Posts in Silurian

HWDT completes first winter survey in Hebridean seas

For the first time in HWDT’s history, Silurian, our research yacht has started conducting surveys during the winter months.

Silurian Survey Round Up: July-October

Check out all the updates from the second half of our survey season this year, including the first ever sightings of pilot whales from Silurian!

Silurian, SightingsRebecca Dudley21 December 2018silurian, survey, dolphins, volunteers, volunteernow, marine wildlife, marine conservation, HWDT, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, scotland, killer whale

Inspiring Ullapool’s Future Scientists and Sailors

As part of the Coigach and Assynt Living Landscape Partnership Scheme’s Marine Project, five local teens joined HWDT on board Silurian to see what living at sea and researching whales and dolphins is all about. Find out from their perspective how they got on…

Silurian, Survey SummariesCaroline Willis5 November 2018silurian, survey, dolphins, volunteers, volunteernow, marine wildlife, marine conservation, HWDT, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, scotland, work experience, porpoise, sailing, youth trip, breakingdownbarriers

Survey Summary: Teen Research Expedition 3

The last survey of 2018 - our third and final Teen Research Expedition, covering waters around Wester Ross and up to Lochinver. This trip really proves that volunteering on board Silurian, is about much more than spotting a few dolphins!

Silurian, Survey SummariesCaroline Willis2 November 2018silurian, survey, dolphins, volunteers, volunteernow, marine wildlife, marine conservation, HWDT, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, scotland, teen team, teen research expedition, work experience, porpoise, sailing, sailing holiday

Survey Summary: HWDT 13

During the survey we had some amazing sightings of several species of cetacean, encountering white-beaked dolphins, common dolphins, minke whales and harbour porpoise. We also had some incredible skies, including an amazing display of the northern lights, accompanied by shooting stars.

Silurian, Survey SummariesRebecca Dudley23 October 2018Silurian, volunteer holidays, whales, dolphins, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, HWDT, survey, Scotland, Hebrides, cetaceans

"Best school day ever!"

Last week, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust sailed Silurian, their bespoke whale and dolphin research vessel, to the islands on the edge of the Atlantic, taking a break from surveying for a special education visit to the Isle of Lewis. Read on to find out how the week went.

Silurian, Events & OutreachCaroline Willis10 September 2018Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, HWDT, Scotland, Gaelic, education, outdoor education, outdoor learning, floating classroom, Gaelic-medium education, Siluiran

Survey Summary: HWDT 10

During the survey we encountered seven species of marine mammals, as well as several basking sharks. When crossing the sea of the Hebrideas we even sighted all seven species in ONE DAY, including over 200 common dolphins, a breaching white-beaked dolphin and some juvenile bottlenose dolphins!

Silurian, Survey SummariesRebecca Dudley30 August 2018

Survey Summary: Teen Research Expedition 2

During the survey we covered the Sound of Sleat and surveyed around the Small Isles. In total we recorded six different species of marine megafauna, including an unexpected basking shark, some stealthy minke whales and over a hundred common dolphins.

Silurian, Survey SummariesCaroline Willis16 August 2018silurian, survey, dolphins, volunteers, volunteernow, marine wildlife, marine conservation, HWDT, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, scotland, teen team, teen research expedition, work experience, porpoise, minke, whale

Survey Summary: Teen Research Expedition 1

During the survey we recorded four different species of marine mammals, including some really special glimpses of harbour porpoises within meters of Silurian. We also had an unexpected encounter with a couple of common dolphins, who came over to bow ride as we surveyed up towards Fort William.

Silurian, Survey SummariesCaroline Willis13 August 2018silurian, survey, dolphins, volunteers, volunteernow, marine wildlife, marine conservation, HWDT, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, scotland, teen team, teen research expedition, work experience, porpoise

Ever wondered what life on board a HWDT research survey is like?

Ever wondered what it would be like to join HWDT as a volunteer on Silurian? Well know you can find out! Read our guest piece by dedicated volunteer Rod White, who has joined us seven times monitoring whales and dolphins along Scotland’s west coast.

