The first full day of our annual Hebridean Photography Cruise with photography mentor and Wildlife Guide Chris Gomersall has got off to a great start!
Here is the first day's tally of wildlife spotted:
Four white-tailed eagles
A pod of thirty or more bottlenose dolphins spotted while cruising north of Mull
Two otters (a mother and cub) while anchored in in Loch na Droma Buidhe
One “ringtail" hen harrier on Gometra
Close encounters with puffins while onshore at Lunga in the Treshnish Isles. In particular the puffins were bringing in sandeels for their chick
A corncrake was also clearly heard while ashore on Lunga
This is our 11th year of the Hebridean Photography Cruise with Chris Gomersall, one of the most respected photographers and wildlife guides in the UK, with a deep knowledge of the Hebrides. Apart from the opportunities for snapping close encounters with wildlife, there are many other aspects of the Hebrides to photograph, from the superb scenery to plant and insect life.
Here are some wildlife photos from yesterdays onshore trip to Lunga in the Treshnish Isles. Although our guests are surrounded by puffins, they are very careful to sit quietly away from the burrows and let the puffins come to them. It's very important not to go too near the burrows in case they collapse with a chick inside. The puffins on Lunga are not at all nervous of humans. One theory is that puffins actively welcome humans as they have worked out that Skuas, which predate on puffins are not there when humans are!
We were so pleased with the charter booking from the initial emails inquiring about dates available to the last minute questions and timely responses as we prepared to head to Scotland. Emma is professional, kind, and prompt in responding by email. We appreciate good customer service and yours is excellent. Since this was our second cruise with Skipper James and the Emma Jane, we knew what to expect about anchorages and visiting the islands. However, this cruise exceeded any expectations we had. We enjoyed returning to some islands we had previously visited and seeing new places. We continue to be overwhelmed by our visit to St. Kilda (thank you, Skipper James!) and seeing the many, many species and numbers of birds throughout the cruise that were not around in these numbers in September 2017. James knows much about all aspects of the Hebrides; if he doesn’t know an answer, he says that he doesn’t know. I like that. Will was knowledgeable about cetaceans, birds, plants, and extremely helpful to those of us who decided to take some of the walks that included narrow and muddy trails with steep inclines. He was available to offer a hand or arm to steady us as we hiked up and down the hills. Anchoring in protected areas overnight is an extraordinary experience—the quiet, the skies, the gentle rocking of the vessel. All ten of us on this charter live on bodies of water—bays, lakes, ocean. Anchoring in coves next to small villages or near an unpopulated island is special. The cruise was extra special. We were made to feel welcomed back and our friends from New Hampshire were thrilled with their experiences seeing the Hebrides and the wildlife, scenery, remoteness, and the comfort of the Emma Jane.
Angela & David Hiley: 8 June 2019Private Charter 10 Nights