Thursday 12^th June, 2008

Anchorage: Tobermory

Position: 56° 37.200 N 006°03.900 W

Distance surveyed: 32nm

FULL HOUSE! They saved up their appearance for our last day, and were nearly missed by the skipper who was too busy gossiping, but finally the common dolphins made a leaping, splashing entry into Silurian’s path. So, once we take into account the harbour porpoises, bottlenose dolphins, white-beaked dolphins, killer whales, Risso’s dolphins, minke whales, basking sharks, common seals and grey seals too, we’ve seen all the species we could reasonably expect to in the Hebrides. The first time we’ve managed it, at least since I’ve been Science Officer on Silurian.

We started out from Rum this morning, and though the sea was a little lumpy, the skies were clear, and our five volunteers were far too much the salty sea-dogs to be phased by a bit of sea. Our passage back to Tobermory, via Eigg and the Cairns of Coll, took us through some marvellous Hebridean landscapes and wildlife (not least the common dolphins), and back safely into Tobermory, to a heroic boat-clean and excellent meal out.

Many thanks to Jean, Barbara, Tony, Ted and Wendy for so much hard work and enthusiasm, and to my fellow crew members, Dave and Gen, who put in a good few hours themselves. And over to Tony for a final poem….

Shore-bound ramblings (with no apologies to he whose name cannot be spelt)

By Tony Wood

Twas an historic day in June
When the good ship Silurian
Tied alongside the harbour in Tobermory
Basking in a blaze of satisfied glory.

For the seasoned crew and the Earthwatch five
Had made sightings galore
To add to the sealife story.

For the seasoned crew this voyage in June
Was but one in an extending series
Seeking answers true to the outstanding queries.

We Earthwatch five must now bid adieu to the seasoned crew
Wishing well-deserved success to all your future endeavours.

Accept our heartfelt thanks
For the sealife and local lore
Imparted in harbours,
The cheers and the good companionship (how could we mutiny?)
And the consistent concern for our safety.

Tuesday 10^th and Wednesday 11^th June, 2008
Anchorage: Isle Ornsay (10^th); Loch Scresort, Isle of Rum (11^th)
Position: 57°08.800 N 005°47.700 W(10^th); 57°00.800 N 006°16.60 W(11^th)
Distance surveyed: 41nm (10^th); 36nm (11^th)

We left Canna after being stormbound for a day, during which we enjoyed hot showers and a delicious meal at the Harbour View Café. It was a bit lumpy and blustery as we set off under full sail with two reefs in the main. Everyone enjoyed truly sailing, and it was the epitome of sailing. We sailed around Soay, where Gavin Maxwell had his shark oil factory, using the relative calm of the shelter to enjoy the special bacon butties from Dave. Back out in the rough waters again we finally turned into the Sound of Sleat to run before the wind to the shelter of Isle Ornsay. Wendy demonstrated her expertise in the galley with sausages which were luvverly. There was a long walk to the pub for a short drink.

Morning was quieter and calmer; we investigated the dramatic Loch Hourn, brooding Byronically in the amongst the steel grey clouds. We saw many porpoises, and detected many more on the hydrophone. No sailing today but the scenery was magnificent. We headed for Rum for the overnight anchorage and are now safely stowed for the night in Loch Scresort. Hunters pie made by Tony on Jean was this evening’s culinary delight.

Monday 9th June, 2008

Anchorage: Canna

Position: 57°03.300 N 006°29.600 W

Distance surveyed: 0nm

We’re still here on Canna…the weather’s gone a bit wotsit, and we’ve been storm-bound in Canna, which hasn’t been too bad as it’s such a bonny island…But Tony's written a poem...

Ocean ramblings

by Tony Wood (with apologies to McGonnighal)

'Twas an historic day in June
As the good ship Silurian
Set out from Tobermory
To add to the lore of sealife glory.

The seasoned crew of three
And Earthwatchers five
Sailed with strong hopes of sightings (not whisky) galore.

The skipper was Dave
Strong and brave
Whose con of the ship
Kept it out of harm’s way.
No gold braid for Dave
But caps with an international touch
But not Dutch.

His duties knew no bounds
And when making his daily rounds
Was the call, welcome to all,
“ Bacon or cheese?”

Number two was Susie
Biologist and mentor throughout
Of whose knowledge of cetaceans
There is truly no doubt.
She motivated and encouraged us
Every bit of the way
And in spite of any shortcomings
I’m very glad to say
Her yellow jack boots
Came not into play
(except almost nearly when Tony took her mug…).

And then there is Gen with her pattering feet
Her smile with mugs of tea in her hand
Her strong anchor arms
Primed her camera finger
As the dolphins arched past.
And with her toe on the wheel
She will take us homeward at last.

Sunday 8th June, 2008

Anchorage: Canna

Position: 57°03.300 N 006°29.600 W

Distance surveyed: 36nm

…and it was delicious. Thanks, Ted. We followed our meal with a dinghy ride to the vast blond sand and cockle beach that doubles as Barra’s airport runway. Then to bed, cosy while the winds whipped round the outside of the boat. This morning, we were escorted out of Barra Sound by our bottlenose friends, much more relaxed and chilled out than yesterday, just keeping a leisurely pace alongside the boat as they accompanied us to the mouth of the Sound. Then we were off across the Sea of the Hebrides, leaving the Outer Isles behind, fixing our sights on Canna and Rum ahead. It was a beautiful passage, sailing gently along, in the sparkly sunshine, with the added entertainment of skipper Dave racing a kittiwake round the boat (the kittiwake won. Twice). We arrived at Canna to a delicious supper cooked by Barbara, and a visit from Maxwell, one of the Trust’s Directors, who is currently engaged in an intrepid rowing mission around the islands. After we’d eaten the bold climbed Compass Hill, while the dozy walked around the harbour to Sanday. A lovely peaceful day.

