On July 9th 2024 Hebrides Cruises ship Elizabeth G was returning from the Outer Hebrides via Gunna Sound off the island of Coll when a shout went up from Helen, one of the guests. She had spotted a big “blow” in the distance which could only be made by a whale, and this was quickly confirmed as a humpback whale by our onboard Wildlife Guide Hannah Lightley. As everyone on board watched with amazement, the whale surfaced several hundred metres in front of Elizabeth G, exhibiting multiple tail flukes!
Meanwhile Hebrides Cruises Skipper Alasdair Sinclair had spotted another humpback whale around one kilometre from the vessel so Elizabeth G was carefully steered towards the second animal which was tail slapping multiple times. As they got closer, the engines were switched to neutral so as not to disturb the whale. At that point the guests experienced an incredible encounter as the humpback whale decided to associate with the vessel, surfacing only several metres from the bow and then actually swimming under the boat. Whales are naturally inquisitive animals and will sometimes choose to approach and swim around vessels. All Hebrides Cruises Skippers and crews are WISE accredited and strictly follow correct protocols when encountering marine mammals and always let the animals come to them.
Everyone onboard was transfixed at the encounter, with big smiles, squeals of excitement and even tears amongst the group, as many of the guests, and two of the Hebrides Cruises crew, had never encountered a humpback whale before.
Hannah immediately got in touch with Lyndsay McNeill who runs the Scottish Humpback Whale catalogue and sent per photos so she could ID the whales. Every tail fluke is as unique as a human fingerprint and is used to identify whales. Photographs are used for ‘Photo-ID’, and when a whale is identified in a specific location, it’s possible build a better picture of their movements by having information on where else that whale has been photographed. The first humpback whale encountered was confirmed as ‘Barrett’, which is number 100 in the Scottish Humpback catalogue, and which was seen in the same area in 2022 and 2023. However, the second humpback whale that swam under the vessel has been confirmed as a ‘new whale’ i.e. it hasn’t been seen in Scottish waters before.
So the final exciting news from this amazing encounter was that because the second humpback whale hasn’t been identified before, Hebrides Cruises guests and crew were given the opportunity to give the whale a name. It is now called ‘Sinclair’ after Skipper Alasdair Sinclair who first spotted it, and who is of course quite delighted!
We set off from Oban in the Elizabeth G under the expert skippering (is that a word ?) of Alistair, Bosun Craig was ever attentive providing drinks and excellenttable service, Zoe our guide pointing out various wildlife species and Charle our Chef providing delicious meals and snacks all throughout the cruise. I would nominate Charlie for Master Chef. Alistair plotted our course northwards, we saw Dolphins on our first day, poor Zoe couldn't get me to say pods, "herds of them" was my cry, it was amazing that these highly intelligent creatures would actively go out of their way to interact with us, it happened every day and our faces ached with the smiles these fantastic animals generated. We saw Minke whales almost every day as well The Elizabth G may be 60 years old but she is in excellent condition, strong, reliable, steady in a strong wind and swell because of her stabilisers, she has character and a beauty all of her own. She is big enough to give you confidence that she can tackle what mother nature throws at her but small enough to anchor in some truly amazing places. Every day you go ashore and explore another new location. (Weather permitting) Every member of the crew is dedicated to making sure you get the most out of your cruise, excellent food, excellent care, super knowledge of the flora and fauna. You go to bed every evening with your knowledge expanded, your spirits lifted. If you want to see Dolphins, Whales, Harbour Porpoises, Eagles, Shags, Gannets, Manx Shearwater, Gulls of every type, the list of encounters is limited only by the time/length of your cruise, sign up for a cruise as soon as you can. Alistair, the skipper has the utmost respect for the wildlife you encounter, every encounter is on the animals terms, their safety takes priority, he lets the wildlife come to the boat rather than pursuing it. His storytelling is wonderful, every evening he and Zoe join you and he shows you where you have been, where you are going and what weather to expect, there is even a knowledge test at the end o
David and Tracy Woods-Thomas: 28 August 2023Whale watching in the Northern Minch