A.

The best time to see whales and dolphins in the North East is in the summer months from June to October. Within this time it is possible to see species such as the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas) and various species of dolphins. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncates) and harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) can be seen throughout the year along the North East coast, and in particular from the Moray Firth.

A.

Research on whale sharks is still being carried out as we continue to learn about the world's largest fish. Ocean acidification affects many organisms in the sea. For example coral reefs are highly sensitive to changes in the pH of water and can become 'bleached' if the water becomes too acidic. In areas where whale sharks rely on coral reef systems for food, for example in the waters off the west coast of Australia, this could result in there being less food for whale sharks.

A. Whales are mammals so they evolved from mammals which lived on land. About 50 million years ago, these animals lived semi-aquatic lives, spending some time in water and some on land, much like modern otters. They had very dense bones to help them stay submerged when in water. Over time their limbs became shorter and shorter until they started to resemble modern whales. Around 35 million years ago, their bodies looked like those of modern whales. Since then they've also evolved less and less fur and have adapted their lungs and other organs to allow them to dive for long periods. We know all of this by looking at fossils found in the ground. If we were to line the fossils up, with the oldest on one side and the most recent on the other side, we would see that each fossil is a little different from the one that came before it. This shows that the whales slowly changed over millions of year from mammals which looked a bit like dogs and otters to the great whales we can see today.