HEBRIDEAN WHALE CRUISES | Whale & Dolphin Watching      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. MonthsJanuary • March • April • May • June • July • August • September • October • November • December DurationShort (1-3 hours) • Half-day (3-6 hours) • Full day (6-9 hours) Vessel typesRigid inflatable • Small boat (0-50 passengers) Times and pricesTimes 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 guidesOur 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. FacilitiesAccess 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 frequentlyListen to whales and dolphins • See a whale's tail • See leaping dolphins • See leaping whales • Watch whales and dolphins Baleen WhalesMinke Whale Toothed WhalesKiller Whale / Orca Ocean DolphinsBottlenose Dolphin • Risso's Dolphin • Short-beaked Common Dolphin PorpoisesHarbour Porpoise Other wildlife and points of interestFin 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) AddressPier Rd
Town / CityGairloch
State / CountyScotland
Zip / PostcodeIV21 2BQ
CountryUnited Kingdom
WebsiteTel01445 712458
 Malin Karlsson Totally amazing! Traveled: 2012-08-02, Reviewed: 2012-10-26
Safe approach to whales / dolphins
Valuable learning experience
Trip meets expectations
Minimal impact on the marine environment
Own research / support for conservation
I can truly recommend a trip with Hebridean Whale Cruises. We got a fantastic experience were we got the chance to see both mink whales, dolphins, seals and puffins aswell.
The whales were unfortunately a little bit shy but the dolphins were very corious and playful and proudly wanted to show there little babydolphin and they swam so near the boat you could almost touch them. These fantastic vild animals gave a feeling of totally happiness and freedom. For me it was a dream come true! Only the chance to go on the Orca 1 was an experience. Really fun! The crew was very nice and knowledgeable and we felt totally safe to go out on the big ocean with them. Although I don´t have anything to compare with since this was my first whale cruise, I definitely gonna do this again, and then I´m going back to the beautiful Gairloch and Hebridean Whale Cruises. Richard Bowes Just fantastic. Traveled: 2012-08-27, Reviewed: 2012-10-25
Safe approach to whales / dolphins
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Trips with Nick onboard Orca are always a treat, his professionalism and attention to detail, boundless knowledge combined with local knowledge born of thousands of hours offshore are second to none. His trips always leave me satisfied that the best possible experience has been provided whatever the weather. There is a strong emphasis on safety for passengers and wildlife alike; guidelines for speed are mentioned regularly.
A big factor in these trips is the customer's satisfaction, I doubt anyone ever returns to shore having had no sightings. Nick doesn't clock watch or get precious, if sightings are sparse he'll hunt around to ensure passengers have something to remember. Top notch, customer orientated business. Very highly recommended. Siobhan ORCA 1 Traveled: 2010-09-22, Reviewed: 2012-10-11
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Trip Review
I have been on many wildlife boats trips before but nothing compares to going out on Orca 1. The experience is amazing because you are so near to them. The boat driver/ tour guide has a genuine passion for the animals and no matter how many times he has seen the whales/ dolphins etc he will ensure he helps as much as possible to show you where they are. I saw a minke whale on one of the trips and 150 dolphins... It was literally breath taking to be so close to animals that you never dreamed of seeing in their natural habitat! I would recommend this trip to anyone with adventurous children and a passion for wildlife. Siobhan Rona Wood Fantastic Traveled: 2012-08-23, Reviewed: 2012-09-19
Safe approach to whales / dolphins
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Our trip on the Orca 1 was my first time on a boat and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Nick the skipper was very knowledgable and I felt safe at all times. Unfortunately we didnt see a Minke whale but we did encounter a pod of dolphins, it was truley wonderful seeing them in their natural environment. Will be going back next year.
