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Whale and
Dolphin watching on the Isle of Mull
This website is dedicated to the amazing
range of wildlife in the waters around the Isle of Mull and the
Hebrides. Mull has always been the top place to watch Eagles in
the UK, however it is now becoming one of, if not the best place
to watch Whales, Dolphins and Basking Sharks. A fantastic place
to watch these animals in the wild closer to home.
Tobermory, the 'Capital' of Mull, has a
range of boat trips available to go and watch Minke Whales,
Harbour Porpoise, Seals and a range of Dolphin species. From
short hour and a half cruises, to 6 hour Whale watching trips
and week long live-aboard excursions there are trips to suit
all.
Silver Swift –
www.tobermoryboatcharters.co.uk
4 hour Whale and Wildlife cruise and hour
and a half scenic wildlife cruise
Hebridean Adventure –
www.hebrideanadventure.co.uk
3 hour and 6 hour wildlife cruises
Elizabeth G –
www.elizabethgcharters.com
Week long trips, travelling further afield
to explore other islands
Hebridean Whale and Dolphin trust (HWDT) –
www.whaledolphintrust.co.uk
A registered charity based on Mull that is
involved in the monitoring of local whale and dolphin species.
They also run 7 and 10 day live-aboard research trips and data
collected on the local cruises are all reported to them to
assist with research.
The waters around the Isle of Mull and the
Hebrides as a whole are home to a range of sea life, from the
diminutive Harbour Porpoise to the Majestic Minke Whale. Twenty
four different cetacean species (the collective term for Whales,
dolphins and Porpoises), have been seen around the Hebrides
since research started about 20 years ago, including the largest
animal on the planet, the Blue Whale. No matter when you visit
there will always be something to see as we have a number of
resident species like the Harbour Porpoise and Bottlenose
Dolphins, others such as the Minke Whale and Common Dolphin only
visit for the summer season, and some including the Fin Whale
and Striped Dolphin are seen very infrequently.
Around the Hebrides we have warm Atlantic
waters that mix with cooler coastal currents travelling north
from Ireland. Research has shown that the area of mixing between
these two currents produces the highest sighting rate. The
cooler waters provide more nutrients to the warmer less nutrient
rich waters, therefore the combination of the two provides the
perfect conditions for plankton to bloom and start the all
important food chain that can then support larger animals, such
as the Bottlenose Dolphins, Minke Whales and Basking Sharks.
Explore our website for top tips on where
to go to watch wildlife, further information on the range of
species and read our online blog to find out what is happening
in the sea around Mull at the moment. |
