Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust

What Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust does

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) is a Scottish-registered marine conservation charity (SC022403) founded in 1994 that conducts long-term research and community-based education to protect cetaceans and marine life along Scotland's west coast. The organization operates a dedicated research vessel, Silurian, equipped for visual surveys and hydrophone-based acoustic monitoring, and runs the Whale Track sightings network — a smartphone app and web portal developed with Natural Apptitude that captures citizen science reports into the Coreo secure database, with data shared to the National Biodiversity Network. HWDT's product portfolio spans research expeditions, photo-ID catalogues, a Marine Mammal Atlas, the Floating Classroom, the Hebridean Whale Centre discovery point, the Hebridean Whale Trail, and Teen Team Expeditions for youth marine biology engagement.

HWDT operates a hybrid non-profit revenue model combining individual donations and memberships, paid citizen science expeditions (from £1,495 per 7-12 day voyage), adoption and sponsorship programmes, retail merchandise, corporate partnerships, and restricted grants from government and foundation funders including NatureScot, Baillie Gifford, People's Postcode Trust, and SMEEF. Its customer base is highly fragmented across citizen scientists, school programmes, a 17+ boat operator scheme network, and corporate partners such as Hebrides Cruises, St Hilda Sea Adventures, The Majestic Line, and Farer. Distribution is delivered through direct expedition bookings, the Tobermory-based Hebridean Whale Centre (currently closed for renovation until Easter 2026), digital platforms, and regional partner operators across Scotland's west coast and islands.

Name

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust

Legal name

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust

Website

https://hwdt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is a 1994-founded Scottish marine conservation charity that conducts long-term cetacean research via vessel Silurian and the Whale Track citizen science platform, serving citizen scientists, schools, boat operators, and grant funders across Scotland's west coast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Whale Watching & Marine Mammal Tours (THAAAIAC), Marine Wildlife & Coastal Nature Tours (Whale/Dolphin Watching, Sea Kayaking) (THAAAEAD), Coastal & Marine Nature Lodges (THAGAIAH)

Keywords

• Marine conservation research
• Cetacean monitoring services
• Citizen science platform
• Marine education programs
• Wildlife conservation charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Tobermory, Isle of Mull

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: Charitable donations from individuals, membership fees, and one-time contributions. Includes Gift Aid reclaim on eligible donations.
2. Expedition Fees: Fees charged to citizen scientists joining research expeditions aboard RV Silurian, ranging from £1,495 for 7-12 day expeditions.
3. Retail Sales: Online shop selling merchandise, sponsor packages, and adoption packages for whales and killer whales.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Partnership fees and in-kind support from corporate partners who share HWDT's environmental values.
5. Grant Funding: Funding from government bodies and foundations including NatureScot, People's Postcode Trust, Baillie Gifford, SMEEF, and others for specific projects and programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is a marine conservation charity that conducts community-based research and education to protect whales, dolphins, and porpoises across Scotland's west coast. The trust operates the dedicated research vessel Silurian for visual surveys and acoustic monitoring, runs the Whale Track citizen science sightings platform, delivers school and public education through the Floating Classroom and Hebridean Whale Centre, and funds its work through donations, memberships, expeditions, retail sales, grants, and corporate partnerships.

Product overview

HWDT operates as a marine conservation charity offering a unified portfolio of research, education, and community engagement programs centered on protecting Hebridean whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The core offering is the Whale Track community sightings network, comprising a smartphone app and web portal through which citizens report marine wildlife sightings, supplemented by research expeditions aboard the dedicated research vessel Silurian. These programs are supported by educational initiatives including the Floating Classroom, Teen Team Expeditions, and the Hebridean Whale Centre, while scientific outputs include Photo-ID Catalogues and the Marine Mammal Atlas. The Hebridean Whale Trail provides land-based viewing infrastructure, and the Adopt-a-Cetacean program offers sponsorship opportunities. Together these products enable community-based monitoring, scientific research, and public engagement across Scotland's west coast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Whale Track: Community sightings network and mobile application for reporting whale, dolphin, and porpoise sightings across Scotland
• Silurian
• Hebridean Whale Centre
• Hebridean Whale Trail
• Floating Classroom
• Teen Team Expeditions
• Hebridean Marine Explorers

