https://stronsaymonster.website/rss/ Wed, 5 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/blue-shark-washed-ashore-after-storms-5-nov-2014 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/blue-shark-washed-ashore-after-storms-5-nov-2014 Juvenile Blue Shark washed up on Scapa Beach, 05/11/14. Photo by Noel Miller who found the shark. Shark was recovered by Penny Martin and left with the Harbours Department. Photo used with permission, copyright Noel Miller. These sharks can grow up to 4 metres in length and are not usually found in the sea around these parts. Wed, 22 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/three-giant-turtles-found-dead-off-the-scottish-coast-22-oct-2014 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/three-giant-turtles-found-dead-off-the-scottish-coast-22-oct-2014 Three giant leatherback turtles have been washed up dead on west coast Scottish beaches within days of each other after travelling thousands of miles from the Caribbean. A leading marine scientist described the strandings as “unprecedented.” They are first turtle strandings recorded in Scotland for five years. One was found near Elgol on Skye on October 13. Two days earlier another w Mon, 8 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/lecture-on-orkneys-seashells-by-dr-yvonne-beale-nee-simpson-8-sep-2014 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/lecture-on-orkneys-seashells-by-dr-yvonne-beale-nee-simpson-8-sep-2014 GATHERING GROATIES AND SEARCHING FOR SPINDLES Inspired by Robert Rendall’s Orkney Shore, Dr Yvonne Beale has spent a year in search of the shells native to Orkney’s shores – spindles and sunsets, coos and those elusive groatie-buckies. She describes the shells and tells their stories, and the old Norse names and games that can be played with them. Sponsored by Pentland Ferries Sat, 17 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/final-lecture-on-the-stronsay-monster-plus-guided-beach-walk-by-dr-yvonne-beale-nee-simpson-17-may-2 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/final-lecture-on-the-stronsay-monster-plus-guided-beach-walk-by-dr-yvonne-beale-nee-simpson-17-may-2 Final lecture on the Stronsay Monster delivered at the Orkney Nature Festival. In the absence of DNA testing there is nothing new to add so this was a summary of the known details. Stronsay Monster and other beach finds – talk & walk! Dr Yvonne Beale spent many years researching the mysterious marine creature washed up 200 years ago at Rothiesholm. At her talk at the Stronsay Commun Mon, 3 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/dealfish-spotted-live-at-glimps-holm-in-orkney-3-feb-2014 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/dealfish-spotted-live-at-glimps-holm-in-orkney-3-feb-2014 Report of a live Deal fish at Glimps Holm in Orkney posted on the Orkney Beachcombing page on facebook. Sun, 26 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/tracking-the-walrus-that-visited-orkney-26-jan-2014 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/tracking-the-walrus-that-visited-orkney-26-jan-2014 The remarkable story of the Walrus which briefly stopped off in Orkney during a grand, and on-going, tour of the north east Atlantic. Shared on Orkney Beachcombing group on facebook Mon, 13 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/carcharhinus-leiodon-the-smoothtooth-blacktip-shark-rediscovered-13-jan-2014 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/carcharhinus-leiodon-the-smoothtooth-blacktip-shark-rediscovered-13-jan-2014 Carcharhinus leiodon, the smoothtooth blacktip shark, has been rediscovered at fish market in Kuwait. It was thought to be extinct. Fri, 13 Dec 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/scapa-flow-reveals-rare-sighting-of-limaria-hians-flame-mussels-13-dec-2013 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/scapa-flow-reveals-rare-sighting-of-limaria-hians-flame-mussels-13-dec-2013 Rare flame shells, a small scallop like species, have been found in Scapa Flow, Orkney, by a team led by a Heriot-Watt academic, just two years after a scarce giant fan mussel was recorded by divers in the same area. Seasearch Project Led by Dr Joanne Porter of Heriot-Watt University, 12 divers from Seasearch, the volunteer dive project co-ordinated by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) were Thu, 14 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/arctica-islandica-clam-507-years-old-longest-living-creature-discovered-14-nov-2013 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/arctica-islandica-clam-507-years-old-longest-living-creature-discovered-14-nov-2013 