Whale & dolphin conservation in Scotland
| country: | Scotland |
| location: | Inner Hebrides |
| departures: | 2008: 29 Aug |
| price: | From £730 (9 days) - £865 (12 days) excluding flights. Price includes food and accommodation on the yacht plus all scientific and yachting training. |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
The Hebridean Seas are made particularly productive by the influence of the Gulf Stream and the varied seabed topography. These rich waters support a wide diversity of birds and mammals. Twenty-four cetacean species have been recorded in total and our regular visitors include minke whales, common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises. As part of the field team on our research vessel, Silurian, you will be helping us to undertake a range of monitoring activities.
Our surveys are mainly aimed at understanding distribution, relative abundance and habitat preferences of cetaceans in the area. This is important for conservation in allowing the identification of areas of high sensitivity that might become protected areas. We use a combination of visual and acoustic methods to monitor for cetaceans. We also take photographs of cetaceans to identify individual animals using recognisable marks and features such as fin shape, notches, scars, injuries & anomalous pigmentation. A number of bottlenose dolphins and minke whales have been re-photographed by us over several seasons, enabling us to build up a picture of their movements and range.
Although our main focus is cetaceans, there are many other marine species in these waters that you will have the opportunity to observe. We may be lucky enough to encounter basking sharks, the second largest known fish in the world, common and grey seals, otters, sunfish and many thousands of nesting and breeding seabirds. We also log other activities within the marine environment such as other vessels and marine litter, and collect environmental data – all of which are useful for marine conservation.
Being involved in the day-to-day running the research vessel is an important aspect of projects like this. The project provides an ideal opportunity to learn sailing skills and the Skipper is certified with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). Although no certificates will be awarded, interested volunteers should at least reach a level equivalent to RYA Competent Crew.
No specific skills are required for this project however you should have basic computing skills and be proficient in the English language. A pair of good healthy eyes and stable sea legs will also help.
Our surveys are mainly aimed at understanding distribution, relative abundance and habitat preferences of cetaceans in the area. This is important for conservation in allowing the identification of areas of high sensitivity that might become protected areas. We use a combination of visual and acoustic methods to monitor for cetaceans. We also take photographs of cetaceans to identify individual animals using recognisable marks and features such as fin shape, notches, scars, injuries & anomalous pigmentation. A number of bottlenose dolphins and minke whales have been re-photographed by us over several seasons, enabling us to build up a picture of their movements and range.
Although our main focus is cetaceans, there are many other marine species in these waters that you will have the opportunity to observe. We may be lucky enough to encounter basking sharks, the second largest known fish in the world, common and grey seals, otters, sunfish and many thousands of nesting and breeding seabirds. We also log other activities within the marine environment such as other vessels and marine litter, and collect environmental data – all of which are useful for marine conservation.
Being involved in the day-to-day running the research vessel is an important aspect of projects like this. The project provides an ideal opportunity to learn sailing skills and the Skipper is certified with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). Although no certificates will be awarded, interested volunteers should at least reach a level equivalent to RYA Competent Crew.
No specific skills are required for this project however you should have basic computing skills and be proficient in the English language. A pair of good healthy eyes and stable sea legs will also help.
travellers' tales
Most memorable? I’m not sure if it was the sight of a pod of dolphin surging towards the boat and bow-riding or the excitement and happiness of my fellow volunteers and the crew. (more)
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you are looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
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We undertake a wide range of research activities focusing largely on the common species such as harbour porpoise, minke whale, bottlenose dolphin and basking sharks. We utilise many survey platforms including our research vessel, Silurian, RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boats), ferries and also land based sites.
Another of our areas of work is the promotion of the sustainable use of the marine environment. In the past, mans uses of large oceanic species have often been exploitative (e.g. whaling and shark finning). We are now seeing a growing interest in wildlife tourism globally and the diverse range of Scottish habitats and species here make Scotland one of the prime nature destinations in Europe.  Our ultimate aim is to ensure that cetacean populations of the west coast of Scotland are conserved into future generations. By increasing our knowledge about whales, dolphins and porpoises and their environment and passing that on to others, we will be in a strong position to protect the animals from these and other threats which have proved so devastating elsewhere.We aim to generate a wider understanding of the ecology of the marine and coastal environments of the Hebrides, particularly those of the Argyll islands. By raising public awareness through education we hope to help safeguard these marine environments and maintain their biodiversity. This should also ensure that this area is preserved for future generations of Hebridean residents and visitors. Our “floating classroom” the 60 foot yatch Silurian is designed to travel to schools and groups in the Argyll area and let children and adults come on board to experience life on a research vessel and participate in workshops specially designed to cater for each particular group.We also provide on shore workshops and talks with boat or without the boat. We organise excursions outside the classroom along the shore or into the woods where we can cover a range of related topics. In Tobermory we have our Marine Discovery Centre where anyone is welcome to come in at any time to find out more about the marine environment and the cetaceans which live around the Hebrides. We also help arrange and participate in Beach Cleans around the coast of Mull. This enables the community to get together and help improve the environment at the same time. |
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