Thursday 13th July, 2006

Anchorage: Eilean a'Phiobaire, Loch Hourn

Position: 57°06.700 N 005°34.900 W

Distance surveyed: 40ish nm

A new day and everyone awoke at seven am (the earliest I'd woken for three years!!!), feeling slightly better off than when they went to bed so all was set for a good day.

The initial journey was calm and expectations for the day were high everyone all hoping for some spectacular visual displays from dolphins and the odd dream of seeing an orca feeding on some seals!! lol!! These were however, probably just my dreams!

We were initially greeted by some grey seals on both sides of the boats but at distances difficult to picture with a camera; the seals always seemed to get away just at that last vital moment of photo capture!!

The boat continued on past the Island of Eigg and towards the Sound of Sleat and onwards to Loch Hourn. During this part of the trip Davie gave me the opportunity to be at the helm (much to shock of Pauline and Susie!!), probably thinking how could this cocky boy be allowed to steer the vessel, we are all doomed!! Anyway my luck held out and we didn't veer off course or crash into any other boating vessel or rocks.

As the day drew to a close we came up the Sound and were surrounded on either side by beautiful scenery, which really does just overwhelm me at times, but it seems to be the norm at the moment being surrounded by these stunning islands and natural beauty.

Unfortunately my dreams of seeing an orca in the wild did not come true today but we got five days left still, so i can always hope!!

We eventually set up anchor in the Loch surrounded by tall hills on either side and we were rewarded with a visit from a porpoise and its calf which provided perfect wildlife viewing in a spectacular place, may it all continue!!

Not only is Duncan an extremely talented skipper he seems to have an extraordinary talent at cooking as well (Duncan if you get tired of being a skipper I am sure you could always be a chef!!). The Veg and Meat pie capped off a great a great day.

Tom. Cocky volunteer!

Wednesday 12^th July, 2006

Anchorage: The Gallanach, Muck

Position: 56°50.500 N 006°17.100 W

Distance surveyed: 31nm

Our new volunteers arrived bright and early today, ready to start a 7-day monitoring trip. They are Tom, Kate, Pauline, Lida, Ricardo and Sarah. After some training about the boat and survey techniques, we set off, heading northwards. The weather gods were not so happy with us, and things got a bit frisky round Ardnamurchan, claiming the stomachs of four out of six volunteers. In spite of this, they stoically persevered and we got to Muck in the early evening, being greeted by a basking shark, a couple of frolicking porpoises and a welcoming committee of grey seals. Glorious evening in the bay, where we all recovered from the day's events, ate some good supper, and hoped for stronger bellies next day!

Susie, Science Officer