A magical Summer Solstice circumnavigation around the Isle of Skye
Earlier this month, a new crew of citizen scientists joined us aboard Silurian for a week-long survey where we circumnavigated the Isle of Skye. Read all about their experiences here…
Our route took us on a clockwise circumnavigation around the Isle of Skye.
Departing from Mallaig, the team braved a bumpy ride north but were soon rewarded with calm seas, stunning scenery and incredible encounters with west coast wildlife. Our wildlife highlights began almost immediately, with a pod of around 30 boisterous bottlenose dolphins surrounding Silurian at our first anchorage off the Isle of Rum.
A delight to see playful, breaching bottlenose dolphins up close and personal!
This close encounter allowed the team to capture high-quality photographs of their dorsal fins for individual identification. These images will contribute to an exciting new project, supported by the Royal Society of Edinburgh and The Williamson Trust, to update the West of Scotland Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-ID Catalogue. By collating both recent and historic sightings from Silurian and community contributors alike, the new catalogue will span over 25 years of data and give fresh insight into the lives of these iconic animals - learn more here.
These distinct dorsal fins will be included in our updated Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-ID Catalogue.
Favourable weather allowed us to reach the Shiants, a group of islands home to one of the most important seabird colonies in Europe, including puffins, razorbills, guillemots, fulmars, and kittiwakes. We were welcomed by a spectacle of steep cliffs and noisy seabirds, and enjoyed an evening of shore visits, sea swims and a stunning sunset.
The following day brought one of the most memorable encounters of the trip: “minke whale soup”. Multiple whales surfacing all around the vessel, some staying close and revealing their full bodies beneath the glassy surface. Seeing their tail flukes, streamlined bodies and distinctive white pectoral patches, affectionately known as “minke mittens” was an incredibly special moment I’m sure will stay with us all for a long time.
A minke whale surfaces close to the boat, we can see the white “minke mittens” so clearly.
We celebrated the summer solstice anchored off Sandaig Bay, a fitting location to reflect on the journey so far. Our evenings on board were a chance to unwind, play games and share good food after a full day of surveying. Meals were prepared by pairs of citizen scientists, with everyone making a real effort — dishes included enchiladas, Dutch soup, and a hearty curry, always followed by something sweet.
One night, an accidental double dessert led to a bit of creative problem-solving, resulting in the invention of a so-called “crumburrito” - apple and pear crumble wrapped in a raspberry jam pancake and finished with cream and fresh lemon. An unexpected combination, but no complaints from the crew!
Throughout the week, we travelled 355 km around Skye, recording 64 marine mammal sightings of 7 different species – common seal, grey seal, common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, minke whale and harbour porpoise. We also recorded over 26 hours of acoustic data from our hydrophone, which we tow behind Silurian at every opportunity.
A young common dolphin calf breaches playfully.
Every encounter, from the smallest porpoise to the largest whale, adds to our long-term dataset that helps identify population trends, changing distributions, and areas that are vital for the survival of Scotland’s whales, dolphins and porpoises.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR TEAM OF CITIZEN SCIENTISTS WHO JOINED THIS EXPEDITION: aLISON, CONNOR, JACKIE, JOSIEN, KATRIN AND VIOLET.
