Hebrides Cruises were delighted to take part in a recent stakeholder meeting with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, to inform future developments of the Whale Track App. Wildlife Guides Lynsey Bland and Alexa Kershaw lent their expertise and shared their thoughts to the charity on how to move forward with the next stage of the Whale Track App.
Hebrides Cruises and Lynsey helped develop and pilot the new Whale Track App onboard our cruises four years ago. Whale Track is a first-of-its-kind smartphone app that allows anyone to submit marine mammal sightings off the west coast of Scotland. It uses the technology we all carry in our pockets to quickly and easily record sightings of marine mammals. Any member of the public can help to track the movements of coastal species like bottlenose dolphins and help unravel the mysteries of more elusive species such as killer whales.
For the past four years, Hebrides Cruises have been working alongside the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust to help protect and celebrate the amazing whales and dolphins in our waters. We do this as a Corporate Partner and by reporting our sightings through the Whale Track App onboard our cruises. Since the establishment of the App, we have reported around 500 encounters with these amazing creatures, helping to monitor the distribution and abundance of marine mammals in the Hebrides.
Hebrides Cruises will help in the testing phase of the updated Whale Track App and our guests joining us on board in the 2022 season will be contributing to the important work of long-term monitoring of cetaceans in these waters by reporting their sightings.
The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is based in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, leading the way for the conservation of cetaceans in the waters off the west coast of Scotland. Their research has hugely advanced the understanding of species in the seas of the Hebrides, providing essential evidence to inform protection measures for marine mammals.
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