Here is just a sample of the wildlife that can be seen in the waters around Wester Ross!
What can be seen, and when to see them - (Note: The list is roughly in order of regularity, ie: the Common Dolphin is the most likely to be seen....However this can alter on a year to year basis for a variety of reasons)
Short-beaked Common Dolphin & Harbour Porpoise
Basking Shark (June-Oct)
Risso’s Dolphin (Aug-Sept)
Northern Minke Whale (May-Nov)
White-beaked Dolphin (May-Aug)
Sei Whale (Sept-Oct)
Humpback Whale
Long-finned Pilot Whale
Fin Whale
Blue Whale
Northern Bottlenose Whale
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin
Short-fin Mako Shark
Porbeagle Shark
Blue Shark
Thresher Shark
Ocean Sunfish (July-Aug)
It is as well pointing out that NONE of these are absolutely guaranteed! Other unusual West Coast sightings have included Walrus, Bearded Seal, Leatherback Turtle, Green Turtle, Cuvier’s Beaked Whale & Sperm Whale.
So, where best to see these? Well, the best place for you to be if you are really going to search for these is on a boat - although from some of the coastal roads it is sometimes possible to see Porpoises, an occasional Minke Whale or even Orca!
Luckily, there are plenty of operators in the area that can take you out on trips into the Minch to have a look.
Click on the links to have a look at the choice available -
Hebridean Whale Watching Cruises (Gairloch) - www.hebridean-whale-cruises.co.uk
Gairloch Marine Wildlife Centre (Gairloch) - www.porpoise-gairloch.co.uk
Summer Queen (Ullapool) - www.summerqueen.co.uk
Seascape Expeditions (Ullapool) - www.sea-scape.co.uk
Not all of these are specifically for Whale watching, but they all allow you to go out into the waters around here and look for wildlife of all sorts - this includes seals & birdlife as well. The trips can last from a relatively short trip around the loch to (in the case of one of the options from Hebridean Whale Cruises) a full 3 hour journey ona high speed "rib" out to the Shiant Islands, which are home to huge collections of seabirds - some estimates are as high as 250,000!
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