Dolphin Watching at Chanonry Point
The point is without doubt the best place to watch the Bottlenose Dolphins.
There are some fantastic images of dolphins by Charlie Phillips
Dolphin Centre at North Kessock - The nearby Dolphin and Seal Centre at North Kessock also offers dolphin watching opportunities during the summer. It is open seven days a week between June and September. There are toilets at the Tourist Information office next door and other facilities are just a short walk away in North Kessock village. Regular buses run from Inverness city centre to North Kessock.
All buses are operated by Stagecoach/Bluebird and timetables can be found on the Stagecoach website at www.stagecoachbus.com/bluebird
If you are thinking of taking a boat trip to see the dolphins please try and book with a company that is a member of the Dolphin Space Programme accreditation scheme who will ensure that you get the best possible views of whales and dolphins without causing any disturbance. The Dolphin Space Programme website is at http://www.dolphinspace.org/ for all the contact details of responsible boat operators and information about the type of trips they provide. You can also call the Dolphin Space Programme project officer on 07921 106144.
The best time to see whales and dolphins.Bottlenose dolphins are present in the Moray Firth throughout the year although there are more sightings during the summer months as the dolphins spend more time close to the shore feeding on salmon coming in and out of the rivers. Harbour porpoise are also present all year round. Minke whales are normally seen between March and October. Whales and dolphins can be seen at any time of day but in some of their favoured feeding areas are sometimes closer to the shore during a rising tide. For tide times look at the bottom of this BBC Tides link for Cromarty Tide details.
They can often be seen in front of the large ships in the harbour. Chanory Point is situated East of Fortrose off the A832.