Captain's Log

Whales, Sharks & Sula

2008-08-07T10:48:00.003+01:00

The last few weeks have produced some fantastic Minke Whale and Basking Shark sightings, with everyone on board getting some very close views, including Skipper’s pup Sula!

A companion on some of the Whale Watch Explorer trips, Sula is intrigued by Basking Sharks and will often go onto the bow and watch these giants as they slowly swim by. Minke Whales just don’t seem to hold the same appeal to her!

Rachel
SLS Guide

Bottlenose Dolphins play around Sula Beag

2008-07-31T09:43:00.005+01:00

The local bottlenose dolphins were in the northern waters around Mull yesterday and treated the lucky passengers and crew aboard Sula Beag to a fantastic encounter.

Thanks to a call from a local fishing boat (who were kindly rewarded with Mars bars), we all knew there were dolphins in the area - it was just a case of finding them!

We scoured the coastline for over an hour and our efforts were rewarded when we spotted a group of 5 dolphins bowriding on another vessel. We followed their course and it wasn't long before the dolphins changed direction and swam towards us to check us out.

The group was socialising and we saw white bellies just under the surface as they swam upside down and rubbed up against each other. We were treated to dolphin acrobatics with high leaping out of the water and lots of bowriding and close encounters so we could see the scarring and individual markings on each of the dolphins bodies.

The pod continued following the coastline south while we investigated a basking shark feeding at the surface.

The Scottish Bottlenose dolphins are at the northern-most limit of the species range and we all felt privileged to share the waters around Mull with them today.
Lets hope they pay us another visit soon!

Sarah - SLS guide

Monday's Whale Watch Continued...

2008-07-29T15:14:00.002+01:00

As reported on yesterdays Captain’s Log by Tom, Monday’s Whale Watch Explorer headed out into the hottest day of the year and found a whale within an hour.

SLS super guide Abs first sighted the whale, which proved to be a little illusive, still perseverance is the name of this game and we headed across the silky blue sea to the Isle of Coll.

Once again we picked up three whales feeding amongst shoals of small fish that we observed bubbling at the surface. The abundance of food was reflected in the whale’s behaviour, with most whales we have observed lately surfacing much more leisurely and being very inquisitive of our boats – Yay!

As well as the whales, the sun and the birds, the trip was treated to some fantastic views of basking sharks including two very small sharks!

SLS Guides Abs and Rachael

Close Encounters

2008-07-28T14:31:00.003+01:00

Yesterdays Whalewatch Explorer was greeted with warm weather and plentiful wildlife.

Within half an hour of leaving Tobermory we had already found several groups of Harbour Porpoise, our most frequently seen marine mammal, but we continued further west towards the Isle of Coll.

Our first encounter with the larger creatures came shortly before lunch when within the space of an hour we came across two Minke Whales and numerous Basking sharks, two of the Basking sharks being within metres of the boat.

Following a brief Island landing we set out to rediscover the morning’s whales. We were then lucky enough to catch a glimpse of our third Minke in its entirety as it approached our vessel Sula Beag, and surfaced several times just ahead of the boat. Our return journey met with a further Basking shark which was a perfect ending to a pretty impressive trip.

Today is probably the hottest day we have had all season, with clear blue skies and no wind. Reports from todays Whalewatch are coming in of a Minke within the first 30 mins of the trip, spotted by our very own office manager Abs (not from the office, she was infact on board at the time...!!)

Tom
SLS Head Guide

Sunfish number one today

2008-07-17T11:06:00.002+01:00

Amongst the many Basking Sharks sighted during today’s Whale watch explorer we were also greeted to a first for this season: A Sunfish.

We see this magnificent fish on a regular basis throughout July and August when they enter our waters to feed primarily on our Jellyfish.

These largely tropical fish can reach up three metres in length, although we often sight much smaller examples.

They approach the surface for a number of reasons, including the warmer water, foraging for food and the removal of their sea lice by the local sea birds. This behaviour can often be confused as an act of distress, given the appearance of floating on the surface, it is in fact perfectly natural and its great to see them on our trips.

Tom Evans
SLS Head Guide

Shark Breaches in Tobermory Bay

2008-07-16T09:21:00.002+01:00

Today every trip from the Whalewatch Explorer to the Seal Cruz managed to
get to see a Basking Shark!

The reason being that there was one just 500
metres from our centre in Tobermory. It was first seen over towards the
ferry pier by the Ecocruz and then was found again further in the bay by the
Wildlife Adventure. It was quite happily feeding on plankton and even swam
alongside the boat giving everyone an excellent view of the world's second
biggest fish. At one point, the shark breached out of the water showing its huge
body size and causing a massive splash.

Many more sharks (over 20
individuals) were seen throughout our area during the day. This high
concentration of sharks may be due to a summer plankton bloom attracting
them to the area.

