th century,
0:17:07 > 0:17:12we'd pretty much hunted out all the whales from around our own shores.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16But that didn't stop British whaling companies making big bucks
0:17:16 > 0:17:18elsewhere in the world.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21A few weeks ago, I headed to Scotland to find out more,
0:17:21 > 0:17:25and just to warn you, you may find some of these images upsetting.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30I'm in Edinburgh's Leith Docks,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32the historical base for Christian Salvesen,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36once the world's biggest whaling company.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39In the early 1900s, they sent whaling boats south to
0:17:39 > 0:17:43the Antarctic to fulfil our growing demand for whale products.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51This building here now houses a Chinese restaurant
0:17:51 > 0:17:55but it used to be the headquarters of Christian Salvesen's
0:17:55 > 0:17:56Leith-based whaling operation
0:17:56 > 0:17:59and the money men who were based here
0:17:59 > 0:18:02understood that this was a highly profitable business.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04In its heyday in the 1920s,
0:18:04 > 0:18:09they were raking in the equivalent of over £100 million a year.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13During a time of industrial and social progress,
0:18:13 > 0:18:18the whalers were responding to huge demand from back home.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Whale oil was the wonder product of the day,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24going into food, fuel and even explosives.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Don Lenny worked as an engineer on the whale catching ships
0:18:28 > 0:18:32from 1958 until the end in 1963.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Did you go to the Falklands?
0:18:34 > 0:18:36I was only in my 20s then.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41The galley boys and engine room boys were young kids, 16, 17.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45For a young man at the time, could you make a good living?
0:18:45 > 0:18:47I thought I was a rich man, really.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49First season, £300.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53A lot of guys bought cars or motorbikes or whatever.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54You know.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58While the men earned a good wage, it wasn't easy money.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02It was a tough, brutal job, spending months at a time
0:19:02 > 0:19:05out in the rough seas of the Southern Ocean.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07We got a lot of rough weather down the Antarctic.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12On the catchers, we could be sailing for maybe a week looking for whales.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14Whales were chased and harpooned
0:19:14 > 0:19:17from smaller, faster ships called catchers,
0:19:17 > 0:19:21before being processed by the much larger factory ships.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24One catcher I was on, we chased a whale for ten hours,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26a big strong whale, 70 odd feet.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30The gunner shot it, the line went out
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and it shackled to down underneath the boat
0:19:33 > 0:19:37and you bring the whale alongside and then we put our flag on it,
0:19:37 > 0:19:41with a number of the boat, so you know which boat it belonged to.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45The buoy boat came along and picked these whales up and took them
0:19:45 > 0:19:47back to the factory ship.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Whale oil was processed mainly from the blubber.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54High-grade oil was used in margarine and, by 1933,
0:19:54 > 0:19:5837% of British margarine was made from whale oil.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Lower grade oils were used in soap and other products.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07George Cummings worked on one of these factory ships
0:20:07 > 0:20:10processing the liver for liver oil tablets.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12How big is a whale liver?
0:20:12 > 0:20:17- Probably about two tonnes at least. - Two tonnes?- Yes.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21You had to physically manhandle great chunks of liver.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- So that was a messy job. - It really was.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26You were up to your armpits in blood, actually.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Not only was it a deeply unpleasant job
0:20:30 > 0:20:31but, by the late '50s,
0:20:31 > 0:20:35the whales were getting harder and harder to find.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38We could go days and never find a whale,
0:20:38 > 0:20:40that's how bad it was getting.
0:20:40 > 0:20:46You take a factory, it can take over 2,000 whales in the season
0:20:46 > 0:20:49and you've got 10, 20, 30 factory ships.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51That's a lot of whales.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Whales were becoming too scarce to make hunting them viable.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56Something had to be done
0:20:56 > 0:20:58because they were going to be extinct.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00But it wasn't just the whalers who were gaining
0:21:00 > 0:21:02awareness of the plight of the whale.
0:21:02 > 0:21:08Public opinion was changing too and, by 1963, the UK had stopped whaling.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12If whales could make a noise, there wouldn't be any whaling.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15If they could screech and scream...you know.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Would you like to see a future where there is no more
0:21:19 > 0:21:23- whaling on the planet? - I would love to see that, yes.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24That's the way I feel.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27I think every whaler would tell you the same thing.
