We are delighted to announce that Hebrides Cruises owner, Rob Barlow, was awarded the Gold WiSe Standard at the WiSe ‘Masters’ Course last week in Fort William. Rob is also Skipper on our cruises during the season and is very aware of the necessity of protecting and not disturbing the wildlife we take our guests to see.
The WiSe Scheme is the British standard for wildlife watching. Scottish waters host a fantastic variety of marine wildlife that can be enjoyed by boat but wild animals are vulnerable to disturbance and must be approached in a manner that does not have a negative effect. The Wildlife Safe (WiSe) scheme provides training and accreditation for wildlife cruise operators, and many other types of craft. The scheme advises operators on how best to view and interact with marine wildlife, especially the larger species such as Basking Sharks and cetaceans while minimising disturbance.
Hebrides Cruises have had Wise accreditation for several years, however the gold standard goes a big step further in requiring more indepth knowledge of wildlife and a commitment to helping with research to find out more about the wildlife in our waters
Rob attended lectures, gaining a lot of useful inside knowledge on various wildlife. Basking Sharks were a favourite with information provided on their habitats and travel patterns. He learned about the importance of Scotland in providing habitat for birdlife; over 70% of British birds are found in Scotland. A major topic on the course was the new app being developed by Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) for logging information on birds and cetaceans in the western isles which will be greatly beneficial to research groups and visitors coming to Scotland. Hebrides Cruises are very much part of this new app; our Wildlife Guide Lynsey Bland helped with the development of the app at HWDT and will be using it with our guests on our cruises this season
Click here for more information on the WiSe scheme and here for information on the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust
We have nothing but the highest praise for the whole experience. From the whales, dolphin and porpoise sightings while enroute, to the flora and fauna we saw while ashore in the most spectacular locations, this was a most thrilling trip. I will add that the experience was undoubtedly enhanced by the crew, with James ensuring that we had the optimum cruising conditions and Indy being a font of knowledge way beyond his years while explaining what we saw. I cannot say enough about the hospitality on board. From James to Abbie, Sam to Indy the crew were so welcoming. From the moment Abbie offered us a welcoming drink on first boarding to the Carrot cake and Prosecco on the beach in Muck, we felt that we were well taken care of throughout. Indeed, the quality and variety of the food meant that we looked forward to every meal. I must say a particular thanks for the surprise chocolate cake arranged to help us celebrate our 42nd Wedding Anniversary. This was a lovely thought and much appreciated! The was nothing that the crew could have done to make this a better experience. We were sad when the trip came to an end and felt that we had one of the best experiences with a caring crew, and companiable fellow cruisers. All in all, a most memorable and enjoyable week. I would only have two words to say to anyone thinking of booking with Hebrides Cruises: “Do it”.
Duncan Pescod: 7 August 2023Skye and the Small Isles: Hebridean horizons