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Dolphin in Brazil helping with fishing illustration

Dolphins and fishermen working together

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Gray whale (eschrichtius robustus) Gray whale in Ojo de liebre lagoon Baja California.

Why we’re walking for whales to save the world

We've got enormous ambitions when it comes to fighting climate breakdown, and so two members...
Dolphins with keepers in the new Windsor Safari Park. Image: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo

Three decades on from UK’s last dolphin show, what needs to change?

The UK hasn't had captive whales and dolphins on display for 30 years, but it's...
Fishers' involvement is crucial. Image: WDC/JTF

When porpoises and people overlap

We're funding a project in Hong Kong that's working with fishing communities to help save...
Whale evolution cover

How did whales end up living in the ocean?

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Fishers chatting

Scottish fishers working with us to reduce risks to whales

Small changes to fishing gear could make a big difference to whales around Scotland, and...

Mindful conservation – why we need a new respect for nature

'We should look at whales and dolphins as the indigenous people of the seas -...
tins of whale meat

How Japan’s whaling industry is trying to convince people to eat whales

Japan's hunters kill hundreds of whales every year despite the fact that hardly anyone in...

What makes a great visitor experience?

As manager of the Scottish Dolphin Centre, I have good reason to ponder this question. It came up again this week as we were awarded a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, an accolade given to establishments who consistently get a high number of outstanding reviews.

What strikes me as interesting is that many of our reviewers didn’t actually spot any dolphins – the main aim for lots of our visitors – but they still had a fantastic day out, speaking to the volunteers who help run the centre, enjoying guided walks and tours, or a bite to eat in the café. It is clearly extremely important to visitors that they are greeted warmly by friendly, enthusiastic and informative staff. Over the past few years we have worked hard on this aspect of our offer with improved training for all staff and volunteers, and this has clearly paid off.

Image Copyright Alex Mitchell

We don’t get it right every time, but reviews and feedback help to highlight our mistakes and how we can improve.

A huge majority of our 90,000 annual visitors are very passionate about Scottish wildlife, including the amazing variety of whales and dolphins that visit these waters. This makes them very open to dropping coins and even notes into the donation box, adopting a dolphin or signing WDC petitions during their visit, including the latest one asking Richard Branson to re-think his position on selling trips to Seaworld. This is precisely why WDC run a visitor centre in this spectacular spot: to enthuse the general public about whales and dolphins and give them a chance to help WDC protect them.

I would like to say a personal thank you to the staff and volunteers who work hard to provide a smile to every visitor who comes through our doors – you are driving our success!