FAQ’s

Our Oban day tours last around 8 hours including 2-3 hours travel time each way to the destination. En route there will be plenty of scenery and wildlife to enjoy.

Our 1 Day Shark Tours will arrive in Coll on the earliest morning ferry. We will get out on the boat as quickly as possible and return to Coll at around 5pm. You will have a few hours to enjoy the island before your return ferry home.

During our multi-day tours we spend around 7 hours at sea. This is weather-dependant and we will use our expert knowledge of the area to our advantage. Some days may be longer or shorter to maximise your experience.

The weather can be changeable in Scotland, so we advise you to be adequately prepared. At sea, we are much more exposed and you’ll feel much colder than on land. We advise you to bring plenty of clothes to keep you warm.

Water temperature over the season ranges from 10-16 degrees and we have a range of equipment that will keep you warm. Our rental gear is of high quality and with adequate preparation you will be comfortable in the water.

Essential:

• Snorkelling gear – hire here.
• Swimming costume (wear under clothes)
• Food – plenty!
• Water – plenty!
• Warm layers: Hats, jumpers, waterproofs
• Sun protection: glasses, hats, sunscreen
• Towel
• Medication i.e. inhalers/ EpiPens/ seasickness tablets (take before you get on the boat).
• Underwear
• Sturdy footwear

Optional

• Cameras
• Binoculars
• Changing robe
• Flask
• Midge repellent
• Tick remover

There will be hot drinks on board for when you get out of the water – but no other food or drink is provided.

YES!

Please bring lots of food and snacks – it is a high energy experience and you will eat more than usual. Food is not provided and there are no options to get more food once you have started your tour.

This depends if you are susceptible to getting seasick! As we are at sea most of the day, we advise you to bring seasickness remedies if you suffer from mal de mer. You need to take seasickness tablets prior to the trip departure.

We aim to stay in calm waters but this is not always possible. The sea can be choppy and rough at times. It is best to err on the side of caution.

Our boats have an emergency chemical toilet on board. They have a limited capacity and use should be kept to a minimum. There are toilets at the pier for all of our locations for use before and after tours.

Our charter boats are cabin RIBs which are highly seaworthy and built for the Atlantic. During strong winds, we can shelter in some areas to look for wildlife taking short passages of rough crossings. Unfortunately, some conditions are not safe to go out in and tours may need to be rescheduled or cancelled.

On multi-day tours we will adapt the itinerary to suit the conditions. If we are unable to get out on the boat we have some really great alternatives which your guide will explain at the time.

The conditions are closely monitored by our experienced skippers. In bad conditions we will use the most up to date forecast which is made available at 9pm each night. This means that we occasionally have to make a late call to adapt the plan for the following day.

We understand that this can be frustrating – we will give as much notice as possible to minimise disruption to your tour.

No! We are highly experienced with 10 years operating in the area. However, the natural world is very unpredictable, not a zoo or an aquarium and therefore sightings are never guaranteed.

We can however promise that you are visiting a wildlife hotspot with a highly experienced team – we will do our very best to give a great experience no matter what the conditions.

There are chances of spotting the following:

• Common and bottlenose dolphins and porpoises
• Minke whales and even orca (killer whales) are spotted on occasion
• Common and grey seals
• Otters
• Golden and white-tailed sea eagles
• Seabirds such as puffins, fulmars, gannets, skuas, guillemots and razorbills
• Rare visitors include leatherback turtles and sunfish (Mola mola)

You will have the unique opportunity during our tours to swim with exciting wildlife. To make this as low-impact as possible all of our activities are guided.

All of our guides have marine science and professional diving qualifications along with a passion for ocean conservation.

Protection of the wildlife is our highest priority – please see our Code of Conduct for details. Sightings do not guarantee swims – our experienced staff will make the final decision on whether it safe to swim or not.

Please see our Terms & Conditions for our full cancellation policy.

In short – if you are unable to attend we will be able to offer you a refund minus an admin fee if we are able to re-sell your space. If not, we are unable to offer a refund.

If we cancel for any reason we will offer you an alternative date or tour or a full refund.

Due to the long trips and our hope to get to close to wildlife without disturbance we don’t allow dogs on the boat. There are some good dog sitters in Oban such Sian At Happy Paws or ask at the facebook group ‘information oban’.

If you are joining our day tours from Tobermory on Mull. Here’s a link to dog sitter there.