Lewy

Skipper

Minke whales return, Sharks steal the show!

2008-07-11T17:18:00.003+01:00

After a few days of windy and rough conditions hemming the Whalewatch Explorer into the North West Coast of Mull, making whale spotting tricky, a drop in wind and calm conditions allowed us to head across to Coll. Here we picked up two minke whales feeding off the Cairn's, however it was the estimated 18 basking sharks that took the limelight today!

At one point at least 8 sharks surrounded the boat and we could have been forgiven for the thinking we were in some kind of horror movie, but really these harmless giants are simply filtering out plankton from the water.

As we drifted eating our lunch on board, 2 more slowly manouvered close to the boat, mouths wide open, guzzling their lunch from the turqoise blue waters off the Cairns of Coll.

Rachael
SLS Guide

Video of Visitor Centre & Taigh Solais Opening Day

2008-07-05T22:42:00.004+01:00

A great video of the opening of the Tobermory Harbour Association building and our new Sea Life Visitor Centre has been put together by local artist Angus Stewart.

The video shows HRH opening the building, the fantastic RNLI helicopter excecise in the bay, highlights from the celebrations with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers that evening, and a great collection of footage showing the building being built over a full year, from foundations to the grand opening.

You can see a range of pictures from the event, and view the video, by clicking on the link below. Here you will view our facebook fan page, where we give regular updates, you can join as a fan, add pictures from your wildlife experiences, get regular updates on sightings, events and more -

Facebook Sea Life Surveys Fan Page

Our New Visitor Centre Opened by HRH Princess Royal

2008-07-05T20:18:00.005+01:00

Our new visitor centre which is part of the new Tobermory Harbour Assosciation building Taigh Solais was opened by HRH Princess Royal on the 3rd July.

Inside the new Sea Life Visitor Centre

Sea Eagle section, counter and displays

Our HUGE aquarium! There is 500 gallons of sea water in here, with prawns, crabs, starfish, butterfish, lobster, and loads more beasties to come and look for! (all caught in Tobermory bay in creels, or from the shore)

Inside the new centre, touch table and more - HRH Princess Royal meets the SLS crew on the pontoon

Childrens Corner - Pictures by Tobermory Primary, and a collage made by Tobermory High school pupils.

The Return of Knobble

2008-06-24T21:47:00.002+01:00

Knobble, a whale that we recognize through our photo-identification project, has
returned to its favourite feeding ground near Coll. Last summer we had
regular sightings of this particular whale and it was great surprise to see
it again in the exact place we last saw it in 2007.

Anyone on our trips can get involved in the photo-ID project. All you need
is a camera, film or digital, and you can help contribute to the ever
expanding ID catalogue.

For more info see our research section on our
website.

You can also have a look at the Minke Whale research page on the HWDT website.

Bottlenose Dolphins Back Again

2008-06-22T17:40:00.002+01:00

A playful group of Bottlenose Dolphins spent time with both our Ecocruz and
Whale Watch Explorer on Saturday. They seemed to enjoy the experience as
much as we did and where observed breaching, back-flipping and tail slapping
around both boats. The sighting was also important for our ongoing photo-id
project in collaboration with Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust. Every time
they are seen photographs are taken of the dorsal fins and any other
distinctive markings and these photos together with sighting information
provide an understanding of the population dynamic and movements of the 30
strong Hebridean group. In the future this information could be used to
support any marine protection initiatives on the west coast.

Also seen were Minke Whale, Harbour porpoise, Seals and a huge feeding flock
(approx 2000) of Manx Shearwaters.

Record Breaking Plankton Trawl

2008-06-16T21:41:00.003+01:00

Todays plankton trawl on our Whale Watch Explorer, had ' phenomenal' amounts
of plankton. The net, which normally collects about 25ml of pure plankton,
had at least 3 litres of plankton after only being trawled for 2 or 3
minutes.

What does this mean? Well, plankton sustains all life under the waves and
this was very apparent at the time of the trawl. Scores of diving gannets
and three feeding Minke Whales were around the boat at the
time of the trawl! The gannets were probably feeding on fish that were in
turn feeding on the plankton and the whales could have been feeding on both
the fish and plankton. This can only be good news for the fish, birds, whales
and of course the Whale Watchers!

Also seen today where Basking Shark, Harbour Porpoise and six Bottlenose
Dolphins that surprised us with a visit in Tobermory Bay.

It was awesome!!!!!

Bottlenose dolphins enjoying the sunset with Sula Mhor

2008-06-14T15:19:00.002+01:00

Last weeks 2 hour Sunset Cruise was delighted to enjoy the Mull sunset with a pod of 8 bottlenose dolphins. The dolphins treated Sula Mhor and her small group of 6 passengers to a fantastic show of them playing with each other and jumping around the boat.
The dolphins followed Sula Mhor right into Tobermory bay, and continued to accompany us between the moorings.

