Although it’s always a fun and exciting experience watching these massive fish swim slowly and elegantly near the surface with their fins often breaking the surface, there are important things to remember.

Basking shark feeding near the surface.

In the interest of basking shark research and conservation, the Shark Trust has asked members of the public to report their sightings of basking sharks and submit photos where possible.

Basking sharks area a protected species under European Law and it’s a criminal offence to interfere with them, so the Shark Trust have published a code of conduct telling people how they can act responsibly if they encounter a shark. At the Shark Trust website you can read the Shark Trust Codes of Conduct for boat users, swimmers and kayakers .

At Staffa Tours, we take marine wildlife watching very seriously and always act safely and responsibly whenever we spot a basking shark nearby.

So if you’re out on the water or on the coast this Spring, keep an eye out for those massive basking shark dorsal and tail fins. Good luck and happy shark spotting!

Boat tours on MV Islander

Catamarans are used worldwide for eco cruises and provide a stable and comfortable platform from which to view the wonders of the sea. This is the perfect boat for us to run our new wildlife tours from Tobermory on Mull which stops off at Kilchoan, Ardnamurchan and also takes in the Isle of Staffa, Treshnish Isles and the Isle of Coll. Read more about the MV Islander and find out more about our special wildlife boat tours.

Born in Germany in 1809, Mendelssohn is best known for his The Hebrides overture often incorrectly referred to as the Hebridean Overture Fingal’s Cave. During a visit to Scotland, he visited Fingal’s Cave on the Isle of Staffa on August 7^th 1829. He was so moved and inspired by the cave, its massive, hexagonal basalt pillars, its dancing, different coloured reflections, the eerie sounds of the waves echoing, that he immediately wrote the opening of the Overture on a postcard and sent it to his family, and saying in a note to his sister “In order to make you understand how extraordinarily The Hebrides affected me, I send you the following, which came into my head there.”

Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides is a wonderful musical representation of what it’s like to visit Fingal’s Cave and evokes a variety of feelings: the sense of natural beauty, its silent power, the emotions it stirs, solitude and loneliness. Mendelssohn also added in themes of the sea, which penetrates over 200ft into the cave, such as waves rolling and the movement of the sea.

At Staffa Tours we are very familiar with Fingal’s Cave, the inspiration for one of the great composers’ most celebrated works. So why not sit back and relax to Mendessohn’s The Hebrides and imagine visiting the cave yourself…

Listen to The Hebrides on Youtube.

Puffin and Whales Experience

Sailing from Tobermory on Mull via Ardnamurchan to Coll we are on the lookout for minke whales and the rarer killer whales as well as a keen eye on the skies to spot some sea eagles. This is a trip not to be missed!

For more information, timetables and booking details visit our Whale and Puffin Experience page.

Staffa and Treshnish Isles Tour

This essential boat tour takes in exciting whale watching with the possibility of seeing basking sharks as well then it’s off to the Treshnish Isles and spend some time close up with the puffins. Another unmissable trip!

For more information, timetables and booking details visit our Puffins and Fingals Cave Tour page.

Tours available April – October. Reserve your tickets now and BOOK ONLINE! We look forward to seeing you.