Go west! Survey team 13 find their sense of adventure aboard Silurian
As reports of the wettest summer on record spread, the team aboard the 13th expedition this field season battled through to survey around the west of Mull, rewarded with dolphins and porpoises. Read on to hear about the good, the bad, and the ugly…
DAY 1
The first night on the boat involved introductions, getting used to Silurian’s facilities and quirks of each other. The morning breakfast of hearty porridge, fruit and toast had us invigorated and excited for the first day out at sea. The weather was inclement; however this did not deter our team spirit. We learned how to call out for "creels" and had luck to spot several harbour porpoise too! In the evening, we anchored in a cosy and remote bay west of Carna in Loch Sunart. We saw three white tailed eagles circling in the sky and some seals chilling on the rocks. Some of the team completed a shore excursion via dinghy to the nearby island to swim and explore.
DAY 2
We started out on a calm morning from our overnight anchorage in Loch Sunart and the sails were hoisted. We soon picked up some SW winds as we headed towards Coll. Our first sighting was a pod of common dolphins - we estimated around 20 – and several more pods decided to ride the bow waves with us over the day, including a small calf. Overhead conditions were favourable and we stayed dry all day. We changed course passing the Small Isles as we headed east, with a backdrop of Rhum and the Skye Cuillins to the NW. We were happy to see a large flock of Manx Shearwater and a smaller group of Storm Petrels. We anchored near the Singing Sands at Kentra, where most of us dooked from the sandy beach as the midges chased us in! We then warmed up with a tasty Thai curry and a 'gold star' crumble followed by a game of Pass the Pigs. A good day.
DAY 3
After a stormy night full of rain, wind and not a lot of sleep, the plan for the day was a bit up in the air; we eventually settled on plan c once the weather had improved. Following a winter webinar for some indoor education, we began the days’ survey at 4pm and finished just as the sun was setting – a beautiful sight. Many pictures were taken before anchoring in another pretty location, Loch na Droma Buidhe. A sighting of two common dolphins heading across the bow during a sunny spell was the highlight of the survey. An evening cheese board was beautifully prepared by Jenny, and a special visit from Tobermory RNLI lifeboat as they practiced training exercises rounded the day off nicely.
Sunlight on the water
A blanket of green on grey rock
From the sea a visitor
A fleeting moment in the passage of time
DAY 4
There were two options this morning: go west around NW Mull or head east through the Sound of Mull. We went west which proved to be a very damp decision. We did see a porpoise though, before the heavens opened. After surviving the conditions, we arrived at another beautiful anchorage, this time at the picturesque Island of Ulva. There was enough time for most of the team to have a shore visit, going for a 2 hour walk along the coastal path where we embraced the scenery and tranquillity.
Across the week, the group surveyed nautical 280 km of Hebridean seas, recording three species of marine mammals.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR TEAM OF CITIZEN SCIENTISTS WHO JOINED THIS EXPEDITION: BIRGIT, JACOB, JANICE, LOUISE, PETE & SHEENA.
