BootsnAll Travel Network



Hebrides

The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is a charity monitoring whales and dolphins around the Hebrides in Scotland, educating the public about marine life and conversation in general and cetaceans in particular. Much of the monitoring work is carried out by volunteers, backed by a small staff of education- and project officers.

I was thrilled to secure a volunteer position on a land-based minke whale survey project for four weeks, starting at the end of August. No sooner had I said “yes” to this that an e-mail arrived with a proposal to spend the entire three months survey period as a volunteer project-supervisor!

I said yes, so with luck I will be ensconced in a lighthouse in Ardnamurchan at the western-most point of the British mainland from July to September.

Ironically, to do this I had to cancel another whale watching trip about which I had already sent a query for an article to the “Independent” (not that I rated my chances):

“Mention “whale-watching” and most people think of expensive holidays in exotic locations. In fact, some of the best whale watching opportunities can be found right on our doorstep; in the Bay of Biscay. And getting there is very affordable with a mini-cruise on the P&O Ferry “Pride of Bilbao”.

To date, 20 species of cetaceans have been recorded in the Bay of Biscay, including the first documented sighting of a True’s beaked whale in 2001. Dolphins and pilot whales are seen year-round in their hundreds while encounters with beaked whales, sperm whales and fin whales, the second largest animal on Earth, are common in late summer.

The ferry company is cooperating closely with scientists and volunteers from the Biscay Dolphin
Research Programme, a non-profit organisation which was founded in 1985. Since 2001 a wildlife officer has been based on board to conduct sighting surveys and keep passengers informed through commentaries, regular talks and wall-mounted displays. Mini-cruises specifically aimed at whale and bird-watching enthusiasts are organised regularly.”

I would have been on one such mini-cruise but, oh well, it’s not to be. Nevertheless, if you find yourself in that part of the world and are interested in whale-watching, this is a good and cheap way to do it. An article about what to expect can be found here . Or else visit me in Ard! The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust also has information about environmentally sensible whale-watching trips. I’ll update on these later.

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