Onlookers from the shore also got a spectacular sight from the pier. The photo here was kindly given to us by holiday-maker Will Dawes, who captured the moment perfectly. Thanks Will.

Dolphins frequently pass through our waters and although they aren’t resident here, we get excellent sightings of them throughout the season.

Abs – SLS guide.

New Visitor Centre Update - More Pictures

2008-06-13T20:42:00.004+01:00

View from outside & Sea Eagle section

Minke Whale scull & 500 Gallon fish tank!!

Interpretation displays

View from the pontoon where our boats leave from. The new building, Taigh Solais and our Sea Life Visitor Centre in the background.

'Mull is Britains whale-watching capital'

2008-06-11T14:26:00.005+01:00

Last weekend we had an article in both the Guardian and the Observer, with the title 'Mull is Britains whale-watching capital'.

To read the article written by Severin Carrell please follow this link;

Guardian Article

New Visitor Centre Update

2008-06-04T20:45:00.003+01:00

The fit-out of our new visitor centre is now underway

There are display areas, sea eagle section, childrens corner...and a lot more...

Today we took delivery of our brand new marine fish tank...

...it took eight men to get it lifted and into the centre...

Official opening day is 3rd July 2008,

watch this space for more updates, including some

fantastic events during the opening.

Sharks & Suncream

2008-06-04T20:41:00.001+01:00

Monday’s whalewatch explorer started with high hopes as Sula Beag sailed out of the harbour on flat calm seas and in glorious sunshine.

We had our first sighting of a Minke whale just 45 minutes into the trip – a record for the SLS team this season. We had great views of surfaces, and spent a good hour with 2 whales found in that area before heading off out to sea to see what else was around.

After landing on Muck for lunch and (yet more!) carrot cake (if you ever want to bribe the SLS crew, you know where to go), we left Port Mor amongst lots of porpoise, giving us a graceful show.

Amid the “mirror like” sea, in the distance, we spotted a pod of 20 common dolphins steaming towards us. They treated us to a spectacular sight of them herding and feeding on a shoal of fish, before playing around the boat. They continued to follow us, bow riding and jumping alongside Sula Beag, seemingly enjoying the cheering from the passengers on board.

With smiles all round, we headed back into the Sound of Mull, liberally applying the sun cream. In the distance, a 3rd whale was spotted, along with a large basking shark (the first shark for me this season – I was grinning from ear to ear)!
We approached the shark, and when all eyes were on it, a second showed itself behind the boat.

All on board had amazing views of the sharks, seeing their impressive gill rakers which they use to feed on plankton.

3 whales, 20 dolphins, 25+ porpoise and 2 sharks – a memorable day for all on board.
Now, where’s that after-sun moisturiser.....

Abs – SLS guide.

Killer Whales Come Back

2008-06-01T22:36:00.002+01:00

A massive black fin had been spotted roughly 2 miles to the North of Sula
Beag and after turning towards it our suspicions were confirmed - Orca!!

Just 30 minutes earlier we had been watching a young minke whale foraging,
unaware of what loomed on the horizon, we had turned towards Coll for lunch
but ended up spending nearly two hours with 4 adult Orca.

Orca are rarely seen in our area, but they pass through regularly, it is pure
luck when we cross paths. This experience was one of my best yet.

The small pod consisted of 2 females and 2 males.

The males have been provisionally identified as Floppy Fin (a
certified Porpoise killer) and Kinky. The females are known as Lulu and
Nicola. As we entered "The Cairns of Coll" for lunch the local seal colony
looked incredibly vulnerable. Killer Whales are the Top predator in all the
oceans and it is a massive privilage to see them in our own small Hebridean
sea.

Dolphins, Shark, Whales and the Cairns of Coll

2008-05-26T10:59:00.004+01:00

Saturdays Whalewatch Explorer was filled with suprises as Sula Beag headed out into the sunshine. A pod of 50 Common Dolphins, 2 Minke Whales and a large Basking Shark presented themselves beautifully for all to see. On board passenger and researcher Emily kindly wrote about the sightings.
SLS Guide Abs

Saturday 24th May 2008

Wow! What an absolutely fantastic day! You wouldn’t help but think it was going to be a good one as we stepped aboard Sula Beag in the glorious morning sunshine with the water sparkling in anticipation all around us. It didn’t take long before we spotted our first porpoise in the Sound of Mull. Then we saw another, and another, and another – the water felt like it was teaming with porpoise!

As we all applied more sun-cream, we headed out towards Coll, with mountain tops coming out of the haze all around us. In the afternoon, large splashes in the distance were spotted. We approached full of excitement we were suddenly surrounded by approx 50 common dolphins, including 2 calves! It was incredible – the leapt and dived all around us with such energy and incredible grace. They seemed to be with us for hours playing around the bow of the boat by the Cairns of Coll.

