Introducing our guests to the wildlife we encounter while cruising and also on shore trips, is one of our major passions. Part of the adventure is not knowing when the wildlife will appear, but if it's there, we will spot it. In general we expect to see minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals,otters, red deer and white tailed eagles on every cruise as well as over 60 bird species. Read our news pages to read about some of the sightings on our cruises and have a look at our wildlife galleries We increase our chances due to the combined wildlife experience and local knowledge of our crews. They know the hotspots for minke whales, basking sharks, dolphins, otters, eagles, porpoises, red deer and a host of other species. When on board, when other crew are busy, our wildlife guides are on deck, or in the wheelhouse, scanning the sea for tell-tale signs of whales, dolphins and eagles. If the wildlife is there, the crew are expert at spotting it. Our expertise is just as important on our shore trips - apart from spotting wildlife while on land our guides will find and identify plant life and insect life as well. Our policy of accompanying our guests onshore with a wildlife specialist ensures they have the best wildlife experience possible on every shore excursion
Sightings will be influenced by the month and the itinerary of the cruise. Many bird species arrive each year to nest on the Hebridean islands and St Kilda. Puffins can be seen on the sea surface near land and nesting onshore in burrows from the end of April until the beginning of August, while other seabirds nest in colonies on cliffs from the Treshnish Isles to St Kilda. The various species of tern arrive in early May and leave in September while Manx shearwaters are already on the Isle of Rum breeding in early spring and set off again for South America in July.
Basking Sharks are not normally seen in numbers until the middle of July but can be earlier. Dolphins are seen at any time but more often and in bigger pods from August onwards due to the fact the fish (such as mackerel) are forming bigger shoals at this time.
Minke whale, common dolphins, porpoise, grey and common seals are spotted on almost every cruise while the rarer cetacean sightings are likely to occur off the Islands of the Outer Hebrides. Rarer dolphins such as Rissos dolphins and white-sided dolphins are seen there, also Orca although these have also been seen in the Sound of Mull.
Amazing sightings can be seen off the coast of Ardnamurchan in late August and Septembers when large shoals of fish attract thousands of seabirds including Manx shearwaters, gannets and guillemots. This in turn will attract hundreds of common dolphins and usually minke whales which can be viewed at close quarters
For a variety of wildlife, one of the best locations is the delightful “Small Isles” of Eigg, Muck, Canna and Rum. It is very easy to spot red deer on Rum and on Canna our guests are guided to visit the dramatic Stac on the south side of the island with thousands of nesting puffins.
On our Mull cruises we call in at the Treshnish Isles where guests can get very close to hundreds of puffins, who have no fear of humans. Many other nesting bird species can be seen at close quarters. Mull is of course a hot spot for white tailed eagles, as well as dolphins and otters and we usually see the rare corncrake on Iona.
Our cruises to St Kilda are always very special for both crew and guests. Owner and Skipper Rob has been to St Kilda over 200 times and has passed his knowledge on to the crews. They know where all the different species nest in huge numbers and our perfectly designed vessels can get within metres of the cliffs. Ashore, they can find birds from the unique St Kilda wren to the Great Skua and take our guests to the best places to watch the wildlife, including observing cetaceans and basking sharks in Village Bay from the cliffs above.
Generally we expect to see minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, deer and white tailed eagles on every cruise as well as over 60 bird species. Read our news pages to read about some of the sightings on our cruises and have a look at our wildlife galleries.
The best way of telling you what a marvellous time I had on this cruise is that I have arrived home and promptly booked another for next year, 8 nights instead of 6, on the “Lucy Mary” again! From ease of booking with Emma to arriving back in Oban on the final day, everything was given careful attention in order to ensure the trip was a special one. The boat, “Lucy Mary”, is extremely comfortable, well-equipped and of a design enabling me to spend hours with binoculars looking out over the sea or mountains in the hope of spotting wildlife, whether outside in the sun or snugly inside in the rain or wind! An important feature is the presence of a wildlife spotter, Indy, whose knowledge and enthusiasm enabled me to notice and identify many animals, birds and plants that I would not have seen by myself. This was also greatly contributed to by skipper Rob’s ability to take us to the ideal places to see the wildlife, as well as beautiful and spectacular scenery and buildings. In addition he chose routes suited to the weather conditions, and ensured that all of our wishes were considered. The food prepared by chef Perry was really excellent, with exceptionally good and varied vegetarian dishes for me. We had beautifully presented fresh fruit included at every breakfast, and fresh cakes or cookies to greet us on our afternoon returns to the boat after onshore visits. These excursions were varied and interesting, with a high degree of flexibility to satisfy all of us. Last but not least, Abbie kept all the accommodation on board clean and neat, adding many nice touches such as prettily-folded napkins, plus all the hard work involved in serving the food, cleaning the cabins and many other tasks. All the crew were friendly, cheerful and skilful. There are many more complimentary things I could say but really I’d just like to thank all of you for a uniquely memorable holiday
Stephanie: 18 September 2023The Small Isles and sea lochs: Wildlife havens