SCUBA Feb 2021 Issue 111 | Page 34

SCUBA Editor Simon Rogerson tells the story of a trip to a small Scottish island that gets some very big visitors each summer

Baskers & Beaches

A journey to Coll

SCUBA Editor Simon Rogerson tells the story of a trip to a small Scottish island that gets some very big visitors each summer

After enjoying some great diving in Swanage and Lundy last summer , I realised there was likely to be a short window before Covid restrictions were reintroduced . I heard on the grapevine that Shane Wasik of Basking Shark Scotland was having a great season , not just with the baskers but also with sightings of humpback whales and dolphins . I ’ d always wanted to see Shane ’ s operation at the Hebridean island of Coll , and it was unusual to have places available at late notice , so I signed up .

Fancy a brew ?
I drove north to Oban along the banks of Loch Lomond and Loch Awe , then west at Loch Etive and past the Falls of Lora . Taking a break for a stroll around Dunstaffnage Castle , I snoozed on a grassy bank overlooking Ardmucknish Bay , relishing sunshine and solitude . Oban was relatively quiet , but there were a few folk enjoying Ganavan sands as the sun set behind the hills of Kerrara . The next morning , I boarded the ferry to Coll at 5am .
The first day was supposed to be for rest and a briefing session , but there were strong winds forecast for the next day , so Shane decided we should get out on the water as soon as possible . After a quick check-in at my b & b , Tigh na Mara , I was standing on a jetty with a socially distanced crowd of masked snorkellers , waiting to be split up into boats .
As the spare , I was given a choice of which boat to join , and opted to go with Shane to see him in action . After all , he has developed a pioneering eco-tourism
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