Thursday 4th July
We had two windy trips today, an Ocean Discovery and a Discovery Voyage. This morning we watched several seals hauled out on the island before heading up the coast then sailing offshore. There were a few seabirds soaring past us including kittiwakes, fulmars and gannets, but it was largely quiet until by chance a large…
Wednesday 3rd July
We had the second class of Year 2 children from the local primary school today – 3 x 90 minute trips and they all did very well in the occasionally drizzly blustery conditions. All three groups had great views of seven seals hauled out on the rocks and in the water, and lots of seabirds….
Tuesday 2nd July
It was a long day today – today and tomorrow we are taking out the whole of the Year 2 group from a local primary school. This meant 3 back to back trips with them today followed by a “normal” Bay Discovery at the end of the day, and the other class are coming out…
Monday 1st July
July already. It didn’t particularly feel like it out there though – people had their woolly hats on! On the Ocean Discovery this morning we found a pod of three porpoises in the bay. They surfaced several times, giving everyone good views. We also saw a non breeding puffin, and a family of guillemots; mum,…
Sunday 30th June
Today felt cold! We had a four hour then a three hour trip, and the four hour this morning was surprisingly quiet. We saw a variety of seabirds including gannets, shearwaters, lots of terns and kittiwakes. There were a few seals bottleing round the island, and we saw the splash of a breaching sunfish. This…
Friday 28th June
This morning’s Ocean Discovery trip was cold, grey and choppy but the wildlife made up for it. We had a tip there were lots of dolphins further south so headed that way quickly, but everything seemed quiet. We then sailed westwards into the bouncy sea, and suddenly lots of common dolphins rushed up and surrounded…
Thursday 27th June
Bit of a contrast to yesterday! We had windy conditions this morning which got windier this afternoon, with some swell rolling in too. On the morning four hour trip we had great views of a pod of about 50 common dolphins, as well as plenty of seabirds and grey seals hauled out on the island….
Wednesday 26th June
It was a mega busy day today in beautiful conditions. The first of the three trips set off in mirror calm conditions so we were hopeful for some good sightings. We soon got those with some lovely views of harbour porpoises – these diminutive cetaceans are so much easier to spot in calm conditions and…
Tuesday 25th June
It was a quiet sleepy sort of day today for our two Ocean Discovery trips. This morning we covered a lot of miles offshore and some shearwaters, guillemots, gannets and fulmars, all searching just like we were. A seal popped up in front of the boat who had been hunting several miles offshore. We then…
Monday 24th June
It was a long day today with a four hour trip followed by a three hour. This morning it was quiet for over two hours, with a few rafts of shearwaters and some gannets spotted, before we found a large pod of common dolphins a long way offshore. We also saw an ocean sunfish and…
Saturday 22nd June
We had a couple of great trips today, a Bay Discovery this morning and a Discovery Voyage this afternoon. This morning we headed out into the middle of the bay largely under sail, and started to pick up bits of sealife about four miles south. Firstly a glimpse of a porpoises, then a common dolphin…
Friday 21st June
Today’s conditions could not have been more different to yesterday. With an increasing south westerly wind chopping up the sea, and grey skies threatening rain (but holding off) we just did the morning Ocean Discovery. We saw some grey seals including old faithful Kelp hauled out on the island as well as a variety of…