0:21:27 > 0:21:32In 1986, the International Whaling Committee established
0:21:32 > 0:21:36a worldwide moratorium banning commercial whaling.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Despite this, Norway and Iceland don't recognise the ban
0:21:39 > 0:21:41and continue to whale commercially.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46Japan has also whaled since under a scientific research permit.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50On the whole, whale numbers across the globe are gradually
0:21:50 > 0:21:54starting to recover but it's going to be a long, slow process,
0:21:54 > 0:21:58one where we can't afford to take a step backwards.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01What's most heartening is to see how these former whale hunters,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03as much as anyone you'll talk to,
0:22:03 > 0:22:07are genuinely thrilled to see how whale numbers are recovering
0:22:07 > 0:22:10and genuinely hopeful for their future in our oceans.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Although almost half of the whales found around the UK are still
0:22:20 > 0:22:25endangered, luckily dolphins weren't as heavily targeted, so nowadays
0:22:25 > 0:22:30the UK has sightings that would rival anywhere else in the world.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34A few years ago, wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan proved it.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38He'd heard of a large pod of killer whales regularly tracking
0:22:38 > 0:22:42alongside fishing vessels in the North Sea.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45So he decided to hitch a ride and try and see them for himself.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50And, boy, was the bumpy trip on the high seas worth it.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00I'm so excited about this trip. I haven't looked forward to
0:23:00 > 0:23:02a filming trip so much in a very long time.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04I've got every reason to be excited
0:23:04 > 0:23:06because I'm on a trawler heading out into the North Sea to
0:23:06 > 0:23:09look for one of the planet's most impressive animals.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11What is there not to be excited about?
0:23:14 > 0:23:18When there are fish to catch, these guys don't mess about.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22We are only a few hours out of port and already it's action stations.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25I'm hoping and praying that the killer whales find us
0:23:25 > 0:23:28before the fishermen have caught their quota of mackerel.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35The fish are here, the gannets are here
0:23:35 > 0:23:38and we're just waiting for the main attraction.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Got whales, we've got whales.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Just over to the left here, coming straight in.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04I'm finally going to get the chance to film killer whales in UK waters.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07I can't believe that they're coming.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Oh, gee, look at that!
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Really close.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18There are so many whales here,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21it's very difficult to try and estimate how many there are.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Possibly 50, possibly 60.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27There may even be up to 100 on the other side of the boat
0:24:27 > 0:24:28that we're just not seeing.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Look, look, look, look!
0:24:31 > 0:24:32Unbelievable!
0:24:34 > 0:24:36HE LAUGHS
0:24:38 > 0:24:39That is something else.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47I just cannot believe that we have killer whales
0:24:47 > 0:24:49just 10, 15 metres away from us.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55So why do the killer whales come
0:24:55 > 0:24:58so close to our fishing trawler?
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Because they get easy pickings here.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Like the gannets, they can hoover up
0:25:02 > 0:25:05the fish that have spilt out of the nets.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Scientists now think that the killer whales could be benefiting
0:25:08 > 0:25:12from the fishing, which may be boosting their numbers.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15The whales have actually disappeared.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18What I'm hoping is that they have gone under
0:25:18 > 0:25:21and they are approaching the boat underneath the water.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24So I'll just keep my eyes peeled much closer in.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29With the whales in close, it meant I could now try and film underwater.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33But I hadn't bargained on using the camera in these conditions.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35They're big seas.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39The waves are coming right up to the entrance of the door here.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Come on.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Typical, we get this on just about the worst day we've had so far.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58With the camera in, all the chaos above suddenly
0:25:58 > 0:26:03disappeared as I saw the male killer whale glide towards me.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06We've got him right here, right in front of me,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08I could reach out and touch him.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Holy mackerel!
0:26:11 > 0:26:17He appeared serene, yet powerful, a true master of his environment.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21Look at that. Thank you ever, ever so much.
0:26:21 > 0:26:22Yes!
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Then I was reminded why these whales were here as he drifted in again
0:26:28 > 0:26:31and sucked up a floating mackerel.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33This is something I would not have thought was possible
0:26:33 > 0:26:35off the coast of the UK
0:26:35 > 0:26:39and I've had the most intimate of encounters in the North Sea.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46The whales have saved their best till last.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49To see them under the water is just fantastic.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53The little bit of their lives that we see above the ocean
0:26:53 > 0:26:56is just the tip of a very large iceberg,
0:26:56 > 0:27:00and I can now go back home, onto dry land,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02incredibly happy.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Wow. What a fantastic way to end our first show of the week.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16Just incredible.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Amazing footage of killer whales above and below the water
0:27:19 > 0:27:21and all in the UK.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24It certainly made me want to head back up north to try and see them.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27I hope we've shown you that you don't have to travel to
0:27:27 > 0:27:30the Outer Hebrides in order to see the UK's whales and dolphins.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32They're all around the British Isles,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35you just need to get out to the best spots and keep your eyes peeled.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Please join us tomorrow at the same time
0:27:38 > 0:27:40here on Big Blue UK,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44where we'll be uncovering the secretive life of our sharks.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47I'll be tracking down evidence of baby sharks
0:27:47 > 0:27:49on one of our most popular beaches.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Absolutely brilliant. Have we found one?
0:27:52 > 0:27:53Yeah, you have.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57Richard is finding out what attracts basking sharks to UK seas.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Oh, my goodness me. That is absolutely amazing.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06And I'll be heading ten miles offshore in the hope of meeting
0:28:06 > 0:28:09the beautiful blue shark.
0:28:09 > 0:28:10Oh, she is right here.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13For now, though, we'll leave you
0:28:13 > 0:28:15with the very best of our whales and dolphins.