Ships & Birds

We crossed the Sound of Mull to Tobermory this morning on the eight o'clock sailing for the usual reason - a visit to the dentist - through weather which looked, and felt, more like winter than full summer.

Fred Olsen's Boudicca, a regular visitor to these waters, is a large ship carrying over 500 passengers but she was lost in the mist in a Tobermory Bay which, as the mist began to lift....

....was crowded with a variety of ships, including the Lady of Avenel (nearer) and the Dutch registered staysail ketch Steady - more about her here.

Once the weather decides to change, it does so quickly here. Within a few minutes of our landing the mist was rolling back to reveal a marina crammed with yachts mirrored in the still waters of the bay.

 Despite the presence of a cruise ship the town was remarkably empty, probably because....

....many of Boudicca's passengers were being whisked away to enjoy a wildlife cruise. This is Sealife Survey's Sula Beag.

On our way back across the Sound we, too, were able to enjoy the wildlife. At first we found a few guillemots, some with young in tow, but....

 ....they were soon joined by gannets diving from high above, a sure sign that they were working at bait fish. Then, as we neared Kilchoan....

....the air was suddenly full of sea birds. There are reports that, while the mackerel have been in for some weeks, if not in great numbers, there are plenty of good-sized sand eels, a welcome arrival as we haven't seen them in any numbers for some time.