The day started fine with sunshine and flat calm seas.  Porpoises were sighted around Longa Island,  some with calves.  As the tide was dropping rapidly towards midday the sky blackened and the thunder rumbled as we watched a storm brewing over the Torridon mountain range.  The odd flash of lightening showed brilliantly from out at sea.  The rain came and went and the sea changed from rough to mirror calm in the space of ten minutes, this revealed a pod of very active bottlenose dolphins within the loch. 

They were actively feeding along the sand bank, some showing off their trophy fish, on this occasion mackerel.  At least one calf shadowed by its mother was present in the pod of approximately 15 individuals.

We start the day with  fine, warm and sunny conditions, however as predicted the rain clouds gathered and by mid afternoon it started to pour!   However this sudden downpour didn’t deter our passengers who were treated to our first sighting, this season, of both a basking shark and an ocean sunfish.  We had received a report of a basking shark just off the pier in the harbour area on Tuesday night at about 10.30pm so we weren’t too surprised to spot our first this season during one of our cruises today.  We watched the 4 metre fish feeding close to Big Sand Beach for a few minutes before we lost it in the heavy rain.

First Basking Shark of the Season

As we continued on our course we thought we had sighted a second basking shark but taking a closer look through our binoculars we realised it was in fact another first for the season the ocean sunfish.  We  first recorded this elusive fish in Gairloch way back in 2004 and we have continued to see them every year since.  An unusual looking fish approximately 1 metre in diameter was seen laying at the surface before diving down into deeper water.

First ocean sunfish of the season

Yet another warm sunny day, with more calm seas and excellent sightings  during our survey cruises today including common dolphins and several small pods of harbour porpoise accompanying their newborn calves.  The days have been long and for those with the patience to sit, wait and watch the sunsets this week have been pretty spectacular…..

Sunset over Skye