Small Isles Primary School students boarded Silurian today for two marine education workshops in Jura. The older students had time to write some comments:
The best thing was the starfish. Nicky
Today we acted out different types of things that could happen on the boat. Domonic
I enjoyed feeling the crabs. Ryan
I think the best bit was holding the prawns. Melissa
One thing I found interesting was the spider crab. It was like a sponge and the starfish. Katie
I enjoyed play acting and the prawns. Gavin the grey whale
One thing I found interesting was that the sea urchin was moving and that when you put your shadow over it, it will know you are there. It has no eyes. Harriet
I thought the two best bits were acting and the starfish and the rest of it. Mirren

Bowmore Primary students in P2 and P3 boarded Silurian today. They had time to write some comments:

I went to Whale and Dolphin Trust. Today I learnt that there is a wire that you can hear types of fish under the water. The funny part was when the crabs tried to get out the box.

I enjoyed when the crab was trying to get out. Dylan

I liked when I got scared when the red lobster. Ruaridh

When the crab was trying to get out. Emma

It was funny when the crab was trying to get out.

I liked it when the crab was trying to get out. Iona

I liked it when you could hear things under the water. David John

I thought the best thing was when Gemma showed us the sounds. Brooke

I liked when I got to hold the starfish. It was tickly. Michael

I enjoyed hearing things under water. E.B.M

I thought the best bit was looking at the crab. Kayla

I enjoyed touching the starfish. It was fun. Bella

After Bowmore Primary P1’s came aboard, it was the turn of the Home School from Port Charlotte.
“My best bit was looking at the lobster, picking up the Velvet Crab and learning to tie two new knots,” Michael aged 8.
“Nice people, very friendly! It was excellent because they had an octopus and it was the first time I saw one. I also held a big lobster. I’ve had a whale of a time – thank you!” Morwenna aged 10.
“I enjoyed it very much because the animals were very interesting but my favourite thing was the octopus,” Corrie aged 11.
“I liked looking at the Lesser Octopus, it was cool trying to make it change colour,” Megan aged 12.

Tonight is an Open Boat on Silurian and so HWDT is inviting interested members of the local community aboard to have a look around and chat with staff.

Port Ellen Primary 5 and 6 boarded Silurian today in two groups to experience a marine life workshop. They explored the boat, learnt about research techniques used on cetacean (whale and dolphin) surveys and about local marine animals. Here are some of their comments:

I liked finding all the things on the boat. Robbie

I enjoyed looking at the crabs. Kevin

I enjoyed the boat and everything on it. Peter

I enjoyed holding the starfish. Katie

Today I learnt more about starfish. Liam

Today I learned how sea urchins move and eat. Keith

I learnt the different names of crabs. Hayley

Today I learnt about all the different types of crabs. Carlie

Tayvallich Primary School boarded Silurian today to learn about the work of HWDT and local marine life. Here are some of their comments:

One of the best bits was seeing all of the sea creatures, and especially I liked the starfish. It was really good being able to poke about the boat and playing the finding game! I had a great day. Thanks, Rosie

I enjoyed it when I saw the dogfish. Josh

Today I thought the best bit was when we had a bit of paper and we had to find the things listed on the boat. I also enjoyed the part where there were different animals in buckets and we had to identify them. Mia, aged 9

I enjoyed seeing the dogfish because it looked like a shark and it had 3 rows of teeth! I also looked the pipefish because it kept coming to the surface to see us. Freya

I thought the best bit of my day was when we got to learn about all the sea creatures and got to pick them up. I really liked the dogfish because i liked the way it swims around and shows off to you. Signe, aged 9

When you get to feel the animals in the tubs it is really cool, but so was the game, because they were both extremely fun. Megan

The weather picked up over Friday night, and by Saturday morning, there was a fair old wind blowing, even in our cosy anchorage. We waited out the weather in the morning, and filled the time with some routine boat maintenance (dicky generators, dodgy toilets and duff bilge pumps – all part of the wonderful world of life on the ocean wave). We decided to make a break for it in the afternoon and had the ride of our lives and we battled a gale down to Canna. But Silurian triumphed over the elements, and we arrived safely in the harbour in time for well-earned tea.

It was still blowing (and raining too – hurray!) the next morning. The foolish went ashore for maximum soaking potential (they succeeded - I’ve heard the drowned-rat look is the must-have style for Spring 2008), whilst the wise stayed on the boat and practiced looking at the inside of their eyelids. With things looking considerably calmer, we set off at lunchtime for Rum. It was a good call. The rain abated, the skies cleared, the wind dropped, and we had a magnificent sail into Loch Scresort, with the Isle of Rum looking as striking as she ever has, with her majestic profile against the early evening skies.

