A local photographer has captured shots of a killer whale pod in the water near Fraserburgh.
Shaun Sim spotted six different orcas travelling as a group near Kinnaird Head lighthouse on Monday evening.
He was joined by a number of whale enthusiasts off the coast of the town who were all lucky enough to spot at least a fin or two.
Shaun regularly takes photographs of marine wildlife – especially whales – and nature in and around Aberdeenshire which he then shares online.
“Last night, I got a message on WhatsApp to say there were whales off of Fraserburgh,” he said.
“So, I went down to see if I could see them. There were definitely six different whales, and I was able to talk to a lot of orca spotters.
“It was amazing.”
Killer whales spotted near Fraserburgh
Whale enthusiasts who were at the Aberdeenshire spot on Monday also named a few of the striking black and white creatures – Buster, Gunner and Razor.
They then took to social media to let others know of the where the whales could be seen.
“I’m really into marine wildlife,” Shaun added.
“You will sometimes see them between Fraserburgh and Aberdeen, and different parts of Scotland.
“I remember seeing them off Fraserburgh a few years ago. And, now people can keep track of where they are on Facebook.”
Photos of the killer whales are also taken so they can be identified by experts.
The Cetacean Research & Rescue Unit, based in Banff, are one group who have been monitoring the animals for years.
Work published by Dr Kevin Robinson and his colleagues reveals orcas will infrequently visit the southern Moray Firth and Aberdeenshire coastline, but are more likely to be spotted further north.
Pods will either travel in tight formation or can spread across more than a kilometre in the water.
Conversation