We then set off to head back in the direction of Mull, still all exhilarated by the dolphins, when someone spotted a Minke Whale!! In the far distance we could see the animal slice through the water – it was perfect – the mountains in the background, the sun, the whale – it was like time stood still. And then just to add to the electric atmosphere, we saw another Minke, this time a juvenile.

Could things get any better?

We then saw a basking shark as well! It was probably also a juvenile and it came right up to the boat with its huge white mouth gapping open as if it has mistaken us for a large piece of plankton. It looked so impressive up close (and I was pleased I hadn’t watched Jaws lately)!!
The results of the plankton trawl proved plankton was in abundance! No wonder we found a basking shark there!

So, that’s our day and wow! What a day it was! We’re all going to smiling for a long time after that experience!

Weekend Explorer Great Success

2008-05-21T22:17:00.001+01:00

First Package Great Success

The first package holiday of the year ran from 16th to 19th May. On Saturday we
went north and landed at Port Mor, Isle of Muck for crab rolls, tea and
cake, stopping to watch an adult minke on the way. In the afternoon the sun
was out and the sea was glassy and as we turned to head back into the Sound
of Mull a foraging juvenille whale was spotted. Two whales on the first day!

On Sunday we were headed for Coll. Within two hours of the trip one of the
guests spotted a minke one mile away, winning the coveted mars bar. The
whale was travelling South and we travelled with it for thirty minutes.
Another whale was seen further North, and as we reached Coll we witnessed a
feeding frenzy of birds and another two whales. After a lazy lunch with the
seals we headed back to Tobermory, having doubled saturdays sightings!

Our Weekend Packages run from Friday to Monday throughout the summer.

For more information on any of our packages email info@sealifesurveys.com
Or phone 01688302916

Dolphin Family Group

2008-05-21T08:03:00.002+01:00

Today's Whale Watch Explorer and Wildlife Adventure experienced the warm
welcome of a family of Bottlenose Dolphins. The 15 strong pod consisted of 4
adults, 8 juveniles and 3 very young calfs. Bottlenose Dolphins live in very
close family groups and this particular pod was very close, with all 15
individuals surfacing together and playing, jumping and chasing games round
the boat. They stayed with us for over 2 hours before continuing their
journey.

The SLS team were also able to get some ID photos of the dolphins, which
will hopefully be used to identify most of the dolphins enabling us to learn
more about the 30 strong hebridean population. For more information follow this link -

www.whaledolphintrust.co.uk

Lewis Drysdale

Skipper

First Basking Shark on 19th May

2008-05-21T07:57:00.001+01:00

The first basking shark of the season was seen on Mondays Wildlife
Adventure. The shark was sub-adult/juvenille around 3 metres in length. The
Sharks congregate in large numbers round the Hebrides in the summer, so we
are looking forward to seeing a lot more of them over the following months.

SLS welcome Kasey back

2008-05-07T00:38:00.002+01:00

Today's Whalewatch Explorer was able to watch and photograph one of our
favourite summer visitors, "Kasey" is an adult minke whale that Sea Life
Surveys have been watching and photographing since 1997, today he came back
again!

The last time he was observed was just half a mile from Tobermory bay
in August 2007.

He was seen feeding co-operatively with 4 other adult and juvenille Minkes
near Coll, in amongst hundreds of Manx Shearwaters and thousands of sand eel
shoals. Its a great sign to see him already, as we know that he loves this
area.

Also seen today were our two White Tail Eagles (green and blue tag),
harbour porpoise, seals and lots of seabirds.

Carrot Cake back on the Table!

2008-05-01T08:55:00.002+01:00

Today's Whalewatch Explorer ventured north to Muck and sampled the
delicious fayre of " The Isle of Muck Tearoom". Anyone who has landed on
Muck before knows they make the heartiest soups and the best carrot cake
this side of Oban!

The whales were in hiding, but 2 common dolphins surprised us with a visit
as we headed back towards Tobermory Bay. Seeing a pair commons so far
inshore is unusual, but a there has been a pair resident in Loch Carron
(near Skye) all winter, maybe these are the same animals wanting a change of
scenery? All we knew was it was a very welcome sighting after a days
searching.

Also seen today were Porpoise, Seals, Puffins, Great Skua, Shearwaters,

and many more.

Whales Everywhere Today!

2008-04-28T19:59:00.002+01:00

At least 6 different whales were seen on today's Whale Watch Explorer, the
minkes were spread out over quite a large area, 2-3 square miles, making it
very hard to tell how exactly many whales were there.

The whales appeared to
be foraging hard for shoals of fish, probably sand eel. Puffins, shearwaters
and gannets were observed in the same area. On our way back to Tobermory our
two favourite Sea Eagles, affectionately named blue tag and green tag, were
waiting to say hello! A great day all round.