Two commercial sea routes from Britain offer good views of marine wildlife.
Oban to Coll
The ferry (Caledonian MacBrayne – MV Clansman ) from Oban (mainland Scotland) to Arinagour (Isle of Coll) takes almost 3 hrs – plenty of time at sea. It is possible to disembark at Arinagour pier and wait about an hour for the return ferry. This time can be profitably spent looking for the otters in Arinagour bay, or simply strolling up to the village (and back!).
Alternatively it is possible to stay on the boat for the whole trip (Oban – Coll – Tiree – Coll – Oban), some seven hours. This extra time increases the chances of seeing whales (and Basking Shark in summer).
On the way to Coll (and Tiree) the ferry calls in at Tobermory (Isle of Mull), on its journey along the Sound of Mull before reaching the Sea of the Hebrides. Passing Ardnamurchan after leaving Tobermory gives the possibility of seeing the Golden Eagles that live on this remote headland.
Plymouth to Santander
Brittany Ferries co-operate with ‘ORCA’ (the marine conservation charity dedicated to forging links between people and the sea) and have wildlife education officers on board the Pont Aven (between Plymouth – England and Santander – Spain). This allows passengers a fascinating insight into the whales and dolphins of the Bay of Biscay, and a good chance of seeing them.
From Plymouth to Santander involves overnight accommodation on the boat, and the return trip (with some time to visit Santander itself) takes over two days.
A sample itinerary from the past was: ‘Depart from Plymouth on Sunday 28th September at 16:00 – Arrive in Santander at 12:30 – leave Santander to Monday 29 September at 16:00 – arrive in Plymouth at 10:00 on Tuesday 30 September’.
Binoculars for the Boat
- It is almost essential to take a pair of binoculars to sea. Many interesting creatures will be lurking or surfacing at the limit of unaided vision, and systematic scanning with bins is much better than simply waiting until something is noticed.
- One side of the boat will usually be more convenient than the other (maybe because of the position of the sun, maybe because of wind direction, or possibly because of proximity to rocks or islands). A novice will usually do best to find where others with binoculars are standing, then to join them.
- Some thought needs to go into buying binoculars for use on boats, waterproof is very useful, and, while ‘stabilised binoculars’ are very expensive, they are excellent for use on a vibrating, rolling, deck.
- Etiquette demands that there should be little communication with the people who actually have their binoculars up to their eyes, but when they are lowered a brief ‘What’s happening?’ will usually open the floodgates.
- Enthusiasts will be pleased to say what they have seen, are likely to see, and confidently expect to see. Many pairs of eyes are better than one, and a group of people scanning the horizon with binoculars is much more likely to notice a passing whale than a single observer. The person who spots something of interest will not be able to resist shouting out what and where!
Watching wildlife from the deck of a ferry can be a very companionable experience.
(See also: Watching Whales from other types of boat)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
