Captain's Log

Filming on board Sula Beag

2009-06-20T12:42:00.005+01:00

June 20th

Do you remember Terry Nutkin, the really great presenter for the TV show Animal magic and then more recently the Really Wild Show? Well we had the good fortune of having Terry on board last Thursday plus 2 camera folk and a producer. This was a filming event sponsored by the WSPA World Society for the Protection of Animals. http://www.wspa.org.uk/

To recap a bit and explain, June 22nd sees the start of the IWC’s (International Whaling Commission) annual meeting to agree on killing quotas for the forthcoming year. The whaling nations are looking to increase their quotas this year. The WSPA wish to take a more positive, and proactive approach. They will do this by celebrating the whale watching industry, as an economic alternative to actually whaling.

Although a global operation, WSPA wished to focus on Scotland because Norway and maybe Iceland, hunt the minke whale that may well live and breed in Scottish waters. WSPA contacted Wild Scotland (Association of Scottish Wildlife Operators http://www.wildscotland.co.uk/ ) in order to find, and I quote, ‘a whale watching operation that operate to the highest standards as promoted by WSPA’s ethical tourism guidelines’.

So they chose Sea Life Surveys – good choice I think! There was much interviewing, filming, and very interesting chat with Terry. What an amazing guy. Such a profound knowledge on marine wildlife matters. Both James and Danny (Waggy) also expounded on many matters. The public on board also contributed and the whole day was a resounding success. We did not find a whale!! But I hope our various chats, and the global publicity, will help in promoting the benefits of whale watching as to the totally unnecessary slaughter of our magnificent and friendly ‘stinkies’.
POPZ

PS we will update you when the footage taken goes online.

Whales, Dolphins & Mars Bars...

2009-06-11T10:48:00.002+01:00

Yesterday saw us spending a beautifully sunny morning hunting hard for some large cetaceans. After a well earned break in our favourite isolated spot we where running out of time when the shout of whale came from a passenger! We tried hard to find this elusive whale and had almost packed up and headed for home when a shout from our great friend who is now helping aboard the research vessel Silurian from the HWDT of whale and we had two whales come right under the boat, we didn't know which one to look at! They circled us a few times before moving off, what an incredible sight! The important thank you to all the crew of the Silurian came with two mars bars passed over to keep them all going, thanks guys.

The second trip of the day the sea had picked up, but shouts from the mast of huge splashes in the distance did not disappoint! After working our way gently towards a large number of diving gannets amongst a plume of spray we had literally a few hundred common dolphins screaming towards us! Bow-riding and breaching around the boat for nearly 30 minutes we had a spectacular show from some very playful dolphins! Once they had moved off we then realised on the horizon there must have been many hundred more, with perhaps 100 gannets diving over a mile away into massive breaching eruptions, just how large was this group of dolphins? They had decided to head north at speed now and we could not begin to keep up with them, when they decide to leave they are on the horizon very quickly!

Time for home, but what an awesome end to a long day. We did spot one dolphin with a damaged dorsal, but unfortunately i need to keep honing my camera skills, didn't manage to get this animal in any shots!

James

Skipper

Dolphins Again!

2009-06-03T19:26:00.002+01:00

We had a huge number of Common Dolphins join us today. It was hard to count the numbers, with many small groups of 5-10 animals around the boat, as far as the eye could see!

We also saw a large number of seals and had a brief view of a Sea Eagle.

Its also been confirmed that the basking shark we have seen three times over the last week is infact the same animal, that has covered many miles, some interesting data there!

Seems the sunshine has also brought the seas alive with massive swarms of jellyfish, lions mane's and moon jellyfish taking the limelight, but we have seen some other rarer species, such as compass jellyfish.

SLS Team

A week for firsts

2009-05-28T14:50:00.003+01:00

Just a few days after our first Dolphin sighting of the year, the passengers on todays Whale Watch Explorer were treated to our first views of a Basking shark.

Despite it being quite wet and particularly foggy they have also had a Minke Whale sighting!

