Thursday 19th June, 2008

Anchorage: Isleornsay, Isle of Skye

Position: 57°09.000 N 005°47.700 W

Distance surveyed: 40nm

Weather remained unsettled with significant and quick changes. However, we each found the brilliant northern light captivating as it came and went with the clouds.

Generally, high seas and a ‘fresh breeze’ led to a difficult day to observe cetaceans with only two porpoise and a seal sighting. But still no vomit! Having had yesterday’s briefing on seabirds, today was the day to begin to identify them both in flight and on the water. Today we found gannets and guillemots. So today, we consolidated our observation skills and worked with data entry.

We had a pub dinner in Isleornsay, one of the western Scotland’s best pubs, with a roaring fire to keep us warm. After dinner we all sang with shape notes and joined in with chantey singing with Regina, Jackie and Dale filling the role of ‘chanteyman’.

Anglo-American cultural confusion of the day: That’s a ‘bonny boat’ doesn’t mean that is Bonny’s boat, instead it’s a very nice boat!