I’m pleased to announce a rather special trip for 2023. In partnership with the Basking shark trust I’ll be guiding a small group of people on the beautiful island of Coll in the Hebrides. We’ll spend three days at sea – coming back each evening to sleep on the island – in search of Basking sharks, dolphins, whales and seals. This time of year is where basking sharks congregate and you’ll be able to go in the water to snorkel with these gentle giants if you want to. Wetsuits and Gopro cameras are available to hire if you don’t have your own gear. We’ll then spend four days on land exploring and photographing the incredible beaches, landscapes and night skies here. And best of all, you can easily travel by train to Oban and then ferry to Coll meaning no need to fly or drive. 

We should have regular sightings of two species of dolphins here – Common and Bottlenose along with Minky whales. You also stand a fair chance of seeing Orcas and Humpback whales too.

And two species of seals – Common and Grey – some of which are very inquisitive.  More seal photos I took this year are here. 

Coll island is one of the only true dark sky places in Britain with zero light pollution so we’ll head out regularly at night to photograph the Milky Way and star trails etc. 

Coll island has several white sand beaches, beautiful wild flowers and a decent amount of bird species and we’ll be exploring all of these during our time. 

Dates: August 29th to 4th Sep 2023

Cost: £1850 per person – please note this includes 4 nights accommodation during our basking shark part of the trip but you’ll need to book your own room at the only hotel on Coll island for the other three nights which costs between £60 and £110 a night depending on whether you want your own room or can share. More info when you’re ready to book.