Wildlife and whale watching on the West Coast of Scotland...

Feb 2008

Last summer was one of the best for minke whale sightings in the area and bottlenose dolphins turned up on a regular basis throughout the year. The sea eagles produced two healthy chicks, affectionatly known as Fred and Joe because of the letters on their white wing tags. As last year the winter has been warm, wet and windy and we are looking forward to meeting old friends and new in the year to come.

April/May 2007

The weather this month has been fabulous with a busy Easter week of unbroken sunshine. Our sightings this month have been very exciting especially of the eagles and dolphins.

April is the time that both Sea and Golden Eagles are nesting. The adults are very busy and we have had good views of both couples in flight.

The young golden eagle which was born last year is still around and doesn't seem very keen to leave home. Soon however there will be a new chick and the youngster will have to go and find a new home.

There have been a pod of bottle nose dolphins round giving us some very good close sightings. They have been seen around Cuan, Sound of Luing and on the west side of Scarba. There were more than twelve individuals with youngsters amongst them. The youngsters love to bow ride under the boat which has allowed us to get some good photos for the website. There are more porpoises around now than earlier in the year and we are also seeing puffins especially on the offshore trips.

We are now looking forward to May and hopefully Minke spottings. There has already been a sighting of a Minke whale near the Corryvreckan. We hope that this is the first of many that will be around this summer. The best chance of seeing whales is on our five hour trip although our three hour trip also takes us to some whale sighting hotspots. In May we are expecting to see the return of Terns and Manx shearwaters.

Our forward bookings are good this year and we would advise everyone to phone up and book whenever you know which trip you want to go on. Please note that we will add trips to the calendar if the one you want to go on is not already listed.

January 2007

Mild, Wet and Windy...

We have enjoyed (?) an unusually mild winter so far with record rainfall.Our local peregrine falcons, who normally move a little further south for the winter are still here.

The weather is not the only thing which has changed since we started our boat operation nearly twenty years ago. Basking sharks are no longer hunted and have been frequenting the west coast of Scotland in greater numbers every year. Monofilament fishing nets, set on the seabed, are estimated to kill ten thousand porpoises per year around Britain's coasts. The local fishermen have agreed not to use them in the Firth of Lorn Special Area of Conversation. It was always a rich area for these small cetaceans, but now it is probably the richest area in Scotland.

We are now looking forward to the imminent closure of the Firth of Lorne SAC to scallop dredging, which will undoubtedly protect the underwater environment.

News

September 2006

Autumn is here again

With the autumn well and truly arriving, now is a great time of year to see the feral goats up close as they feed on the kelp along the beaches, and the red deer getting geared up for this years rut. The porpoise remain here in large numbers, as will most of the seabirds, and now is a good time to see them in their winter plumage. The grey seals will also be having their pups soon, so we'll be keeping a good lookout for them.

August 2006

Golden Eagle chick has fledged

Much to our delight, the young golden eagle that hatched here after easter is doing very well and took its first flight this month, albeit a rather clumsy one! The chick is extremely distinctive, and unlike its parents who are completely brown, has bright white flashes under its wings and a white tail. We'll definately be able to keep an eye on it for the rest of the season!

July 2006

The next generation is here...

This month is getting very busy for the wildlife as the seabirds are out feeding their new chicks, and we are seeing more and more common seal pups at the haul-outs. This year seems to be a good year for the porpoise too and we are seeing them on virtually every trip, often with calves. The goats have also been busy and there are a lot of kids appearing in the tribes!

June 2006

Pair of White-Tailed Sea Eagles spotted

For the first time, we have seen the resident male white-tailed sea eagle on Jura with a new female! The male has been recorded here for about 3 years but this is the first time a pair has been seen. If they are breeding in this area it is extremely exciting as there are less than 50 pairs of these birds known in the wild!

