The Hebrides is still the best place in the world for sighting basking sharks
Basking Shark Scotland (BSS), based in Oban recorded 250 individual basking shark sightings last year, despite many places in the UK recording their lowest numbers in many years. The sightings ranged from Caithness to Dumfries & Galloway, but the highest concentration of sightings were recorded in the Hebrides.
BSS says this demonstrates that the Hebrides is still the best place in the world for sighting basking sharks.
The company uses tourism to assist with conducting citizen science on the basking shark population, and works alongside university researchers and provide data to them along with their public submissions.
The BSS sightings are a mixture of public submissions and their own sightings. The largest number spotted in one shoal on one day was over 30 individuals and occurred during a large summer plankton bloom. Although public sightings submissions had dropped by a third in 2014, BSS sightingsincreased by 23% compared to 2013
BSS encourage the public to get involved with spotting the sharks as the more people that can record them from different areas, the better the data is for the scientists studying their movements. During their expeditions, their marine biologist staff collect a large amount of data on the sharks including gender, length, location, bodily features for future identification and any specific behaviour such as breaching.
The basking shark is the second-largest living fish, after the whale shark, and one of three plankton-eating sharks, the others being the whale shark and megamouth shark.
Basking Shark Scotland encourages the public to submit their own sightings at http://baskingsharkscotland.co.uk/scottish-basking-shark-sightings/
Our trip to the Outer Hebrides was exceptional in every way; the talented staff; the comfortable accommodations; the little details (a refreshing glass of Prosecco on the return of each day's trip); the always-full cookie jar; the welcoming and beautifully decorated table spread with good food; the post-dinner discussions and chart-reading with Captain James and our naturalist, Will; the frolicking Bottlenose dolphins "bow riding" upside down next to the "Emma Jane"; the seals lazily lounging on the rocky ledges; the Minke whales; the diving gannets, nesting puffins, and Great Skua (nicknamed "Bonzies" by the Scots.....Will photographed one Bonxie trying to grab a mackerel away from a shearwater); the while fulmars flitting in and out the rocky crevices; and our wonderful trip companions. It was a trip to treasure and relive many times in future years! Every new adventure offered the chance to read and to learn about the many marine birds, the "beasties" (ocean mammals), and the fascinating stories and history of the Outer Hebrides. All experiences were unique; hiking in the Isle of Eigg to the "Massacre Cave"; viewing habitats of nesting puffins, guillemots, shags, fulmars on the cliffs of the "Shiants" and St. Kilda's; seeing the aquaculture salmon rafts stretched in a row off the coast of Skye; steaming across the water to the archipelago of St. Kilda's and experiencing the view of Hirta, St. Kilda's main island, mysteriously rising out of the fog as we approached the island All were memorable experiences. And we were lucky! The weather was perfect for our trip....some light drizzle off and on, some wind but no strong "houlies" (very strong winds)! This is a trip of a lifetime. We recommend it with enthusiasm and with joyful memories! Sally and Alan Gayer June 2019 Private Cruise to the Outer Hebrides and St. Kilda's
Sally and Alan Gayer: 8 June 2019Private Charter 10 Nights