We hope this is now the start of regular sightings of sharks, enabling us to take photographs to help with vital photo identification that is being carried out.

Dolphins return

2009-05-26T16:07:00.001+01:00

Today, May 25th, we set out with 3 guides and a good number of passengers. Our guides for the day were head guide – Ruth, Duncan who has returned for his 3rd season and Andy. I usually poke fun at Andy about his amazing long range vision in seeing things that we never see – I was to eat my words later!

We steamed past Sea Eagle point where they were unusually absent today probably due to the weather conditions -a heavy drizzle with visibility down to about 1.5 miles – lovely! Yet again a day of radar, plotter and compass work in my wheelhouse.

Soon a feeding group of porpoise were sighted so engines were cut and we drifted amongst them. We could see them swimming around and under us with grace and ease, making their ‘puffing pig’ noises as they blow (breathe).

A couple of hours later, steaming through this grey wall of nothingness but wetness and long rolling swells, a shout of ‘Dolphin!’ came from the whale deck. There was an air of excitement as we could see what looked like a series of torpedoes gunning straight for us. As we kept our speed they hurtled into our bow wave and proceeded to surf it, streak under the boat and generally cavort around us. They leaped and played with beauty and agility. There were about 40 of them in all, including 2 juveniles. There were woops of joy and many a tear-filled eye as our passengers tried to come to terms with this extraordinary spectacle. See footage filmed on board by andy by following the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXv8zUExpbQ

We left the dolphins and steamed further afield to other whale grounds – still wet, grey and cold. After concentrated searches across an area that was full of promise with right conditions, plenty of food, birds feeding and the inevitable bonxie harassing all, it was time to return home. Then a trumpet like shout from Andy –‘ Whale!’ He gave me a direction and distance off that seemed impossible. We slowly steamed to that spot seemingly so far away, cut engines, drifted and then a whole chorus from passengers of – ‘Whale!’
He was right yet again; there she was an adult Minke (stinkie as we now call them!).

Suddenly, as if to smile upon us, the sun came out and we returned home – with laughter and lifted hearts.

An Unusual Day Whale-watching

2009-05-17T09:55:00.000+01:00

It was one of those lovely ‘cloudless sky days’ with a gentle easterly wind. We steamed away from Tobermory with the usual anticipation of what was to come. Every day is different out here. There is no pattern, no logical path to tread.

We passed the sea eagles in their usual haunt and then nosed out into the open seas. There were many exciting feeding frenzies of manx shearwater, gannets, and auks including the odd puffin. These were usually interspersed with porpoises hunting around the edges.

The only obvious intrusion into this wonderment was the United Nations Naval exercise goings on -- a large warship and many smaller vessels with all sorts of nasty looking things on their decks. This war like armada accompanied by warplanes, screaming overhead at odd intervals.

Three hours later, having covered a great deal of ground through many favourite whale spots and finding nothing, I decided that I must reward our passengers with something a bit unusual. We steamed to a lovely sandy bay, hidden away behind reefs and affording an idyllic place to anchor for lunch. I was just about to switch off engines when there was a large shout of “WHALE!”
There…… not more than 50 metres from us, was a juvenile minke whale.
Oh golly gosh! Here we bob in only 20 feet of water and this great and wild creature has come to say hello to us, albeit briefly, before returning seaward.

Amazing…gobsmacking. – Skipper POPZ

May update

2009-05-15T13:40:00.001+01:00

Hello! I’m Ruth, one of the new guides joining Sea Life Surveys for 2009. Now in my third week and what a few weeks they have been... from getting sunburnt on my first day out in the stunning Cairns of Coll… to many days of solid rain and very strong winds…now back to beautiful sunshine (this time armed with sun-cream!)... I have loved every moment.

Highlights obviously include the Minke whales. Yesterday was particularly special, after a morning spent cruising the tide-lines around Ardnamurchan with great views of the Small Isles and up to Skye. We were heading into Sanna Bay for lunch and refills of tea and coffee when directly ahead of the boat, right on cue, as people began tucking into their sandwiches, a Minke! It seemed to be travelling so didn’t hang around for long, but what a fantastic sighting!

