We left Tobermory in the rain at 15:00 on Sunday. The skipper was anxious to get away as he wasn’t too sure whether there will be room on the north pier in Oban as the harbour master has said the Navy cadets will be visiting.
The voyage to Oban takes 4 hours though changeable weather and a steady head wind, which means we have to use the engine. I spent as much time as possible on the bow practicing my marine mammal identification skills learnt from Laura during the previous 2 day marine mammal course. Claire picks up some Porpoises on the new hydrophones installed this season but despite some clear spells where I should easily spotted anything within 100 meters of the boat I only see a couple of seals but too distant to be sure if they were grey or common.
In Oban we moored alongside the navy training vessel HMS Smiter. After a late dinner the skipper and first mate take the RIB and the creel pot, baited with fish from the local fish’n’chip shop, across the bay to Kerrera island to try and catch something interesting for the school visit on the following day. Because the clocks had just gone back it felt later than it was so we decided on an early night and I settle down to my first night on board. We have 7 people on the Silurian tonight, the skipper Duncan and first mate Rob, Eilidh the HWDT education assisant officer, Claire the researcher from the sea mammal research unit at St. Andrews university, two students from the Netherlands Merel and Jacqueline, Lisa a volunteer who has been working in the HWDT office since February and me. I came to Mull for the excellent marine mammal identification course run by HWDT and have volunteered to stay on board for this education trip.
Early the next morning we were woken by Nicole the HWDT education officer who lives in Oban. She is expecting a baby in May and this will be her last education trip for a while.
After a quick breakfast I set off with the first mate to collect the creel pot he set the night before. We found a sand crab, 4 velvet crabs, an edible crab, which refused to come out of the pot, and a sea star. We put these in the touch tank ready for the children. As well as the touch tank the children get a chance to tour the boat, learn about cetacean sounds and collect plankton to view under the microscopes.
The first group of children arrive just as the naval cadets decide to leave so they have to wait on the dock while we shuffle boats. After a safety talk and introduction I help Eilidh on the touch tank. The children, quite possibly the sons and daughters of local fishermen, know far more about sea life than I ever will. I keep quiet and try to look knowledgeable.
We have 3 groups on board during the day, 24 children in all. I also help on the plankton nets, my favourite job. The children are experts at isolating the tiny zooplankton with a pipette and we see some great examples of copepods under the microscope.

We have 2 more days of school visits in Oban before we sail to Lismore where the entire school of 12 children will come out to the boat.
Peter Thornton - Volunteer.