Heading down memory lane for #Volunteerweek
As part of National Volunteers Week we'd like to give a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has helped to collect data on the marine life in our waters!
Volunteer week is a celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering. Volunteers are at the heart of the Trust’s research programmes. We train a wide variety of people to identify and record marine mammals off Scotland’s west coast; whether that is during a Research Expedition on board Silurian, Whale Track - our reporting app - or through our education and outreach programmes. This volunteer contribution has resulted in the Hebrides being documented like never before, with members of the public becoming citizen scientists and contributing to the better understanding of our marine environment.
We are celebrating #volunteerweek by asking some of our past volunteers about their favourite moments from their trips on board our research vessel Silurian…
“Loved every minute, from crew to fellow volunteers to wildlife spotting to sunsets and windy days and even got to the crows nest. Best selfie ever! I will be back ( a promise not a threat!)”
“I too would like to say that my (so far) two trips out on Silurian have given me some of the most memorable experiences of my life, as well as thousands of images! I can’t wait for an opportunity to do it again!”
“I have enjoyed making new friends on all the surveys that I have done, seeing new places, seeing old familiar places from a different perspective and learning so much from you, Emma, Charlie, Quentin, and Brian, and from your enthusiastic and patient teaching. My favourite moment is quite a personal reflection: I realised that what I really want to do in life, and what will be really fulfilling to my spirit is more sailing, and more cetacean research.”
“The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and Silurian is a special community itself and it makes me proud to be part of it over so many years keep on doing the best you can during this terrible time guys let me know if i can help in any way”
“First day out, first trip. Dark rain and gloomy. Basking sharks everywhere even though it was hard to see them. As the visibility was low. Atmospheric and so memorable.”
“I’ve been on 2 trips both special in their own way, and I’m extremely grateful of the opportunity to partake in the surveys aboard Silurian. I suppose the wildlife highlight really was seeing a pod of Orca in 2018, but I have to say that the people on board were the thing that impressed me the most. Good company, good food, good games and good times.”
“Stand out memories that will always be truly special include singing the Mingalay Boat Song with Brian Condon the morning after my first trip round Barra head, leaving a beach full of grey seals behind us and being in the crows nest on the last day of the lochalsh trip where we were “with whale” more than we were without, finished off with a sunset swim at the north end of skye to cool off the sunburn. Im so grateful to all the team and cant wait for the next adventure with the Trust, whenever it becomes possible.”
“ So many special moments! The bottlenose dolphins coming to say hello just as we were leaving Nave Island, my first Risso’s dolphins, minke feeding frenzy, puffins on Lunga, basking sharks right next to Silurian. But also the little personal challenges overcome - holding onto the mast, binoculars and soup with only two hands for example - make you a stronger person. And the amazing crew and staff at HWDT as well as the other volunteers of course. Did I mention the food and Emma’s baking......”
“ So many lovely memories, cetaceans of course, camaraderie and second breakfast. Seeing the land from the sea has always been interesting especially circumnavigating Mull and seeing familiar spots. One other stand out was seeing the amazing north west coast of Scotland, on the way to Lochinver on the October Joint Warrior trip in 2014.”
“Silurian was the first yacht I ever sailed on - and started a passion for the sea, sealife, and human life at sea... I noticed after about 24h on board that my life had changed forever - and that I needed to experience more of this to find out just how!”
Some of our past crew also got in on the action…
“So many of my best memories are from Silurian. Too many to share but here’s a couple which spring to mind: Pushing on for an extra long day to make the most of our first good weather day a week into a survey and getting rewarded with lunge feeding humpback whales feeding with dolphins and gannets at dinner time. Also waiting until Frazer had just finished his first shower in 2 weeks and put on his last clean clothes before throwing a bucket of sea water down the hatch and over his head!”
“One of my many favourite memories has to be watching west coast community killer whales (including legendary John Coe) and hearing them on the hydrophone. Then Tom Reade asking “what would make the day even better?” and producing a chocolate fudge cake. Oh, and the day I saw killer whales on my birthday, and the night we watched the aurora to the soundtrack of Duncan Chisholm on a volunteers 60th birthday. Then there were those pristine, sea state zero days where by the end of a long day we’d be exclaiming ‘oh no, not another minke!’ So, so many incredible memories. I could spend all day listing them!”
“My first ever survey! After 4 days of rough weather, being seasick on a storm bound day at anchor to then spotting my first ever dolphins and going on to have amazing weather and wildlife- including porpoise all around Silurian close to Rum. Oh and getting to St Kilda on Silurian. Laughing so hard it hurts with so many now friends”
“Edd Hewett use a winch with one hand, while eating a runny egg roll, in a gale without dropping a single molecule in the deck (his beard however). Other highlights include landing at the Shiants in the evening, swimming in Rum at anchor as the sun set, and going for an evening hike on Rona.”
“After 13 years and over 20 trips on board Silurian I have so many amazing memories I couldn’t possibly list the all here...but I do have to mention the fantastic education officers, skippers and crew and other volunteers I’ve sailed with... what incredible people. Thank you HWDT.”
“I have had a great time on my trips aboard Silurian. I have met so many lovely people and every trip has been an unforgettable adventure. Just a few of my happy memories: helping Frazer in Ullapool with provisions as we pushed two overladen trolleys down hill from Tesco trying not to let the eggs fall off on to the bumpy road; sitting round the saloon table in the evenings laughing; wonderful natural encounters with cetaceans and birds; listening on the hydrophone to the whistles and clicks of dolphin; lovely sunsets and sunrises; beautiful rainbows; storm bound days in sheltered remote locations with cosy pots of tea, coffee and cake; great conversations with interesting companions from other countries and cultures; going in over my wellies in The Witches’ Pool; puffins, storm petrels and sea eagles; plankton parties. Lots more!”
Our expedition surveys and our fantastic volunteers on board our research vessel Silurian are at the core of our Cetacean Research Programme. The cancellation of our research expeditions due to the current pandemic has resulted in the biggest gap in this vital data collection programme since survey work began in 2003 and is incredibly disappointing for our staff and volunteer community. We are committed to resuming our monitoring activities as soon as we safely can.