Saturday 7th June, 2008

Anchorage: Inner Oitir Mhor, Barra

Position: 57°01.200 N 007°24.800 W

Distance surveyed: 35nm

The drama of this sunny, windy day began just as we left the bay of Berneray and spotted a basking shark. Things could only get better, and we spotted a minke followed by around a dozen marvellous Risso’s dolphins, all galloping gracefully through he waves.

We rounded the southern headland to face the most enormous cliffs, all heavily populated by fulmar about to take off for the day’s hunting. It was a diabolical job for those on data, trying to plot vast chunks of fulmar life, along with hundreds of guillemots which had come along for the fun

We enjoyed the glorious scenery of the western side of this string of islands before reaching the Sound of Barra. We cast Barbara aloft to the crowsnest to keep a weather eye out for a group of dolphin said to be resident here, and it was not long before we spotted around a dozen bottlenose, all leaping and plunging around the boat. It was so brilliant that we turned around and came back for more.

We are now sheltering from a threatened gale in the bay by the airfield on Barra, and will soon be enjoying Greek food prepared by Chef Ted.

Friday 6th June, 2008

Anchorage: Berneray

Position: 56°47.300 N 007°37.600 W

Distance surveyed: 50nm

Today began with a pre-breakfast dinghy ride round Gunna. Some quite massive grey seals popped up beside the RIB, eider duck paddled in the shallows, and two resident basking sharks basked.

Once Silurian’s anchor was up it was off down the east side of Tiree and before long we were in Basking Shark City. First they came first in ones and twos, then by the half dozen. The sea, which by this time had become grey, glassy and ripple-less, featured flapping fins and switching tails in every direction.

The weather forecast predicted a day of gentle winds so Silurian turned right and headed out across the Sea of the Hebrides. The sky and the sea turned from grey to blue. Gannets, guillemots, razorbills, puffins, kittiwakes, even the odd skua, but especially storm petrels, accompanied our departure from the Inner Hebrides.

We left them behind as Tiree faded slowly into the haze astern, and more and more of Berneray, the very southernmost of the all the Western Isles, rose inch by inch up over the horizon ahead of us.

Four white-beaked dolphins appeared. We followed them for a while at a discrete distance but our interest in them was not reciprocated, so we resumed our Westward course. Several big grey seals appeared and then a lone minke whale but these were forgotten as soon as they were noted because suddenly there were small groups of white beaks surfacing and breaching almost everywhere you looked.

Much logging, recording and photographing was done and then we headed to an anchorage for the night off the north side of Berneray. After tea we climbed the six hundred feet up to the lighthouse, which overlooks sheer rock cliffs of indescribable splendour.

Thursday 5th June, 2008

Anchorage: Gunna Sound

Position: 56°33.700 N 006°42.700 W

Distance surveyed: 43nm

Oh wow! Wow! Wooooooooow! It was Gen’s birthday, so the animals made her day. We started with seals before breakfast as we went for a trip ashore on Ulva first thing this morning. Wendy collected lots of botanical specimens, and we all loved the beautiful little sandy pools and bays full of tiny fishes. After some more idiosyncratic porridge, we were off. Barbara went up the crow’s nest in perfect conditions, but no luck with the spotting. Then we dropped anchor and went ashore on Lunga to hang out with the wildlife – puffins, of course, but also fulmars, ringed plovers, shelduck, kittiwakes, pipits, an orgy of shags, heath-spotted orchids and some very cute fluffy baby bunny wabbits aahhhhhhh. As we got back to Silurian, some of the local tour boats were talking about killer whales on the VHF. So off we went to have a look and see if we could photo-identify them. This bit’s really exciting. The tension’s mounting. Are you excited? OK, well, we found them. But not before we’d seen a very large basking shark as we surveyed along our route. First we spotted a large male killer whale, then two smaller animals – either juveniles or females – a couple of miles off Iona. Then we lost them for a bit, and re-spotted them quite a way away towards the Treshnish. But this time there were four of them – 2 males and 2 females/juveniles. The first encounter had been quite short, so we couldn’t tell if it was the same animals. We’ll have to look at the photos in greater detail to find out. The second encounter was great. It was the first time most of us had ever seen killer whales, and there they were surfacing right by the boat. Many many times better than you ever think they’re going to be. All a bit pooped out by massive black-and-white-dolphin-action, we had a mercifully uneventful journey across towards Gunna Sound, where we were greeted by the world’s smallest minke whale, and a little posse of basking sharks. We had a little birthday celebration for Gen in the evening, complete with the brownies that had managed to get in and out of the oven unscathed, despite the rocky-rolly boat (the soup had not fared so well…). We ended the day watching out of Silurian’s windows as a couple of basking sharks wound their way lazily around our anchorage.