Can whales be famous? Are they becoming more of less common in our coastal waters? How are they affected by climate change and pollution? Despite being among the largest creatures on the planet, whales can be difficult to monitor, given the distances they travel and the time they spend below the sea surface. In this episode, we welcome Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust Director Alison Lomax to talk about the organisation's crucial survey work in Scotland's west coast waters and how this matters further afield. She is joined by SAMS PhD student Tim Awberry, who is finding out more about the often seen, but less understood minke whale.  We also discuss how the power of citizen science is being harnessed to provide some of the world's best data on whale spottings and movements. The Ocean Explorer podcast is produced by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), an ocean research institute and partner of UHI based in Oban. In each episode, we take a deep dive into marine science topics with SAMS scientists and special guests. Interested in working or studying with us, or helping with our work? Visit www.sams.ac.uk to find out more.