Rich Whitaker OUTSTANDING!!!!! Traveled: 2012-06-25, Reviewed: 2012-09-19
Safe approach to whales / dolphins
Valuable learning experience
Trip meets expectations
Minimal impact on the marine environment
Own research / support for conservation
I recently visited Gairloch and was fortunate enough to get the oppurtinuty to go out with
Nick from Hebridean Whale Cruises on several trips. Each trip was fantastic. On our first outing we saw; Minkie Whales, Dolphins, Puffins, Sea Eagles and a 8 Metre Basking Shark. We saw so much it was a great experience. We saw Whales on every trip we went on. I also found the trips to be great value for money. On one trip we were heading back when we saw a pod of Dolphins so we spent time watching them which I really appreciated. I have been on quite a few Whale watching trips in America, Canada and Norway but I must say I enjoyed the trips I have been on Gairloch the best. I hope to go again soon Thanks Liam Roberts Exciting, Friendly and Different Traveled: 2011-03-25, Reviewed: 2012-09-19
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Loved every minute on both boats, Staff so friendly, definately your best bet for Gairloch Boat activities. Hope to go for a third time :D
Ryan Mcraith Great Family Day Out! Traveled: 2012-06-27, Reviewed: 2012-08-17
Safe approach to whales / dolphins
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Trip meets expectations
Minimal impact on the marine environment
Own research / support for conservation
Myself, Fiancé and her family. Had a great time in Gairloch. Our trip with onboard Orca 1 with Nick Davies was the highlight.
Our quest to find a Minke Whale wasn't easy but thankfully Nick was as keen for us to see a whale as we were and our perseverance paid off. After finding several feeding frenzies of hundreds of seabirds, dolphins and porpoises we were getting worried that the whales had decided to take the day off. With saying that we were very pleased with what we had already seen. Nick took us over a big area in a short space of time and eventually we came across a travelling Minke Whale calf. Nick manoeuvred the boat so that we could follow the whale for a while giving us some great views as it surfaced. Wildlife is never guaranteed but Nick did everything possible to give us the best chance of seeing a whale. We were are very grateful for this. I think a lot of people would have turned back well before we did and they would have missed out. Also on the trip we saw the Shiant Isles, the Isle of Skye, the Isle of Lewis and some other stunning areas of the Outer Hebridies. All this in just 2 and a half hours. Our adventure with Hebridean Whale Cruises was great fun for the whole family. I hope you get the chance to go. Kay Thompson The Big 5 Traveled: 2012-06-25, Reviewed: 2012-08-16
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We saw what Hebridean Whale Cruises refers to as the big 5:
A huge 8metre Basking Shark, 5 Minke Whales lunge feeding a long with thousands of seabirds dive bombing the water, 2 White Tailed Eagles, Porpoises & 3 pods of Common Dolphins. Oh & an Otter as we were waiting to get on the boat from the pier. It was a pretty good day, lol. Kay Sylvia Wong Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises, Eagles & Puffins Traveled: 2010-08-16, Reviewed: 2012-08-16
Safe approach to whales / dolphins
Valuable learning experience
Trip meets expectations
Minimal impact on the marine environment
Own research / support for conservation
On our trip we travelled on the fun, although very safe, Orca 1. As far as I know it's the best whale watching boat in Scotland.
We saw everything from Minke Whales to Puffins and got some great up close views. The guide was very knowledgable & skilled at finding the Whales. We also had a pod of around 150 Common Dolphins around the boat. They very sociable and we could almost touch them. The best thing was a baby dolphin which the guide said was only afew hours old. It was tiny but still jumped clean out of the water. This was the more expensive trip that you could do in Gairloch but in this case you definitely get what you pay for. We are hoping to go back up at some point this year, 2012, more towards the end of the whale season to have the chance of a rarity like a Sei or Fin Whale. That would be special. I have tracked wildlife in several different countries and this experience is right up there with anything else that I have done. I never though I would see such great wildlife without having to go abroad. Sylvia Wong Chris Thompson we had the best time ever!!! Traveled: 2011-09-15, Reviewed: 2011-11-18
Safe approach to whales / dolphins
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Minimal impact on the marine environment
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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
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Trip meets expectations
Minimal impact on the marine environment
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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. 
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