Guess who’s back? Basking Sharks encountered during latest research expedition!
Over twelve days at sea, our intrepid team of citizen scientists explored the Southern and Outer Hebrides, gathering data during passages. Living and working aboard Silurian, our dedicated research vessel, the team encountered 8 species of large marine vertebrates, including our first basking sharks of the year. Read all about their experiences here…
Each field season (April - Oct), we set sail on research expeditions across Scotland’s west coast, inviting passionate individuals to join us in safeguarding marine life. By collecting vital data, these hands-on voyages are helping to deepen the understanding of species and drive real change to protect the whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks in Scotland’s seas.
From dazzling sunsets over the Paps of Jura to the thrilling moment four basking sharks glided past our bow, this expedition delivered one unforgettable encounter after another. Watching bottlenose dolphins lead Silurian into Barra harbour, experiencing a humpback whale associate with the boat, and observing storm petrels dance delicately on the waves in great numbers were some of the best spectacles we witnessed aboard. The weather, like all Scottish seasons, was mixed - one morning brought fog and howling grey seals; another saw us swept through the swirling Gulf of Corryvreckan under sail and we even managed to wear shorts and eat ice poles as we surveyed through the Sound of Islay! From climbing the crow’s nest to beach BBQs on Gigha and a ceilidh on Colonsay; we’ve truly basked in the magic of the Hebrides in every sense.
The crew aboard Silurian surveyed 700km of Hebridean waters, gathering 71 hours of critical visual and acoustic data covering the Southern Hebrides and Southern Outer Isles. Eight species of large marine vertebrates were encountered across 160 sightings, including: grey seals, common seals, harbour porpoise, common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, minke whales, humpback whale and basking sharks!!
As the crew departed the Outer Isles and made their way towards Coll and Tiree, Skipper Ferghal spotted a group of basking sharks in the distance, the first encountered aboard Silurian for several years.
The basking shark is the second-largest fish in the world, growing up to 12 metres in length! Dark slate grey in colouration, when basking sharks swim near the surface, their triangular dorsal fin, tip of the nose and the tip of the tail fin can often be visible. Swimming at up to 4mph with its huge mouth wide open, a basking shark can filter an Olympic-sized swimming pool in an hour, feeding primarily on zooplankton.
Basking sharks appear to favour coastal waters during spring and summer months and are thought to move into deeper waters during winter, diving to depths of up to 900 metres to feed on plankton, although much is still unknown. In the Hebrides, basking sharks are encountered between May and October and with sightings declining in recent years, encountering 7 individuals during this survey was super exciting!
To learn more about basking sharks in the North Atlantic, you can catch up on our Winter Webinar led by Dr Matthew Witt from the University of Exeter.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR TEAM OF CITIZEN SCIENTISTS WHO JOINED THIS EXPEDITION: KATIE, GRACE, CAL, KEVIN, ANNETTE AND PHIL.
Throughout the twelve-day voyage, the expedition team surveyed 700km of waters along Scotland’s West Coast, recording 160 marine mammal sightings spanning eight different species and accumulating 71 hours of data collection.
