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Peregrine Travel Centre

Bird Quest

Bird Quest

From £3,595 GBP

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Description

The seabird islands of the western British Isles are the envy of the birding world, yet it is not easy to sample the wonderful diversity of their character and come face-to-face with seagoing inhabitants. This unusual expedition cruise will appeal to those who wish to explore our coastal waters, observe the marvellous seabird and marine life and walk across untouched coastal wilderness areas. The focus of our expedition is the prolific birdlife but the region is also rich in cultural heritage and we will visit the spiritual island of Iona, Skellig St Michael, home to the remains of a monastery abandoned in the 12th century and now a Word Heritage Site as well as joining the locals on Tory Island for some storytelling, music and dance – all living expressions of an ancient Gaelic culture.

Cruising aboard the 84-passenger Ocean Nova, we will be able to enjoy expedition cruising at its best. Although we will set sail with a schedule, it will not be set in stone. The captain and expedition team keep a flexible approach allowing you the opportunity to fully experience the unexpected, whether it be a sighting of dolphins, a whale or any unusual event. Our exploration of inlets, estuaries and protected coastal waters will be made all the more enjoyable by the use of our Zodiac landing craft which enable us to land in remote places such as St Kilda and Lunga, providing for an unusual perspective and making the otherwise inaccessible readily available. This is a wonderful opportunity to see some of our most beautiful places and view some of the extensive birdlife. No matter your level of expertise you will find a warm welcome and a cornucopia of stunning sights and sounds.

Trip Name
Bird Quest
Days
11
Overview
Vessel Type: Expedition Length: 73 metres Passenger Capacity:86 Built / refurbished: 1992 / 2005 The ice-strengthened expedition ship Ocean Nova was built in Denmark in 1992 with high ice class to serve Greenland’s west coast. In 2004 to 2005 she was completely refurbished and has now a career as a small and comfortable expedition ship. The Ocean Nova accommodates 86 passengers in single, double and triple cabins, all with sea-view and private facilities. The double cabins have either two lower beds or upper and lower beds. The triple cabins have upper and lower beds. In your cabin you will also find a desk with chair and ample storage space for clothes and equipment. In the dining room you are treated to delicious meals in between landings and in the panorama lounge you can enjoy a drink with a breathtaking view of the surrounding polar landscape. This is where PolarQuest’s on board specialists entertain and educate you with lectures on polar biology, history, geology and conservation. There is also a library with panoramic views and a good selection of polar books. On board there is a satellite phone, gym and medical doctor. Passengers are welcome on the bridge around the clock and there is always something to see or search for from the spacious observation decks. The ship has North European officers and there is a friendly and informal atmosphere on board. Travelling with this small expedition ship offers an entirely different experience and perspective than you can get on a larger and more conventional cruise ship. Ice Class: Ice 1B, E0 (Hull Ice 1A) Some Deck plans may vary, please contact us for more details.  

