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remote farm accommodation Shenavallie Farm Benderloch - holiday accommodation Scotland UK
remote farm accommodation Shenavallie Farm Benderloch - holiday accommodation Scotland UK
The weather for the next few weeks is looking very promising and with the colder weather being forecast climbing conditions could be stonking - fingers crossed it may happen!.
Studying Basking Sharks in Scotland: Research Diary During the months of September and October 2002, IFAW researchers onboard Song of the Whale studied basking sharks and minke whales near the Inner Hebrides Islands off the coast of Scotland.
IFAW scientists also photographed individual basking sharks and contributed this data to the UK photo-identification catalog. Identifying individual basking sharks -- which can often be recognized by distinctive fins and skin markings -- helps scientists learn more about their migrations and behaviors.
At the same time, Song of the Whale was also on the look-out for minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata).
Scientists have developed a method of finding out what whales have eaten by conducting sophisticated DNA analysis of their feces. No one has ever before collected minke whale feces, so the Song of the Whale team looked into ways of collecting samples. Any samples would have then been analyzed to learn more about the diet of the minke whales that frequent the waters of the Inner Hebrides Islands -- and to counter claims that whales must be killed to find out what they eat.
You can follow the progress of the Song of the Whale team's Inner Hebrides research journey through their field diary entries, below.
Song of the Whale sets sail at 08:30 from the Isle of Muck. Muck is the smallest of four main islands in the Small Isles, part of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It measures roughly 2.5 miles (4 km) east to west and has a population of around 30, mostly living near the harbour at Port Mòr. The other settlement on the island is the farm at Gallanach. The island's only road, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in length connects the two.
A causeway and slipway were built at Port Mòr in 2005. This allows vehicles to be driven on and off the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry, MV Lochnevis, which links Muck and its neighbouring Small Isles of Canna, Rùm and Eigg, with the mainland port of Mallaig (2 1/2 hours away). However, visitors are not normally permitted to bring vehicles to the Small Isles.
. It’s a clear day with light winds, so we head northwest for Hyskier and Canna in search of basking sharks.
At 09.40, just off the islands, Richard spots our first two sharks for the day.
Numbers of sharks increase throughout the day, until we have 16 sharks within sight of the boat. Many of these huge fish come close, and we can see them filter-feeding around us.
We take plankton samples in order to confirm the type of zooplankton (minute marine animals) on which they are feeding, which we suspect might be Calanus finmarchicus, a species of copepod (tiny crustaceans).
Some animals are seen swimming nose to tail, a previously reported behaviour of basking sharks at the surface, which might be indicative of social activity. We selectively track five individual animals using the video range-tracking technique developed by the team onboard.
We manage to track one individual with a distinctive notch on his dorsal fin for some time. We also spot what is probably a juvenile shark swimming around the vessel.
We take Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD) readings with the CTD probe, as well as plankton samples, both with the sharks and three miles away from them, in order to compare the water properties and plankton samples.
In the late afternoon, the weather closes in and we are forced to anchor off Eigg, four miserable hours sail away through driving wind and rain.
We leave Eigg in glassy conditions and head towards Arisaig on the mainland to pick up Russell and Kara, who have arrived on the train from Fort William.