We’ve also had some great Harbour Porpoise action with one group of about six animals being unusually playful coming right up to the boat, letting us have a good look at them under the water. Sometimes it’s a question of which direction to look with Porpoise behind you and the Sea Eagles sitting on the shore putting on a show in front of you giving everybody onboard spectacular views.

Every day starts with more and more anticipation to see our first dolphins and basking sharks of the season. Any day now and I cannot wait...
Ruth

EASTER

2009-04-21T09:07:00.000+01:00

It is now that plankton levels start increasing in daily jumps. It is generally in April that we experience high atmospheric pressure systems that produce increased levels of sunshine. Dynamite.The start of the spring marine magic. Quite literally within a few days, plankton levels increase dramatically, followed by a similar increase in bird populations.

Follow some of the tide-lines where tidal currents meet, that cause upwellings of water from the seabed. They bring nutrients to the surface, producing a food basket for all. Seabirds,, puffins, razorbills, manx shearwater, and more , a great skua , or bonxie harassing a luckless individual and forcing it to drop it’s food or driving it into the water in order to kill it. .
But where are the whales?. it, or them

Today, April 18th, I cruise the tide-lines watching the feeding. Then it happens. I get that same old familiar ‘feeling’ that draws me elsewhere. I leave the feeding area and steam in a direction and for a distance that makes no logical sense. It is a compulsion I must follow. I see no birds, but an occasional gannet; no signs; nothing.

WHALE!
An excited shout from above. Engines cut, we drift to watch 3 minke , – 2 adults and a juvenile, their blows plainly audible when up wind. Each one comes to inspect us in turn as if to say ‘ Where have you been?’

So, a winter season ends and another magical summer at sea begins – the circle is complete.

POPZ

2009 Season is a go!

2009-04-11T11:43:00.003+01:00

We are just coming to the end of our first week of the 2009 season.

There have already been some fantastic sightings of Harbour Porpoise, with one group swimming close behind the boat as we enjoyed our coffee break.

Sea Eagle sightings have been regular also, with a particularly close encounter with a pair that flew directly over the top of Sula Beag, much to everyones excitement!

Although no whales or dolphins have been spotted YET...we have done a number of plankton trawls that have come with superb amounts of copepods and even a small sand eel...good sign for the season ahead.

The heat is on to get out there and find some bigger beasties, look forward to seeing you soon :-)

James
Skipper

Winter Cruises

2009-01-12T11:21:00.003Z

With the fantastic weather over the Festive period we have been able to run a number of short cruises. This gave us all a great opportunity to find out what has been going on whilst no-one has been looking out at sea! So far our winter trips have been very successful with sightings of porpoise on nearly every trip, other sightings have included seals, peregrine falcon and soaring above us we had a pair of sea eagles!

We are going to be running these trips all year, its great to be able to get out there, we have the best gear to kit you up in to keep warm and dry, and off course at this time of year with the sun and temperatures lower its a completely different experience.

Ironically the day after our cruise last week we had a group of bottlenose dolphins right inside Tobermory Bay! They where around for an hour, leaping amongst the boats in the harbour, watched by many from the fishermans pier, Happy New Year!

Have you had any sightings on your patch over the winter period? We would love to hear what you have been seeing, perhaps you have seen a beastie that you cant identify? Please send us your photos and we will do some investigating for you.

James
Skipper

End of Season Update

2008-11-05T19:08:00.002Z

Our whale watching season has now come to an end, with our last Whalewatch Explorer at the end of September with the last Minke spotted on the 28th September.

We are still running our shorter wildlife trips throughout the winter months, with a number of both Wildlife Adventures and Ecocruz's in October with successful sightings of Harbour Porpoise, Seals, Sea & Golden Eagles, and a number of sea birds. We will be running these shorter trips subject to demand all year round, with some special festive cruises, that will include some essential mulled wine!