April 2006

Spring is here

We have had a busy easter with some exhilarating trips to the Corryvreckan and lots of dolphin and porpoise sightings. Puffins are now being regularly seen, and we have masses of black guillimots who took on their summer plumage as early as Febuary this year. This is a great time of year for spotting eagles, as the birds are actively nest building.

September 2005

Basking Sharks frequent Scotland

These impressive beasts have been regularly seen on our cruises and the last two years have been the best yet with the vast majority of recorded sightings on the west coast of Scotland. For more information on Basking Sharks click here!

The Minke Whales have migrated for the winter whilst porpoises and bottlenose dolphins are with us all year. The golden eagles have had another successful year's breeding with regular sightings.

The scenery is dramatic with the onset of autumn. The red deer stags are now in their rutting season competing to sire the next generation, framed against a backdrop of autumnal colours. The common seals have had their pups and now the grey seals are expecting theirs.

July 2005

Minke Whales Have Arrived!

While it is not unknown for individual whales to stay all winter, most are migratory, and the first regular sightings started in mid-May this year. Five hour trips give the best chance of seeing Minkes.

Our big new boat, Porpoise II is a quiet, fast and very stable ride, and is carrying us smoothly around this amazing part of the coast as the summer hots up and the wildflowers paint the islands in rich colours.

So far we've been watching in awe as the ocean around us comes to life. We've spotted the Arctic Terns, back from the southern hemisphere; had some wonderful shearwater sightings and the golden eagles seem to be showing off for the cameras as they fly low across the cliffs. Their chicks are now fledging and making their way out of the cliffside nests into the big beautiful summer.

We look forward to close encounters with basking sharks, porpise and dolphins, and many other nice surprises along the way. Will we repeat leat year's encounter with a Black-throated diver? Perhaps if we are lucky, but we've definitely been becoming reaquainted with the usual cast of auks, gannets, manx shearwaters and storm petrels - our wonderful and unique summer residents. The sea eagle that had been spotted over the winter has been lurking, perhaps establishing a permanent territory? We sure hope so.

We can never predict what we will find on any one trip, but one thing is certain - there is always something exciting to see on a Sealife-adventures wildlife trip.

We look forward to sharing this with you in 2007.

Sunset over the Garvellachs

LINKS

(If you wish us to add you to our links page, please contact us with your details).

Link Categories
Local Accomodation	Tourism Links	Environmental organisations
Where to Eat	Local Businesses	Other Interesting links

Where To Eat

The Waterfront Restaurant - Top quality seafood restaurant in Oban.

Local Businesses

Pete Hardy Images - Wildlife and Outdoor photography - image library and picture sales & photography workshops and tuition.

Loch Vision - Photo Courses

Guided wildlife tours and Wildlife events

Diana Drummond - Seaweed Products

Adrian Laycock - Consultant Engineer

Small Paws Cattery - Seil Island, nr. Oban

David Whitaker - Wildlife Photographer

Webcraft - Web and Internet Solutions, est 1996.

Oban FM

Tourism Links

Dive Scotland Dive charter boat for Oban, Sound of Mull wrecks, Hispania, Breda, Garvellachs and Torran Rocks.

Activity Point - Activities and Attractions in Scotland.

Fishing Argyll - For news and information on local angling.

TSMV Gannet - Sea angling, Oban.

Argyll Online - The premier internet guide to Argyll Scotland

Inverary Jail - Scotland's living 19th Century Prison

Oban Dive - TSMV Gannet, Oban.

Undiscovered Scotland - On-line guide to the Highlands, Islands and Lowlands of Scotland.

West Highland Sailing - Cruise boat and yachting holidays in the West Highlands.

West Scotland Tourism - Information on accommodation and things to do on the West Coast of Scotland.

Scottish Highlands website. Holiday information for the Highlands

ScotlandBy.com Accomodation and travel around Scotland

Grace Singles Christian Holidays

Grace Holidays Your source for unique Christian holidays

Scotland Holidays
Scotland Travel allows to you to build a wonderful Scottish holiday. Book accommodation online, day trips and tours around Scotland.

