HEBRIDEAN WHALE CRUISES | Whale & Dolphin Watching

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For over 15 years we have been providing quality Marine Wildlife Cruises/Tours specialising with Minke Whales which are resident from April to November in our offshore waters. We have 2 vessels - Orca 1 a 11m wide beamed Offshore R.H.I.B.

M.V. Kerry a 10m cabin cruiser.

We are the only tour providers that survey the pristine waters inbetween the Scottish mainland and the Inner and Outer Hebrides where the Whales etc have their traditional feeding areas. We don't have a set route and hope for the best, we actively go out searching for Scotlands mega fauna. We are lucky to have a large network of spies(commercial fishermen) out there relaying the positions of Whales etc directly to us.

Orca 1 is the most sucessfull Whale Watching boat in Scotland annually sighting the most Minke Whales which are recorded and submitted to the national cetacean monitoring unit data base for their important research.

The Kerry is our original pioneering Offshore Whale Watching boat from Gairloch and still holds the record for the most Minke Whales sighted in the one year of over 400! She also still holds the record of the most cetacean species sighted on her tours.

It's not just about the Whales either we also specilise in Pelagic birds running specialist Chumming cruises for the enthusiast in the spring and autumn.

Orca 1 also runs tours to the Magnificent Shiant Islands(the Enchanted Isles) which boasts the highest concentration of Atlantic Pufins in the WORLD!!! With every chance of encountering cetaceans en route.

Months

January • March • April • May • June • July • August • September • October • November • December

Duration

Short (1-3 hours) • Half-day (3-6 hours) • Full day (6-9 hours)

Vessel types

Rigid inflatable • Small boat (0-50 passengers)

Times and prices

Times are variable due to demand, but they start at 0900/1000hrs and 3-4 hours after that.

Orca 1 form £12.50-£65

Kerry from £5 - £65

About our skippers and naturalist guides

Our guides/skippers are all Wise trained and also trained personally by Nick Davies who is by far the most experienced guide/skipper in the area and is studying still for a Compass Marine Zoology Cert and is a JNCC E.S.A.S. registered Sea Bird Surveyor.

Facilities

Access to wheelhouse • Deck with 360?vision • Disabled access • Naturalist guide(s) as well as skipper • On board hydrophone • On-site visitor center / museum • Onboard research • Posters / displays / maps • Public participation in research • Reading material available • Restrooms / toilets on board • Scenic backdrop to encounters • Support conservation • Use a code of conduct

We frequently

Listen to whales and dolphins • See a whale's tail • See leaping dolphins • See leaping whales • Watch whales and dolphins

Baleen Whales

Minke Whale

Toothed Whales

Killer Whale / Orca

Ocean Dolphins

Bottlenose Dolphin • Risso's Dolphin • Short-beaked Common Dolphin

Porpoises

Harbour Porpoise

Other wildlife and points of interest

Fin Whale, Sei Whale, Sperm Whale, Long-finned Pilot Whale, Cuvier's Beaked Whale, Northern Bottlenose Whale, Atlantic White-sided Dolphin, White-beaked Dolphin. Basking Shark, Porbeagle Shark, Blue Shark, Ocean Sunfish, Atlantic Salmon. Common(harbour) and Grey Seal, Otter, Pine Martin and Red Deer. White-tailed and Golden Eagle. Atlantic Puffins etc, Skuas various, Shearwaters various, Storm-petrels various, Divers various, Sea Ducks various, Waders various and Gulls various. Sabine's Gull(july-Oct)

Address

Pier Rd

Town / City

Gairloch

State / County

Scotland

Zip / Postcode

IV21 2BQ

Country

United Kingdom

Website

http://www.hebridean-whale-cruises.co.uk

Tel

01445 712458

Email

info@hebridean-whale-cruises.co.uk

Leave your review

Chris Thompson

we had the best time ever!!!

Traveled: 2011-09-15, Reviewed: 2011-11-18

Safe approach to whales / dolphins

Valuable learning experience

Trip meets expectations

Minimal impact on the marine environment

Own research / support for conservation

We have done several trips with Hebridean Whale Cruises. Every trip has been exciting & different.

We have seen dolphins, porpoises, a minkie whales & lots of interesting seabirds.

The people who take you out on the boats are enthusiastic, very knowledge, they are respectful towards the marine life & they do their absolute best to make sure you have the best chance of seeing something special.

We can't wait to be back in Gairloch for our next trip? Thanks Hebridean Whale Cruises!!!

Tim Stenton

Cetacean capital of Scotland?

Traveled: 2011-08-18, Reviewed: 2011-11-14

Safe approach to whales / dolphins

Valuable learning experience

Trip meets expectations

Minimal impact on the marine environment

Own research / support for conservation

I've been fortunate to go out with several whale and dolphin watching operators in the UK - Hebridean Whale Cruises is one of the best. Traditionally Mull has always been considered the best place in Britain for boat-based minke whale watching but for me Gairloch and the Minch surpasses it. I've been out several times on both boats and have never failed to have a good encounter.
The Minch the area between Mainland Scotland, Skye and the Outer Hebrides is BIG and so even in a fast RIB (rigid inflatable) such as the Orca it can take a long time to get to cetaceans, especially the minke whale and common dolphin that generally inhabit the deeper water. Harbour Porpoise and more recently two Common Dolphin have been found in the inshore waters of Gairloch. On a typical 2.5 hour trip on the Kerry this still give a reasonable amount of time with the animals. Nick's knowledge of the area, his spotting skills and contacts with local fishermen greatly increasing the likelihood of sightings.
This knowledge is also used to ensure that the direct impact in terms of approaching cetaceans is minimised. Unlike in other locations the cetaceans are effectively in the open ocean and the sheer size of the area and their relative abundance means reduced impact on individual whale and dolphins. I'm not sure that any trip on a powered boat is good for the environment so in this respect HWC is no better or worse than any other operator.
What do you see? I've never failed to see a minke on any of the trips I've been on and despite their normally relatively sedate behaviour the encounters have been good and close. Certainly not just a distant glimpse of an arching back.
Whilst more variable in terms of likelihood of sightings if you are lucky enough to encounter a herd of common dolphin the experience is unforgettable - with animals bow riding and breaching often very close by. I've also had good sightings of harbour porpoise and basking sharks. Nick is a very keen birder so this element of the trip is not overlooked. Pomarine Skuas on the water close by being my top encounter.
Which boat? The Orca a fast open RIB or the Kerry a more traditional but slower boat.
On a calm, dry day (yes they do exist) you can't beat the Orca. It is capable of gliding over the water proving a smooth ride. It's open nature and low sides provide exceptional viewing and photographic opportunities. Fun to! On a rougher, windier or wet day it's not so much fun but don't let that put you off - waterproof warm suits are provided - just make sure you cover any camera gear.
The Kerry provides a slower more sedate trip. There's a covered area, room to move about and has a toilet for those longer trips.
The downsides of the trip are few. Since the skipper is at the back of the Orca it can be difficult to hear the commentary and the cetaceans can be along way out but that's about it.
Overall highly recommended. If you want to see a whale in Britain then Gairloch is the place to go and Hebridean Whale Cruises are the people to go with. Incidentally Gairoch is about 1.5 hours from the Moray Firth home to a population of Bottlenose Dolphins providing the prospect of seeing four species of cetacean in a single trip or even a single day.
Finally don't take my word for it see my pictures on flickr.com Tim Stenton. I've created a set entitled Hebridean Whale Cruises.