Itinerary



Day 1 - Day 1 - Dartmouth.
Embark this afternoon. Transfers will be provided from Totnes railway station at a fixed time. Enjoy Welcome Drinks and Dinner as we sail this evening.
Day 2 - Day 2 - Isles of Scilly.
Spend the morning on traffic free Tresco, walking its idyllic lanes from the beach to the famous subtropical Abbey Gardens. Defying the Atlantic weather, this miracle of a garden is home to more than 20,000 species of plants from over 80 countries. Enjoy time to wander at your own pace along the paths, maybe visit the Valhalla collection of ship figureheads from ships wrecked on the islands or relax in the cafe. We spend the afternoon on St Agnes, the most south-westerly community in the UK. Surrounded by rocks and reefs this delightful tiny island offers marvellous coastal walks. The small island of Gugh lies across a narrow sandbar and here we find a single stone monolith called the ‘Old Man of Gugh’ which dates back to the Bronze Age. Alternatively, join a boat trip to the nearby island of Annet, the second largest of the uninhabited Islands and a bird sanctuary. We are not allowed to land but will cruise the coastline alive with puffins, European storm petrels and shag.
Day 3 - Day 3 - Cape Clear Island & Mizen Head, Ireland.
We spend the day on this spectacular coastline of Ireland and our activities will depend on the local weather and sea conditions. We hope to spend time on Cape Clear Island, located 8 miles from the Cork coast, home to 120 Gaelic speaking residents and a pleasant place to spend a morning. However it is also one of the foremost birding spots in Ireland as an ideal location for passing seabirds as well as being a haven for migrating birds. In our time ashore we may visit the Cape Clear Bird Observatory or join a series of island walks on the lookout for shearwaters and the resident choughs. Later we hope to use the Zodiacs to land at the quaint village of Schull from where we will take the road to Mizen Head, the most south westerly point of Ireland. Here we find the famous signal station and there will be the choice of a series of walks, all offering stunning views along the west coast and a great chance to see kittiwakes, gannets and choughs as well as seals on the rocks below. The active may also want to climb down to the Keepers Quarters including displays on the Fastnet lighthouse, the Marconi radio room and the bird mural room home to a spectacular mural by Jules Thomas showing the birds of the Mizen peninsula, their habitats, nests and eggs.
Day 4 - Day 4 - Skellig Islands and Great Blasket Island.
Over breakfast we will arrive at The Skelligs, tiny islands just off the magnificent coast of the Dingle Peninsula. Weather permitting we will sail around these mystical islands with their early Christian history. Skellig Michael is a World Heritage Site and atop this rugged pyramid that rises from the sea are the ruins of a monastery. Meanwhile at Little Skellig the sky can on occasion turn white as some of the 20,000 pairs of breeding gannets leave their roosts. Over lunch we arrive at Great Blasket Islands, once a thriving community which was abandoned in 1953. Today we will use Zodiacs to explore the coastline which is home to gannets and choughs and we may also see whitetailed eagles that have recently been reintroduced in the nearby Kerry mountains. Meanwhile we may see grey seals and dolphins in the waters.
Day 5 - Day 5 - Cliffs of Moher & Aran Islands.
This morning we will cruise by the magnificent Cliffs of Moher. Rising to 213 metres and over five miles long they are home to an estimated 30,000 birds including Atlantic puffin, razorbills, guillemots and choughs. A little further up the coast and some 30 miles from the Galway Coast are the Aran Islands. We will call into the largest, Inishmore, and explore some of the early Christian sites. This island was a place of monastic study from the earliest Christian times. Also, see the dramatic stone fort of Dun Aengus, parts of which date back some 3,000 years. May is the perfect time to see these islands as the wild flowers should be at their best.
Day 6 - Day 6 - Tory Island.
After a morning at sea we arrive at Tory Island, located off the northwest coast of Ireland and home to 150 or so Gaelic speakers. Although only 14 miles offshore, it feels like many more and island life here is full of traditions. Meet some of the local community in the village hall and enjoy some of their legendary storytelling, music and dance. Tory Island is also famous for its migratory birds; seabirds nest here in large numbers and a puffin colony nests on the northern cliffs. Look out for guillemots, kittiwakes, fulmars, storm petrels and manx shearwaters whilst the corncrake has become a main attraction on the island.
Day 7 - Day 7 - Iona & Lunga.
