Hebrides Cruises were delighted to take part in a recent stakeholder meeting with the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, to inform future developments of the Whale Track App. Wildlife Guides Lynsey Bland and Alexa Kershaw lent their expertise and shared their thoughts to the charity on how to move forward with the next stage of the Whale Track App.
Hebrides Cruises and Lynsey helped develop and pilot the new Whale Track App onboard our cruises four years ago. Whale Track is a first-of-its-kind smartphone app that allows anyone to submit marine mammal sightings off the west coast of Scotland. It uses the technology we all carry in our pockets to quickly and easily record sightings of marine mammals. Any member of the public can help to track the movements of coastal species like bottlenose dolphins and help unravel the mysteries of more elusive species such as killer whales.
For the past four years, Hebrides Cruises have been working alongside the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust to help protect and celebrate the amazing whales and dolphins in our waters. We do this as a Corporate Partner and by reporting our sightings through the Whale Track App onboard our cruises. Since the establishment of the App, we have reported around 500 encounters with these amazing creatures, helping to monitor the distribution and abundance of marine mammals in the Hebrides.
Hebrides Cruises will help in the testing phase of the updated Whale Track App and our guests joining us on board in the 2022 season will be contributing to the important work of long-term monitoring of cetaceans in these waters by reporting their sightings.
The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is based in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, leading the way for the conservation of cetaceans in the waters off the west coast of Scotland. Their research has hugely advanced the understanding of species in the seas of the Hebrides, providing essential evidence to inform protection measures for marine mammals.
Thank you to all who worked so hard to make my holiday all I could have wished it to be. The rest of the guests were good company and fun to be around. Yoga sessions well thought out, varied and fun. I especially enjoyed the time our skipper landed us all in remote and stunning locations. One of the most memorable places being the Isle of Gunna. This was where we were surprised after walking the dunes and enjoying yoga, to a birthday picnic of bubbly and cake on the beach. Thanks Sarah for having a birthday at just the right time. I haven’t felt so at peace yet so invigorated for a while I feel so blessed to have had such an experience of wilderness, sea, sand and amazing food. Our skipper was fantastic, scanning the horizon for wild life and things of interest while keeping us all safe. Seeing the area around Mull, Staffa (another memorable day), Inch Kenneth, Cairns of Coll and Ulva in all their glory from the sea was unforgettable. I enjoyed the week so much that I have booked a trip for my husband and me in 2025, on the Emma Jane with the same skipper, can’t wait.
Ruth Moody: 26 August 2023Serenity at Sea: A Hebridean Yoga Retreat