Products and services

• Whale Track Community Sightings Network A community sightings platform comprising a smartphone app and web portal that enables citizens across Scotland to report whale, dolphin, porpoise, and basking shark sightings with GPS location data. The network receives over 10,000 sighting reports annually and stores data in the Coreo secure online database managed by Natural Apptitude, with records shared with the National Biodiversity Network.
• Research Expeditions aboard Silurian Seven to twelve day live-aboard expeditions aboard research vessel Silurian during the April-October season, where citizen scientists aged 16+ join HWDT staff to collect visual and acoustic data on marine mammals in the Hebrides. Approximately 100 volunteers participate annually, with fees from £1,495 per expedition and all training provided.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 sighting reports submitted annually through Whale Track
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Biodiversity Network (NBN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHWDT is a member and data provider of NBN, sharing Silurian and Whale Track data to contribute to UK biodiversity knowledge.
• Sea Watch FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational charity working to improve conservation of whales, dolphins and porpoises in British and Irish waters. HWDT is a regional coordinator providing sightings from west coast of Scotland.
• SMASS (Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollates data from stranded marine animals around Scotland. HWDT works closely with SMASS on large whale entanglement and staff trained to respond to strandings.
• BDMLR (British Divers Marine Life Rescue)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVoluntary network of trained marine mammal medics dedicated to rescue and wellbeing of marine animals. HWDT works closely on large whale entanglement project.
• WiSe SchemecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildlife Safe scheme providing training and certification to marine users on responsible wildlife watching. HWDT is a partner and delivers WiSe certified training.
• Hebrides CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOban-based family-run company operating luxury cruise vessels. Corporate partner, data contributor to Whale Track, and helped develop the Whale Track app through pilot project.
• St Hilda Sea AdventurescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOban-based small ship cruising company providing wildlife holidays. Corporate partner committed to 'leave only a wake' policy and reports sightings via Whale Track.
• The Majestic LinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDunoon-based operator of four vessels including beautifully restored wooden-hulled fishing trawlers. HWDT's first corporate partner since June 2018.
• FarercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUK watch maker donating £25 from every Aqua Compressor dive watch sold to HWDT. Partnership has generated over £22,500 in donations.
• Ardent TrainingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline sailing school founded by experienced professional sailors who have been part of HWDT family. Supports HWDT and encourages marine environment protection.
• Marlow RopesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHigh performance rope manufacturer donating ropes and rigging gear for research vessel Silurian. Corporate supporter providing essential equipment.
• Natural ApptitudecoreTechnology or IntegrationDeveloper of Whale Track application and Coreo database. Manages the secure online database that stores all sighting data submitted through Whale Track.
• Sea Life SurveyscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerData contributor from Mull Cetacean Project established in 1982. Provides effort-based sightings and photographs complementing HWDT's research.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NatureScot (Scottish Natural Heritage): Scotland's government nature agency and HWDT's primary funder. NatureScot oversees conservation policy at a national level; HWDT is effectively a key delivery partner for cetacean monitoring in the Hebrides.
• Sea Life Trust: Global marine conservation charity with rescue/rehabilitation centres and education programmes. Larger, broader-funded counterpart to HWDT operating in marine wildlife protection and public engagement.

Emerging players

• Shark Trust: UK charity focused on shark conservation with citizen science sightings programmes. Adjacent marine wildlife charity with similar volunteer/education model and UK footprint.

Direct peers

• Scottish Wildlife Trust: Scotland's largest nature conservation charity. Comparable as a Scottish-registered charity delivering conservation, education, and volunteer engagement across species and habitats including marine environments.
• Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS): Scottish programme (based at University of the Highlands and Islands) collating data on stranded marine animals. HWDT is a close collaborator on entanglement work; both generate core Scottish marine mammal datasets.
• Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC): Leading global charity dedicated to the conservation of whales and dolphins. Comparable UK focus on cetacean welfare, citizen science, and policy advocacy; broader geographic scope than HWDT.
• Sea Watch Foundation: UK cetacean monitoring charity. HWDT is a regional coordinator for Sea Watch, and board member Dr Peter Evans founded Sea Watch. Both operate citizen science sightings networks and produce UK cetacean data.
• Marine Conservation Society: UK charity focused on marine conservation, including cetaceans, with citizen science programmes (e.g., Seaquest), policy advocacy, and education. Highly comparable mission and operating model.
• British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR): UK charity operating a volunteer network of trained marine mammal medics. HWDT partners with BDMLR on entanglement response; both are volunteer-driven marine conservation organizations.
• Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG): Ireland's cetacean monitoring charity running a sightings database and citizen science scheme. Directly comparable in mission, citizen science model, and Atlantic-marine focus, though serving a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hebridean-whale-and-dolphin-trust-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust