Common Seals
(also known as Harbour Seals)
are abundant around the islands and rocks, just a short
sail from Plockton. When I started boat trips over 25
years ago I would be lucky to find forty seals but now
the population has grown to well over 300. This increase
is probably due to the fact that fishermen are no longer
allowed to shoot them as they are now a protected species.
In the old days, they were shot because of the amount
of fish that they ate.
Seal pups are born around mid-June and they can swim
within the first hour of life. For more on Common Seals,
visit one of the many good web sites, such as BBC
Wildlife.
In British waters there are actually more Grey
Seals than Common Seals, but not here in Plockton.
However, that is not to say we don’t see any Grey
Seals. A small number come and visit us every year and
the best time to see them is late September. Grey Seals
are much larger than Common Seals and have a very different,
more pointed, head.
Otters are seen regularly.
Sometimes one will even pop up beside the Argus before
we leave the jetty, or we will find one fast asleep
on a favourite rock. We always get a huge thrill to
see this wonderful creature in the wild, so keep your
camera at the ready as they might be spotted at any
time during the trip, even at the last minute. There
is more information on otters at UK
Safari.
Porpoise are normally
seen throughout the season in small groups (8–10)
but on 30 October 2004, we had an exceptional sighting,
with 70–100 seen in Loch Carron. This is the largest
number I have ever seen in all my years of running sealtrips.
Dolphins are becoming
more regular visitors and for the last three years Bottlenose
Dolphins have been seen alongside the Argus, jumping
and bow riding and treating us to a display that had
some of our passengers moved to tears. Check out dolphins
at the World
Wildlife Fund.
(All our porpoise and dolphin sightings are reported
to The
Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust.)
Not very far from the village there is a heronry (which
is under the care of the Scottish
Wild Life Trust) but you can expect to see herons
anywhere on the shore line. Some of the other sea birds
we see are oyster catchers,
curlew, shag, cormorant, shearwater, eider duck, guillemots,
and, very occasionally, puffin.
Please note that, unlike some other boat trip operators
who say they see seals every trip, we don’t guarantee
seals. We guarantee you
will get the trip free if we fail to find any. I can't
be fairer that that. |
