Gavin Morgan

28 February, 2008

A SCHOOL of five or six killer whales was sighted in Yell Sound, Shetland by an inter island ferry crew yesterday (Wednesday).

Sightings of the sea mammals have become quite common around the isles in recent years, but more so during the summer months.

Ferry man Iain Nicolson, who saw the females and their offspring at about 2.50pm when crossing the sound, said it was the first time he had seen them in February.

They were swimming away from the ferry and Mr Nicolson was unsure which direction they were heading in, as his vessel the Daggri had to stick to its normal route from Ulsta, on Yell, to Toft on the mainland.

Mr Nicolson said: “They were going out of our route and we are not sure if they went east or south. We lost sight of them. This is the earliest we have ever seen killer whales.”