On the trail of On Sonorous Seas
From Tobermory to Iona, and now Lochmaddy, the immersive On Sonorous Seas has been exhibited at a number of Hebridean Whale Trail sites. The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust was thrilled to be a partner in On Sonorous Seas and that other communities on the west coast will experience its impact.
ON SONOROUS SEAS
On Sonorous Seas was sparked in 2018 on the Isle of Iona, where the pristine beaches played witness to a stranded Cuvier’s beaked whale. This was a poignant moment for local Iona artist and curator, Mhairi Killin, who was moved by the deceased whale and felt inspired to navigate her own journey of discovery. Mhairi found out that this was just one of many beaked whale which had stranded - in total, 128 individuals were found on Scottish, Irish, Faroese and Icelandic shores over a small window of time. The main suspect for the strandings was mid-frequency sonar deployed by the military.
On Sonorous Seas was set in motion. Mhairi curated a team of artists, from composers and poets to calligraphers to produce a multi-sensory exhibition. The talented team created versatile, thought-provoking elements - when brought together allow the observer to muse dark and difficult topics through the medium of art.
“By transforming how we tell the narrative of the 2018 mass stranding of 118 beaked whales - a narrative embedded in the overlay of two cryptic environments, the habitats of the military and the habitats of the whales – through a partnership of science, music and art, we transform how we observe this story, and perhaps in doing so we can tell reality differently and bring an audience towards the complexity of this issue.”
Four years on from the stranding which inspired Mhairi’s journey, On Sonorous Seas was exhibited in Tobermory, one of many sites on the Hebridean Whale Trail. Following this, a weekend of performances, talks and interactions around the exhibit were held on Mull, including at another Hebridean Whale Trail site, Iona. This month, the exhibition will hit the road as it makes its way to Lochmaddy, in North Uist, another location on the trail.
THE HEBRIDEAN WHALE TRAIL
The Hebridean Whale Trail is a network of sites across the Hebrides, where land meets sea, and offers great land-based whale watching opportunities. No two sites around the trail are the same – some are great land based watching spots, while others have cultural and historical ties between the people of the Hebrides and the wonderous creatures which share our seas.
Caroline Willis, HWDTs Community Engagement Officer, adds:
“It a real joy to see this multi-media exhibit heading to another location on the Hebridean Whale Trail. It’s important for local people to engage with the questions which On Sonorous Seas raises, and immerse themselves into the world of the deep-diving whale - a species which occupies an environment so removed from our own.”
The sites on the Hebridean Whale Trail
THE MARINE SOUNDSCAPE
It is hard to imagine the underwater world, it is an environment we rarely experience. In these watery depths, sound is a crucial sense. All whales, dolphins and porpoises rely on sound to communicate, navigate and hunt. The deep-diving species are particularly susceptible to acoustic disturbance – with animals experiencing the same condition as human divers – known as ‘the bends’ when they surface too quickly. On Sonorous Seas provides an insight into this intangible world beneath the waves.
“On Sonorous Seas will take you places outside the obvious and make you think about the impact human activity has on our natural world”
HWDT monitors the acoustic soundscape during research expeditions on board Silurian. A hydrophone – underwater microphone – is trailed behind the research vessel, gathering huge volumes of acoustic data. A whole spectrum of sounds are found beneath the surface: from natural noises produced by creatures, like the snapping shrimp, to anthropogenic noises, such as sonar and boat noise. The marine environment is becoming increasingly noisier as human pressures are intensifying the soundscape.
The hydrophone lays coiled on deck before being deployed to gather acoustic data
Mhairi joined an expedition on board Silurian in 2019, specifically timetabled to coincide with the military exercise Joint Warrior - the massive ‘war-game' which occurs twice a year in the waters off western Scotland. Mhairi undertook acoustic monitoring work, which involves deep-listening and deciphering the different noises found in our seas. Fergus Hall then used the recordings gathered on board Silurian to create the audio element of On Sonorous Seas.
HWDT have long standing concerns about the impact Joint Warrior has on whales, dolphins and porpoises in our seas and question how Europe’s largest military exercises are allowed to take place within and near to known cetacean hot-spots and protected areas specifically designated for Scottish cetaceans, and how such activities are compatible with the conservation objectives for these protected areas.
Anyone can join a research expedition on board Silurian as full training is provided in how to gather acoustic data. Expeditions in 2024 are scheduled to coincide with the Joint Warrior military exercises.