Eco Adventure Travel
Adventure travel resources.

Environmental Organisations

Environmental Investigation Agency - The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is an independent, international campaigning organisation committed to investigating and exposing environmental crime, including ensuring the long-term survival of the world's whales, dolphins and porpoises and the environment they depend on.

Sea Watch Foundation Campaining for conservation of whales and dolphins in the seas around Britain and Ireland.

European Cetacean Bycatch Campaign. - Campaigning for protection of whales, dolphins and porpoise.

Friends Of The Earth - Campaigning for environmental justice.

Marlin - MARine Life Information Network for Britain and Ireland

Ores (Ocean Research and Education Society) - Foundation for Marine Environment Research

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust

Hebridean Partnership - Group of local people in support of preserving and improving our marine environment and encouraging sustainable use

Local Accommodation

7 Tramway - Self catering accommodation, Isle of Seil.

Achnadrish House Mull

Alltavona Oban

Backpackers Oban

Balvicar Chalets, s/c chalets, Seil Island nr. Oban.

Barriemore Hotel, Oban

Bon Awe House, Quality s/c accommodation, Bonawe, nr. Oban

Braemar Holidays - Self catering accommodation.

Bragleenbeg - Self catering accommodation, Kilninver, nr. Oban

Coll Hotel - Hotel accommodation, Isle of Coll

Corran House - 4* Hostel accommodation, Oban.

Corriemar Oban

Creagard Country House - Self catering accommodation, Isle of Luing.

Dalrannoch Farm - B&B accommodation, Barcaldine, nr. Oban

Dana Villa - Guest House and Self-catering, Oban

Discover Coll - Self catering accommodation, Coll

Falls of Lora - Hotel accommodation, Connel, nr. Oban

Glenburnie Oban

Glen-Orchy Oban

The Haven - Self Catering, Seil Island

Innish - Self Catering and B&B accommodation, Seil Island, by the 'Atlantic Bridge'

Kathmore Guest House - 3* guest house, in Oban

Kinlochlaich House - self catering cottages and apartments in historic country house with beautiful gardens.

Lichen Burn - Quality B&B in a rural setting

Loch Awe Cabins - Loch-side Log cabins, Dalavich, nr. Oban,

Lunga Estate - Self Catering and B & B accommodation, Craignish Peninsula

Melfort Pier - Luxury 5* self-catering accommodation, Kilmelford

Nant Bank - self catering accommodation, Taynuilt

The Old House - s/c cottage, Glen Orchy, nr. Oban and Fort William

The Old Manse - Guest House, Oban

Rhumor Oban

Roineabhal - Country House, Taynuilt

Seabank Cottage. Highly recommended self-catering accommodation close to the boat. Reference number 40021 on www.country-holidays.co.uk

Shuna Farm Cottages - Traditional s/c cottages on an island. Boat provided for short mainland crossing.

The Steadings - Self catering accommodation, Kilmelford

Sunnybrae - Camping and Caravan Park, Isle of Luing

Strathnaver Oban

Thornloe - 4* B&B accommodation, Oban

Tighbeag - Self catering accommodation, Isle of Mull

Toad Holidays - 200 year old self catering accommodation, near Inverary

Traighuanie - B&B accommodation, Arduanie, near Oban

The Willows - B&B accommodation, Oban

Ulva Villa Oban

Wellpark house Oban

Belach House Between Oban and Glencoe

Braemar Holidays Local B&B

Portnellan Lodge self catering holidays

SYHA - Oban Youth Hostel

The Bed and Breakfast Directory

Stewart Hotel

Information Britain

Knockderry house

For Better for Worse - wedding accomodation

Accomodation Britain

Cottages to rent - A guide to some of the most picturesque locations in the richly varied countryside of the United Kingdom that are ideal for holiday cottage rental

HotelsValued.com - Discounted hotel rates worldwide, includes 4 star Hotel near Inverness.

West Coast Holiday Cottage - Self catering accommodation, Isle of Seil.