This morning we land on Iona. For more than 1,000 years the island of Iona has been a place of deep spiritual significance and no less than 62 Kings of Scotland are buried here. St Columba came here from Ireland in 563A.D. and early Christianity spread through northern Britain from this remote island community. After exploring the Abbey, time permitting you may take a short walk on the wild side to the ‘Bay at the Back of the Ocean’. Over lunch we sail to Lunga, the largest of the Treshnish Isles. Of volcanic origin, Lunga has been described as a ‘green jewel in a peacock sea’. Populated until the 19th century, the island still bears the remains of black houses. There is prolific birdlife on the island including storm-petrels, puffins, kittiwakes and Manx shearwaters.
Day 8 - Day 8 - St Kilda.
Arrive at first light in St Kilda, a remarkable uninhabited archipelago some fifty miles beyond the Outer Hebrides. Dominated by the highest cliffs and sea stacks in Britain, Hirta, St Kilda’s main island was occupied on and off for at least two thousand years, with the last 36 Gaelic speaking inhabitants evacuated at their own request in 1930. Immediately after the evacuation, the island was bought by the Marquess of Bute to protect the island’s thousands of seabirds including puffin and fulmars, and in 1957 it was bequeathed to The National Trust for Scotland. St Kilda is one of only two dozen UNESCO World Heritage Sites with dual status reflecting its natural and cultural significance. The local ranger will join us on board before our expedition staff lead a number of guided walks on the island. Later, cruise past two of the largest gannetries in the world at Stac Lee and Boreray. These impressive stacs rise 170 metres from the sea and are home to up to 60,000 breeding pairs of northern gannet.
Day 9 - Day 9 - Handa & Shiant Islands.
Spend the morning at Handa where we will use our Zodiacs to explore the magnificent sea cliffs of Torridonian sandstone which rise from the Atlantic. The island comes alive each summer when nearly 100,000 seabirds gather to breed, including internationally important numbers of guillemot, razorbill, puffins and great skua. Spend the afternoon exploring the Shiant Isles. Anyone who has read Adam Nicholson’s captivating book ‘Sea Room’ will want to visit these lonely little islands located a few miles off the shores of Lewis. We will use our Zodiacs to explore the coastline and see the abundant birdlife and seals.
Day 10 - Day 10 - Canna & Loch Scavaig.
Strategically placed between the mountains of Rum and the Outer Hebrides, the island of Canna, and its adjoining neighbour Sanday, are bound together like some rare text that reveals over 60 million years of Hebridean geology and history. They have an amazingly rich archaeological landscape with remains dating to all periods of settled occupation in Scotland. Canna is run as a single farm and bird sanctuary by the National Trust for Scotland and enjoys the best harbour in the Small Isles, a horn-shaped haven. The fertile soil and its diversity of habitats mean that the island has an incredibly rich plant life with 248 native flowering plants recorded. We will see Canna House and wander across grassy basalt plateaus to the 600 foot cliffs on the north shore. Enjoy lunch as we sail to lovely Loch Scavaig on the island of Skye. Just beyond is the freshwater Loch Corruisk with its breathtakingly beautiful view over the Cuillins. This is great walking country and our expedition team will run a series of hikes for all interests. For those who prefer a less energetic morning our Zodiacs will explore the coast looking out for seals.
Day 11 - Day 11 - Oban.
Disembark this morning. Transfers will be provided to Glasgow Central Station and Glasgow International Airport at a fixed time.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
01-05-201811-05-2018£3,995Category 2
01-05-201811-05-2018£4,595Category 1 Solo
01-05-201811-05-2018£4,995Category 2 Solo
01-05-201811-05-2018£4,295Category 3
01-05-201811-05-2018£3,595Category 1

Inclusions

    • Spend the morning on traffic free Tresco, walking its idyllic lanes from the beach to the famous subtropical Abbey Gardens
    • Visit Cape Clear Island, home to 120 Gaelic speaking residents
    • Cruise by the magnificent Cliffs of Moher. Rising to 213 metres and over five miles long they are home to an estimated 30,000 birds including Atlantic puffin, razorbills, guillemots and choughs
    • Land on Iona. For more than 1,000 years the island of Iona has been a place of deep spiritual significance and no less than 62 Kings of Scotland are buried here
    • Discover St Kilda
    • one of only two dozen UNESCO World Heritage Sites with dual status reflecting its natural and cultural significance

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