And finally the sun shone, the seas sparkled….about time!! So, sunglasses on, we set off early from our snug mooring in Tobermory heading for the Treshnish Isles in hope of finding our determined unboundly enthusiastic volunteers some beasties….. A bumble bee, a deceased seal and our ever-reliable harbour porpoises. Our valued observers had developed a keen eye for harbour porpoise at this point and never failed to miss their appearance – who needs a hydrophone?! After a clean down of the boat, guests and crew we all agreed that we had spruced up pretty well and so returned to civilisation with dinner at the Western Isles Hotel.

The crew would like to extend many thanks to our guests onboard Silurian for this particular survey trip. The weather was insanely demanding but with such a positive, entertaining and cheery group, our job, as crew, was made incredibly easy. We will never forget you guys, the frog dancing and the surface flying killer whales!!!

Anchorage: Tobermory harbour
Position: 56°33’.132N, 005°45’.649W
Distance travelled: 3.2 NM

We headed out later today in a bid to avoid the worst of today’s weather. However, about a mile and a half into the trip the first mate looked at our speed and it read 0.0 knots, and that was with the engine turning at 2,000 rpm! The wind was decidedly too strong, even for Silurian, so we headed back.
It was an exhilarating ride out front on the mast, the waves were big and numerous but sightings were low.
The best sighting of the day occurred later, while we were on a walk out from Tobermory to the lighthouse. A harbour porpoise was easily visible from that vantage point, in the now calm waters of the bay. Sightability and timing are everything!
On return to our wee boatie everyone prepared for another of our Cook /1st mate’s super meals. Crazed behaviour; like jogging on the spot whilst on watch, has been witnessed throughout the expedition. We have eaten well…the sea and wildlife have been spared little.

Anchorage: Tobermory harbour
Position: 56°33’.132N, 005°45’.649W
Distance travelled: 24.1NM

Day 8 on the Silurian/Big Brother boatie and we have some very lively symptoms of cabin fever setting in. Today the weather has generally kept us rocking and a rolling Horatio Hornblower style with a westerly, force 7 gusting gale 8.
We moored in Tobermory Bay in order to find cover from the high seas during the night. The crew; Science Officer, Skipper and 1st mate all agree that it would be best to stay out of the big winds and hence we surveyed in the sound of Mull with the intention of zigzagging down to Loch Aline and back again. We made it to Fishnish; just short of our objective, when at around 14:30 (surprise surprise) a gale 8; gusting at 38knts set in it and was decided to head back to the bay. No volunteers particularly keen for a hit of hail tennis today except crew and our keen American; Eric who may have unknowingly used his camera (a 1956 Leica) for sport whilst he had a time steering us back to the Tob.
In total we had 2x harbour porpoise visual sightings, 1x acoustic detection when off visual effort and a heap of defensive tacking in order to keep the 100m hydrophone (&hose casing) drifting behind us without disturbing too many of the yachts and trawlers in the Sound.
Due to the weather both crew and volunteers were unable to survey from the crow’s nest but were each able to be mildly deafened by pick up recordings of the fish farm Acoustic Deterant Devices…just for the experience!
Once settled in for the eve we attended to our daily dose of intercultural/nautical education with some knot tying competitions followed by an unusual American and Scottish contortionist show. Cabin fever and perhaps some hail damage; it is certain now; has set in so reparations were attempted on the dance floor at Macgochans!! Further medicinal undertakings are certain to be administered.