Puffin & Wildlife Tour
Tour At A Glance
- Low impact small group guided by marine biologist
- April-July - limited dates
- £120 per person (discounts for kids)
- Minimum numbers required for trip to run
- Pick up at Oban or Tobermory, Isle of Mull
Tour Description
We visit the Treshnish Isles Special Area of Conservation, a highly important area for seabirds. There can be up to 3000 puffins on the island in addition to other seabirds such as razorbills, guillemots and fulmars. There are numerous burrows where the puffins nest, and later in the season you can watch the hatched pufflings (baby puffins) poke their head out for a look. We are able to get close to the burrows (ensuring we don’t disturb the birds) and watch the adults bring fish to the burrow. A photographer's dream- trying to capture the 'fish in beak' shot is the frustrating but rewarding task. Landings will be via small dingy so a basic level of fitness is required. Wear sturdy footwear for the island landing.
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Schedule
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08:30 Check in Dunstaffnage
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10:00 Check In Tobermory
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11:30 Land Ashore to Meet the Puffins - 2.5 hours ashore (minimum)
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15:00 Return Tobermory
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16:30 Return Dunstaffange
Once ashore our guide will escort you to the main nesting area of the puffins and give you a briefing on the do's and dont's, safety and the top things to look for.
This area is wonderful for puffin watching, the humans presence keeps the predatory birds from harassing the puffins so they are happy to sit outside their burrows.
Amazing sea vistas of the islands and great backdrop for photography.
Watch the puffins return to land with beaks filled with fish - try and capture that elusive picture!
For the adventurous, a trip to Harp Rock is a must see. This sea stack is covered in thousands of guillimots, razorbills, puffins and kittiwakes.
The noise is incredible and a experience for all the senses -smell included!
The journey to and from the stack passes many other areas of nesting and airborne birds with great cliff top viewing.
The walk is along a cliff path so you need to be able to walk approx half a mile on uneven ground to reach here in good time. Our guide will escort you if you need some help!
Our journey to the puffin island will take us through a whale and dolphin hotspot where there are chances to see porpoises, common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins and minke whales as the most commonly spotted species.
Following the coast of Mull there are good chances of white-tailed eagles sat on cliff tops or soaring above the forest.
As we get closer to puffin island we start seeing all the seabirds at sea which is a nice addition to seeing them on land and helps you understand their daily behaviours and routines.
What's Included
- Amazing wildlife, scenery and culture
- Onboard binoculars, books and information guides
- Knowledgable guides
- Escorted low-impact tour of the seabird's island
- Small groups (max 12 passengers)
- Hot drink
What's Not Included
- Weather or wildlife guarantees! The number of birds vary on a daily basis and when at sea we have chances to see all of the iconic species of the area
- Lunch - please bring your lunch with you.
- Accommodation
- Transport to Oban or Mull - see this link to travel to Oban. For groups we can arrange buses from Edinburgh or Glasgow.