New film focuses on Orkney’s flapper skate

A new short film shining the spotlight on one of Orkney’s rarest animals — the flapper skate — is now available to watch.

Uncommon documents the species of skate — which is now classed as “critically endangered” by experts — and the work of the Orkney Skate Trust in trying to ensure its survival.

The islands around Scotland are thought to be some of the last remaining strongholds of the flapper skate, with Orkney considered to be an area that is successfully managing to maintain a population.

The Orkney Skate Trust has been researching this population for over a decade, aiming to learn more about their numbers and their ecology.

Daniel Wise from the Orkney Skate Trust said: “Through the years at the Orkney Skate Trust we have been working on innovative ways to bring their story to life, and with our camera systems we are now able to show these animals — the largest skate species in the world, to everyone.”

The film can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bndF7eppRV8&ab_channel=OrkneySkateTrust

The film was funded by the North Isles Landscape Partnership Scheme (NILPS) as part of a wider Wildlife Recording Project to support research into various species across the North Isles and support community engagement in wildlife recording.