Silurian, Guest ArticlesMorven Summers6 August 2018whales, dolphins, killer whales, orca, volunteer, volunteers, volunteer holidays, silurian, teamwork, marine tourism, marine wildlife, marine protected areas, marine conservation, sailing

Survey Summary: HWDT 7

During the survey we recorded five different species of marine mammals, which included an incredible sighting of Risso’s dolphins with new calves in tow, as well as some very close encounters with some minke whales. We also had the opportunity to visit the island of Lunga, spending time with thousands of nesting puffins!

Silurian, Survey SummariesRebecca Dudley25 July 2018silurian, survey, dolphins, volunteers, volunteernow, marine wildlife, marine conservation, HWDT, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, scotland, rissos dolphins, minke whale, puffins

Survey Summary: HWDT 6

During the survey, the team covered an impressive 475 miles of Hebridean seas looking and listening for marine wildlife. It was a truly fantastic survey with an incredible 234 sightings of seven species of marine mammals and basking sharks. The highlight was a minke whale encounter that was so special it bought tears to our eyes!

Silurian, Survey SummariesLauren Hartny-Mills16 July 2018silurian, survey, dolphins, volunteers, volunteernow, marine wildlife, marine conservation, HWDT, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, scotland, rissos dolphins, minke whale, puffins

Silurian Survey Round Up: April-June

During the survey we recorded six different species of marine mammals, which included an unbelievable encounter with nine killer whales! We also had our first basking shark sighting, bow riding common dolphins and a lunge feeding minke whale!

Silurian, SightingsRebecca Dudley15 July 2018silurian, survey, dolphins, volunteers, volunteernow, marine wildlife, marine conservation, HWDT, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, scotland, killer whale

Teenage marine research expeditions in Hebrides to boost whale and dolphin conservation

To celebrate Scotland's Year of Young People, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust are running three Teen Team research surveys this year, for the first time ever! These unique research expeditions place teenagers at the heart of the action, conducting pioneering research into whales and dolphins off Scotland’s west coast – helping collect valuable data to conserve marine mammals.

In the News, SilurianMorven Summers6 July 2018teenteam, work experience, marine conservation, research trip, summer holiday, youth trip, strengthen your CV

Survey Summary: HWDT 5

Silurian, Survey SummariesRebecca Dudley30 June 2018silurian, survey, dolphins, volunteers, volunteernow, marine wildlife, marine conservation, HWDT, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, scotland, killer whale

Survey Summary: HWDT 4

During the survey we recorded seven different species of marine mammals, including ten different pods of white-beaked dolphins! Amazing weather conditions meant that we were able to travel to the Outer Hebrides, visiting white sandy beaches and the Callanish stones.

Silurian, Survey SummariesRebecca Dudley17 June 2018silurian, survey, dolphins, volunteers, volunteernow, marine wildlife, marine conservation, HWDT, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, scotland, bottlenose dolphins

Survey Summary: HWDT 3

During the survey we covered 205 nautical miles, spending over 27 hours looking for marine megafauna. We recorded four different species including an incredible encounter with the Inner Hebridean population of bottlenose dolphins, who are resident to our survey area.

Silurian, Survey SummariesRebecca Dudley14 May 2018silurian, survey, dolphins, volunteers, volunteernow, marine wildlife, marine conservation, HWDT, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, scotland, bottlenose dolphins

Floating Classroom visits Island Primary Schools for the first time in 10 years!

Tomorrow, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s research yacht, Silurian, will set sail on an ambitious tour of Hebridean islands, making special visits to six local primary schools visiting some for the first time in a decade.

Survey Summary: Joint Warrior

Our second monitoring survey of the season was scheduled to coincide with the biannual Joint Warrior exercise to help understand the impact that these activities may have on cetaceans across the Hebrides.

Silurian, Survey SummariesMorven Summers9 May 2018silurian, survey, minke whale, joint warrior, rissos dolphins, whale, dolphins, volunteers, volunteernow, marine wildlife, marine conservation, HWDT, Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, scotland, NATO

First Survey of the Season Successfully Launched!

Our first Silurian survey of the season kicked off last weekend with the arrival of our team of enthusiastic volunteer citizen scientists arriving in Tobermory from all over the UK (and one from Switzerland!).

Silurian, Survey SummariesMorven Summers25 April 2018silurian, volunteers, volunteer holidays, Hebrides, isle of mull, joint warrior, research, marine wildlife, marine conservation, sailing, sailing holiday

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