Bangor University The clam in question was dredged during a research cruise in Icelandic coastal waters that formed part of a project investigating climate changes over the last 1000 years. These clams contain very significant records of marine climate changes embedded in their shells and the scientists involved are the world-leading experts in extracting these records. Thu, 14 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/tv-company-dna-testing-proposal-to-national-museum-of-scotland-refused-14-nov-2013 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/tv-company-dna-testing-proposal-to-national-museum-of-scotland-refused-14-nov-2013 A DNA testing proposal sent to the National Museum of Scotland by a television company was refused. Fri, 8 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/new-species-of-hammerhead-shark-discovered-8-nov-2013 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/new-species-of-hammerhead-shark-discovered-8-nov-2013 2013. New species of hammerhead shark discovered, Sphyrna gilberti. Shark discovered by Prof Joe Quattro from the University of South Carolina and his colleagues when they were studying scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini). Thu, 5 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/new-species-of-walking-shark-discovered-off-coast-of-indonesia-2013-5-sep-2013 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/new-species-of-walking-shark-discovered-off-coast-of-indonesia-2013-5-sep-2013 2013 A new species of shark discovered off Indonesia - Hemiscyllium halmahera See video of shark 'walking' along seabed Mon, 4 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/live-walrus-visits-orkney-unusual-visitor-4-mar-2013 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/live-walrus-visits-orkney-unusual-visitor-4-mar-2013 Mark Warren, an assistant warden at the North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory. reported a live walrus on the island of North Ronaldsay in Orkney. These are not normally present in Orkney as the island is well beyond the southern range of the creatures. Sun, 13 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/giant-squid-filmed-live-for-first-time-13-jan-2013 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/giant-squid-filmed-live-for-first-time-13-jan-2013 As part of a joint documentary project between Japanese broadcaster NHK and the Discovery Channel, underwater crews have managed to catch the three-metre long animal on camera 600 miles south of Tokyo Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/deepstaria-engimatica-jellyfish-filmed-off-leg-of-oilrig-25-apr-2012 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/deepstaria-engimatica-jellyfish-filmed-off-leg-of-oilrig-25-apr-2012 2012: Off UK coast a remotely operated video camera on leg of oil rig captures footage of a placenta jellyfish Deepstaria engimatica Fri, 9 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/seasearch-divers-discover-giant-rarity-in-the-orkney-isles-one-of-only-fourteen-live-fan-mussels-to- https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/seasearch-divers-discover-giant-rarity-in-the-orkney-isles-one-of-only-fourteen-live-fan-mussels-to- Although best known for its giant shipwrecks, a huge find of a different kind has been discovered in one of Scotland's most historic stretches of water. An extremely rare fan mussel has been discovered at Scapa Flow and it's twice the size of any other British sea shell. The 30cm specimen was spotted by Seasearch volunteer divers, in a horse mussel bed by one of the wrecks. Prior to this Sat, 4 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/dna-testing-proposal-national-library-of-scotland-refused-4-jul-2009 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/dna-testing-proposal-national-library-of-scotland-refused-4-jul-2009 The DNA testing proposal submitted to the National Library of Scotland was refused. I was not personally going to do the DNA testing, this was to be done in a laboratory in the USA. Preservation of the sample was the reason behind the refusal. Fri, 15 Jul 2005 00:00:00 GMT https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/beluga-whale-in-orkney-15-jul-2005 https://stronsaymonster.websitenews/beluga-whale-in-orkney-15-jul-2005 On Friday 15th July, a beluga or white whale was spotted from a plane east of Westray in Orkney. Ian Muir, a vet who saw it, described it as pure white, about 15-20 feet long, and surfacing five or six times fairly rapidly. The last beluga to be seen in the UK was eight years ago at Unst in Shetland in August 1997.