The morning was no less lovely, and we set out, via several transects, to Loch Moidart. It was warm, it was sunny, it was calm. Away went the woolly hats and oilskins and out came the shorts, sunglasses and pink noses. Every day at sea is a wonder, but this was a super-wonder, which continued when we arrived at Loch Moidart and had an explore around the lovely Swallows-and Amazon islands and bows-and arrows castle.

Our last day sees us zig-zagging back to Tobemory past the Small Isles, Ardnamurchan and the Cairns of Coll. Another fine day, with a slight haze over the calm waters.

Porpoises a-plenty have been detected on the ever-conscientious hydrophone, and we’ve seen a fair few too. But no sign of anything bigger yet – some minke whales and common dolphins have arrived for the summer, but no sightings from Silurian this week. However, our seabird sightings confirm that spring has sprung, and we’re looking forward to our next survey later this month…

Many thanks to our hardworking and highly entertaining volunteers this week – it’s been a great one!

Susie, Science Officer

Welcome to the 2008 research and education season onboard Silurian!

Our season started back at the end of March with a very successful collaboration with the Marine Mammal Science MRes at the Sea Mammal Research Unit. 44 knot winds and a horizontal blizzard in the Sound of Mull were no match for the fearless students, and the trip went very well. Since then, we've run two marine mammal courses - all before the end of April.

Now we're in the middle of our first full monitoring trip of the season. Volunteers joined us in Tobermory on Tuesday night (29th April), and Wednesday saw us transecting up to to Canna in fair weather. Thursday took us across the Sea of the Hebrides, through the Sound of Barra and back to spend the night in Eriskay, where we had a fantastic walk from the harbour to the village, enjoying a grand pint in the The Politician, a sunset walk back along the blonde beaches and a slightly late dinner (11pm) back on the boat. Today we went back and forwards through Barra Sound again. We had been hoping to spot the bottlenose dolphins that are resident in the Sound, but no sign of them, either today or yesterday. We carried on over to Skye, where we are currently anchored in Loch Harport. All in lovely sunshine.

We've had plenty of porpoise detections on the hydrophone, but sightings have been few. There's a major military exercise going on round the Hebrides at the moment, and military boats have been outnumbering cetaceans somewhat. But the weather's great, and life onboard really good - even as I write, Andy is in the galley baking bread whilst we are all in awe as the sun sets in firey glory over Macleod's Tables.

Susie, Science Officer

Students from Iona Primary School spent the morning on Silurian exploring the boat, learning about HWDT’s research and investigating marine animals. They wrote:
Something I learnt today was velvet crabs have red eyes and that another name for them is devil crabs. Ben
I enjoyed today because we got to listen to the sounds of animals and we got to touch and feel some of the animals like sea urchins, crabs, starfish and sea anemones. Rhona
One thing I enjoyed today was looking at the scallop. The eyes were in its mouth. Xzava
I liked the whale and dolphin boat because it was interesting and fun. We looked at crabs, lobster and starfish. Stephen
I liked today because we got to hold all the crabs and scallop and I like going to school. Declan
I enjoyed everything. Duncan the dolphin
I enjoyed today because I had fun jingling forks and knives off the side of the boat and hearing it on the computers. Malcolm the minke whale.

Silurian was today anchored off Bunessan on the Isle of Mull. In delightful weather three groups of Bunessan Primary School students boarded for marine life workshops. The P1’s and 2’s were too busy to write about their visit. The P3 to 5’s wrote these comments:
If I could visit Silurian again that would be good. I was a catfish for the game. Something I learnt was that scallops had eyes. Cara Morrison P4
I liked when the lobster splashed everyone. Josh
I liked when you picked the crab up and when you picked the lobster up. Daniel
I liked the crab and a scallop. Stewart the shrimp
Something I learned was about the crab. Lewis the lion fish
I liked the bit when you picked up the crab and the anemone. Linzie
I liked the bit about the crab. Sean
This afternoon P6 and 7 students wrote:
One thing I enjoyed today was when Adam said the crab was looking at Neil. Blair
I enjoyed looking around the boat and doing the test. I also liked looking at the animals and feeling them. Daisy Williams
I enjoyed looking at the starfish. I learnt all about the boat. Neil
I saw lots of things today but mostly liked the king scallop it was very bumpy and rough and it was because it shut and I got such a fright it was really funny. Kirsty
I smiled when I made friends with a starfish. I liked it when I held the wee starfish. I enjoyed my day on the Silurian. I liked working with Daisy on the starfish. Daisy
We got to see all animals. The sea urchin because you got to handle it and see where it lives. Darren Clark
I enjoyed today because I learnt about the king scallop. I found out that its eyes were under its shell. Heather
Something I learnt was sea urchins are not as prickly as they look. Antony
Today I learnt about the female and male crabs. Adam Doc