Basking Shark Expedition

Watch this beautiful video by Film Maker Simon Spear about basking sharks and other marine life around the Isle of Mull:

DIVE WITH BASKING SHARKS!

This Big Fish Expeditions Basking Shark Adventure combines the best location, the best season (for weather and animals) and the best boat with the most experienced Captain. Sign up for a true adventure off the rugged west coast of Scotland!

Why Scotland and not Cornwall?

We have chosen the Hebrides, in particular the two Islands of Coll and Tiree as they are said to be the places within the UK having the most regular Basking Shark appearances. Cornwall has a lot of Basking sharks in certain years, but some years they show only in low numbers and sporadically. Our trip area is not known for large groups of sharks but it is known for decent regularity of sightings. Although numbers seemed to be up in 2010 where there were regular days of 40 or so sharks in the area each day.

Our Captain is a dedicated wildlife fanatic and he and his family have been operating in the area for over twenty five years. This WISE accredited operator is well respected for their responsibility towards wildlife viewing. Due to the expansiveness of the sharks’ range, our days at sea may be long, with many hours spent out on the water. Our captain is one of the most dedicated in the business and so our chances of encountering the sharks are very good indeed.

info@BigFishExpeditions.com

ITINERARY:

Day One:

Arrive Tobermory. There is a ferry service to the Isle of Mull from Oban on the Scottish coast. Depending on your travel method, we aim for everyone to be in Tobermory by lunchtime so that we can get everything loaded on the boat and have a relaxed afternoon before we head off to our shark sites the following day. We will be taking recent sighting info into account when we plan our week ahead, and will spend the afternoon of arrival day making sure everyone is keyed up on our week ahead. We will have an option whereby we can camp on some of the islands if we find the sharks are a long way off, to save on navigation time and we will be equipped to be able to do this if necessary.

Day Two through to Day Six:

We will spend as many hours as possible out on the water looking for Basking Sharks. Sometimes we won’t get a sighting until the afternoon, so the days can become long. The boat is comfortable and spacious for the group size, with a dry cabin and tea and coffee making facilities. There is much wildlife to see, with minke whale and dolphin sightings and an abundance of birdlife including skua, petrel, fulmar and gannet to keep us busy while we look for the sharks. If there are no shark sightings then we have the chance to explore coves in crystal clear waters for seals, and abundant macro life on scuba. Likewise if there is an abundance of sharks in the area, we can also dedicate one day to macro work in these coves if the group would like. We lunch on the boat and arrive back at base during the evening. At the end of Day Six we will head back to Tobermory and spend one night in this beautiful town hopefully celebrating a great week full of basking Sharks.

Day Seven:

Leave Tobermory. Again, as Mull is such as distant part of the country, it makes sense to leave early in the morning on the first sailing to Oban from Mull to allow the rest of the day to get to our destination.

What's included:

• Five days boat travel with a knowledgeable and Dedicated Captain.

• Lunch plus tea and coffee on board.

• Tank & weights. We will only manage one or two dives during the week as we will be concentrating on basking sharks most of the time. We will sneak in at least one scuba dive with grey seals.

• Six nights accommodation in a quaint stone cottage in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull (price is for sharing a twin room) 

• Mobile camping equipment (except sleeping bag) in case the sharks are far from shore and we decide to camp on a remote island to cut down travel time (should be fun!).

What's NOT included:

• Dive gear other than tanks and weights.

• Evening meals back on shore. In the village there is a pub that serves food plus an Indian restaurant and a Chinese restaurant for us to choose between.

• A sleeping bag in case we camp out on an island.

• Transportation to Tobermory, Isle of Mull.

What you should bring:

• 7mm wetsuit or a drysuit for snorkeling with the basking sharks.

• All other diving equipment (if you wish to dive).

• Warm clothing; summer in the Hebrides can be a bit cool and /or wet.

• A sleeping bag in case we camp out.

READY TO SIGN UP OR WANT MORE INFORMATION?

CONTACT BIG FISH ABOUT THIS EXPEDITION:

SIGN UP FOR THE BASKING SHARK EXPEDITION!

Join me for the trip of a lifetime!

info@BigFishExpeditions.com