On a daily basis we are having sightings of our resident Otter in Tobermory Bay. Giving us some fantastic views of this small mammal, regularly seen chomping on fish on the pontoon, or aboard the Mishnish yacht!

Close Encounters

2008-09-14T11:30:00.001+01:00

The crew on board Saturday’s whalewatch explorer trip set off with much anticipation, despite the low cloud, as the strong winds that had thwarted the previous few trips had dropped, leaving us with perfect conditions. After hearing a rumour that Dolphins had been seen up North that morning we set off to try and catch up with them. By the time we reached the area, they had moved on. However we were treated to a fantastic view of 3 Minke whales, as well as large numbers of porpoise and a wide range of bird species all feeding in the same area. Just as we had turned and were slowly heading for home we were treated to a fantastic view of a Minke whale as it surfaced less then 15m away heading straight for the boat, it then turned and allowed everyone on board the opportunity to take in it’s full size and even see the white on the fins. All of this was topped off by another whale sighting within half an hour of Tobermory bay and porpoise guiding us home. Maybe it was just a good day sightings wise or maybe they knew that it was our guide Dunk’s (A.K.A Harry Potter) last day but either way it made for a special send off.

SLS guide Clare

Northern Bottlenose Whales at Loch Scridain

2008-09-09T15:34:00.002+01:00

Reports have been flooding into the Sea Life Surveys Centre today of two cetaceans seen at Loch Scridain yesterday afternoon. Thanks to Chris Banks who has provided the accompanying photograph, the unidentified marine mammals have been confirmed as Northern Bottlenose Whales. It is very exciting to hear these deep water cetaceans are in the waters around Mull as they are very rarely spotted here. Sea Life Surveys has only spotted the 7-9m long toothed whales once – two years ago. They were also seen last week by another operator, Sheerwater who run from Arisaig. We will be keeping a keen eye out for them on our trips!

Sarah, SLS Guide

Risso's Dolphins Make an Appearance

2008-09-07T15:00:00.005+01:00

The Whale Watch Explorer on Wednesday 3rd September had this summer’s first sighting of Risso’s Dolphins. The weather conditions were perfect and after a passenger spotted a fin over a mile away we were all excited to get closer and find out it was two Rissos’s Dolphins.

We followed them from the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse down to the northwest coast of Mull and were treated to fantastic views of their scarred bodies and watched as they raised their tail stocks and flukes out of the water before diving. By the time we left the dolphins we had counted six individuals, including a mother and calf pair, and suspected there was most likely more than that in the area. Fantastic!

Sarah, SLS Guide

ORCAAAAAA!!

2008-09-04T13:19:00.001+01:00

An Orca-some Wildlife Adventure

Yet again, Orca have graced us with their presence this year. The passengers onboard the MV Sula Beag were greeted with quite a surprise during their 4 hour Wildlife Adventure cruise when a pod of three Orca appeared on the scene.

The trip began with much promise, with the boats depth sounder picking up large quantities of fish, both in and around the Sound of Mull. After an hour of scouring the waters surrounding Ardnamurchan Lighthouse, a passenger called out “whale”!!! However, what came to the surface was in fact something quite different. The unmistakable tall dorsal fins of three Orca broke the surface almost simultaneously, putting on a great show for the passengers. A sight that will never become tiring.

Duncan (A.K.A. Harry Potter)
SLS Guide

Orcasome Sightings this Week!

2008-08-28T13:41:00.010+01:00

After the Whale Watch Explorer on Tuesday had excellent sightings of a Minke Whale, Common Dolphins, Basking Sharks, Harbour Porpoise and a Sunfish all within one square mile of ocean, it was going to be difficult to top that on Wednesday!

We left the Tobermory drizzle behind and headed out towards the sunny skies above Coll. It wasn't long before we spotted a Sunfish up at the surface and some large Basking Sharks nearby. After lunch we found a juvenile Minke Whale feeding and a large group of ~12 porpoises rounding up fish.

