8-Night Stanton Banks, Mingulay, Coll & Tiree
on Hjalmar Bjørge

The Stanton Banks are a Marine Protected Area located approximately 23 nautical miles west of Tiree. A series of granitic ridges rising from 190 metres to within only 30 metres of the sea surface, they are rich in marine life and the associated upwellings are likely to attract a range of feeding cetaceans and migrant seabirds during this late summer period. Few have explored here, which makes our investigation all the more exciting. We expect to see Minke Whales, White-beaked and Risso’s dolphins, with possible sightings of Humpback and Fin Whales. Seabirds will likely include Northern Gannet, European Storm Petrel, Great Skua, Arctic Skua, and Sooty Shearwater. There is also a good chance of rarer visitors such as Pomarine Skua, Great Shearwater, and maybe even a Wilson’s Storm Petrel or Sabine’s Gull. En route, we plan to explore Coll, Tiree, Barra Head, and Mingulay. The itinerary will be shaped by local conditions and led by expedition leader Chris, our wildlife guide and photography mentor.