Dolphin Spirit

Inverness, Scotland, GB

Dolphins might not be the type of animals you expect to find in the cold seas of Scotland, but the Moray Firth is home to the largest school in the UK with over 130 dolphins recorded.

Excited to see some wildlife for ourselves, we were invited on a dolphin sight seeing cruise with Dolphin Spirit in Inverness.

Each cruise has a trained guide to narrates the trip with local history, stories and wildlife facts. They're also very eagle-eyed when it comes to spotting the dolphins, so it's a good idea to take their lead.

Though the chances are almost 50/50 as to whether you'll spot a dolphin on your cruise, we were extremely lucky as a mother and her calf had swam into the port before we even set sail.

It was amazing seeing the two fins swimming side by side as they hunted for fish below the bridges.

The dolphins were really playful and when the mother caught a fish, she swam up close to the boat to show off her the catch in her mouth.

Our guides top tip was to look for the birds, who will follow the dolphins in hopes of stealing their fish.

Another good place to look for dolphins is at the front of ships because they like to play in the jet streams.

Even if you're not lucky enough to spot any dolphins on your tour, the boat trip is lovely with views of Inverness, the bridges and the Black Isle.