As we continued to search for another Minke Whale, a very large dorsal fin was spotted in the distance. There was no mistaking what it was - a large male Orca. With a lot of excitement from the Crew and Passengers on board Sula Beag we followed the male and his female companion out to the open ocean towards the Outer Hebrides. As we got closer we realised the male was well-known to us, believed to be one of the dominant males in the Hebridean pod. He was first identified in September 1992 and given the identification name 'John Coe'.

John Coe was spotted off the Pembrokeshire Coast on the 1st June, the furthest south he has ever been recorded. Who knows what he has been up to in the intervening 12 weeks! We all felt very privileged to be in the presence of the Orca and you couldn't ask for a better leaving present for our guide Laura on her last day. Magic!

Sarah, SLS Guide

Summer Highs

2008-08-21T15:11:00.002+01:00

Summer is well and truly under way and the wildlife has continued to impress. Highlights from the last few weeks have included more close encounters with ‘knobble’, a whale we have seen numerous times this year.
A recent trip up north impressed with Muck Ducks, tasty carrot cake and an inquisitive young whale that surfaced right next to Sula Beag.
Basking sharks are still delighting both the Whale Watch Explorer and the Wildlife Adventure with some days seeing between 10 and 15 sharks!
Often over looked, our smallest cetacean, the Harbour Porpoise, continue to put in an appearance on most trips. Large feeding groups of between 10 and 15 porpoises have been sighted recently and although usually quite shy of boats ‘our’ porpoises have approached close on a number of occasions.
The last two weeks have also brought our second and third sightings of Sunfish, the third being a reasonably large and unusually mottled individual.
Not to be out done the bird life around our shores has continued to please with excellent views of both white-tailed and golden eagle, fantastic aerial pursuits between Skua’s and gulls, gannets plunging from great heights and guillemot chicks constantly calling to their fathers nearby!
Photo's to follow...

The Season So Far...

2008-08-10T20:23:00.002+01:00

The early season can always prove difficult for both sightings and passenger numbers, but our first trip on the 22nd of March, a four-hour Wildlife Adventure, proved highly successful, the skipper sighting the first Porpoise of the season. Porpoise are our most regularly sighted cetacean and resident year round in the waters surrounding Mull. This early achievement was closely followed in April with the first Minke whale of the season.

May proved a highly successful month for sightings, visitors and weather, with an incredible 95% success rate for sightings of Minke Whales on our trips. On the 18th we encountered our first Basking shark of the season on our shorter Wildlife Adventure trip. Our passengers met this relatively small example of a basking shark with delight as it came alongside the boat filtering the plankton from the surrounding waters. The 30th of May proved to be another spectacular day for our Whale Watch explorer. After heading west from Tobermory towards the Isle of Coll, and following a brief association with a Minke whale, we were delighted to encounter a pod of Orca. The day proved particularly exciting for the passengers on one of our package holidays, after a week of ‘orca requests’ they were greeted to four of these magnificent individuals. We are lucky enough to see them around once or twice a year and this time they brought stunning views, circling in the same area, close to the boat, for around an hour and a half.

The glorious weather continued into June and the sightings followed suit, with late May and early June in particular proving a highly successful period for Common dolphins. These dolphins are most often sighted in groups of up to 50, but occasionally larger groups maybe sighted in our waters. They are a particularly playful variety of dolphin and on several occasions stayed with the boat for long times, simply enjoying the undivided attention.

July was perhaps the most momentous month of the season with the completion and grand opening of our new visitor centre. The centre not only provides a booking facility for our own excursions but also provides information on the marine life in the waters surrounding the island. July witnessed a further achievement: as we found the first Sunfish of the season. Sunfish are generally sighted from the midsummer onwards; a sign that the time was steadily progressing, sightings throughout the month continued to be impressive and were marked by a succession of associating Minke Whales on our longer trips. July was rounded off with a spectacular sighting of Bottlenose dolphins, we see these particular individuals at irregular intervals; while often difficult to spot, once found we are quite often greeted to very close encounters. August has so far proved equally impressive, with regular whale, shark and dolphin sightings; let’s hope the reminder of the season delivers similar sightings.

Tom
SLS Head Guide

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