Scotland’s seas are home to thousands of animals, and it is a haven for all sorts of wildlife from the common to the bizarre.

Tourists flock to the coasts to catch a glimpse some of the rarer and more unusual species which live just off the mainland.

Here are some of the remarkable beasts which you can find in Scotland’s waters.

Basking shark: Often seen in Scots waters. CC Chris Gotschalk

The second largest fish in the world swims in Scottish waters every summer, and they move closer to the coasts to feed.

ADVERT

They can grow up to 10m long and are known for their characteristic enormous mouth, which they use to sift through water for plankton.

They are fairly easy to spot in Scotland thanks to their habit of gliding slowly at the water’s surface. Unfortunately this has also made them easy to harm either deliberately or accidentally. The gentle giants face a number of threats despite being protected species, including being caughtin fishing nets, and disturbance or impact by jet-skis and speedboats.

The Lion’s Mane jellyfish can grow over 100ft. © George Stoyle/SNH/SWNS.com

The Lion’s mane is a beautiful and dangerous animal, which is becoming more common in the seas around Scotland.

Named after its long tentacles, which can grow up to 37 metres long, it packs quite a sting described as like an ‘electric shock’. Luckily no-one has ever been killed by a sting from this species.

ADVERT

They commonly wash up on beaches on Scotland’s west coast, and can still sting you even after the animal has died.

Scuba diving trips are available where tourists can see the weird animals in their natural habitat, but don’t get too close.

Humpback whale sightings are becoming more common. Nick Davies/SWNS

Humpbacks were once an incredibly rare site for Scots after they were exploited to dangerously low levels.

But since the 1980s, they have become increasingly common as whales feed near the coast of Northern Scotland.

The are highly migratory animals and travel thousands of miles from warm-water breeding areas to cold-water feeding grounds in the polar regions. It at this time they are encountered near Scotland travelling from Africa to feeding grounds around Iceland and Norway.

Angler fish: Toothsome customer is common around Scotland. © George Stoyle/SNH/SWNS.com

This nightmarish fish is confined to the depths of the sea, with its unique lantern used to scope out prey in the dark.

Not perhaps the most beautiful of creatures in the water around our coast, they are also known for their often enormous teeth with which they attack those animals unfortunate to get too close.

ADVERT

They are found in the North Sea, with some varieties fished commercially. But the most bizarre types of angler are a sight for scuba divers around the remote outer Hebrides.

Killer whale: So-named as it kills whales. Pippa Low/North 58°/SWNS.com

The killer whale is a fairly rare sight for marine wildlife watchers in Scotland.

Pods have been sighted off Skye, Shetland, Orkney and Caithness in the summer months, and the whales have been spotted regularly by tourists.

Orcas are instantly recognisable, with large black dorsal fins and distinctive white and black colours.

Despite the name, they are actually the largest member of the dolphin family- they are dubbed ‘killer whales’ because some populations prey on whales.

Sean slugs are often in rockpools. George Stoyle/ SNH/SWNS.com

Any rock pool or coastal area in Scotland will house sea slugs, which are one of the most unusual looking species in the water.

Recent scuba diving trips to the remote island of St Kilda revealed remarkable images of the slugs, of which there are over 3000 species.

Also known as nudibranchs, they vary widely in colour and arrangement.

The rarest animal on this list: The leatherback turtle. Owen Humphreys PA Archive/Press Association Images

To spot a leatherback turtle swimming near Scotland, you would have to be extremely lucky.

They are an endangered species, and are more often seen washed up on beaches, or caught in fishing lines.

They are named due to their shell, which is leathery and soft in texture unlike most of other turtles. They are the largest sea turtles and migrate thousands of miles across both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.