Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
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The income generated from the participants allow the research and education programmes to continue. Without your support we wouldn’t be able to conduct our valuable endeavors.
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. Our ultimate aim is to ensure that cetacean populations off the west coast of Scotland are conserved for 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.
Another sector of our work is the promotion of the sustainable use of the marine environment; we are involved in the Scottish Marine Bill consultations. In the past man has exploited marine resources, whaling and more recently overfishing have had devastating affects on the marine environment. However 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. However, this in itself can be detrimental to the vulnerable populations and more reason why consistent monitoring is needed.
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.
When Silurian is not surveying she travels to schools and groups in the islands and we encourage school children to come on board to experience life on a research vessel and participate in various activities. We also provide on shore workshops and talks. 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 highlight the problem of marine litter.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
