Mull Adventure Blog - Part 2
Hello once again dear readers from the Isle of Mull where it is once again raining as it often does in this place. But I’ll let you in on a little secret, I love it! Not so much the rain but the Island itself with its mix of pleasant people, abundant wildlife and far flung remoteness from any city I have known or will know in the future.
We left our tale last time after a completed week at work with much more still to learn and experience. After having learned and experienced many things this week I can safely say I still have yet more to learn and experience! But this past week involved completing my first introduction talk to our passengers (which was applauded) on what they might see on the trip. I have also been trying to learn knots and rope handling but am still rather abysmal at both. I can tie a clove hitch (after much practice with a piece of string and fake fender) and have successfully done both the bow and stern lines when coming into the pontoon but I am far from good at either. With practice comes perfection I guess.
In more successful news I was given the task of guiding an Ecocruz by myself on Sula Crion (meaning “Tiny Gannet” in Gaelic) which is our smaller boat, and holds only 10 people. Nerves mounted as families started checking in for the trip and I wondered if I would be able to remember enough to make it an enjoyable excursion, as well as boat matters. The skipper told me not to worry, he would take care of the boat and I would guide, plain and simple. Dear reader it turned out to be a fantastic trip! Apart from a brief shower the sun shone and the wildlife didn’t let us down with logging porpoise and diving gannets. The people themselves were fantastic too. Some of the kids on board were so enthusiastic even after seeing their 7th shag, still pointing and checking they had identified it correctly. When children experience that much joy from watching wildlife I have to say it gives me hope for the future! My own enthusiasm was abundant (even more so than usual) due to this and the talks I managed to give and the information I imparted all seemed to please the boss. I came off that trip, 2 hours later feeling utterly competent as a guide!
This week the office was busy and they’ve finally got me on answering phone calls. Now for those who know me well you may know of my distinct lack of confidence over the phone, even to people I know well, therefore nerves were getting the better of me answering this particular phone. However the staff just told me to go for it and refused to answer it themselves which is the best way I learn at any rate and so I am thankful they did it. The first call I answered got my heart racing and stumbling on the phrase “Hello, Sea Life Surveys, Sarah speaking” only to be asked how I was by the boss! After knowing I would not have to deal with bookings over the phone I relaxed. This has happened on several occasions and so I have yet to make a booking over the phone but I have dealt with other requests which were equally as challenging. However I feel it shall still be some time before I can confidently pick up the phone in that office!
Wildlife wise it has been a week both of disappointment and elation for all the wrong reasons! Intrigued? First of all the “high density of Otters on Mull” I have been promised (it’s lies, all lies!) has failed once again. I have still to see one even after waiting for 3 hours at a gem of a place on the north of the island. It was a glorious day though and the scenery on the drive was spectacular so I can’t complain. I am, however, adamant that every Otter on Mull has gathered together in an epic meeting to form an evil plan that conspires against me! The Minke Whales too have proven elusive but with myself firmly on Team Basking Shark I have not been disappointed on that front. In better wildlife spotting news I did an 8km walk on a random whim from Garmony to Fishnish and back one evening. It was a beautiful walk through forests and beaches and many types of habitat in between and I couldn’t help but love the opportunity I had been given to live on this beautiful Island. Now along the walk dear reader I was looking for many types of wildlife and didn’t see any, however I did spot what I wasn’t looking for. I looked for Otters and got Seals, I looked for Eagles and got a Hen Harrier and whilst looking for animals I was more rewarded by fungi in the form of some fantastic Fly Agaric mushrooms in a patch of pine forest sunlight. The photographer in me could not stop smiling and some snaps were enthusiastically gathered!
Next week will bring news of a family visit and assorted adventures, both at work and at play on this spectacular Island. Stayed tuned and, as always, hugs to you all!
Sarah
Guide
We left our tale last time after a completed week at work with much more still to learn and experience. After having learned and experienced many things this week I can safely say I still have yet more to learn and experience! But this past week involved completing my first introduction talk to our passengers (which was applauded) on what they might see on the trip. I have also been trying to learn knots and rope handling but am still rather abysmal at both. I can tie a clove hitch (after much practice with a piece of string and fake fender) and have successfully done both the bow and stern lines when coming into the pontoon but I am far from good at either. With practice comes perfection I guess.
In more successful news I was given the task of guiding an Ecocruz by myself on Sula Crion (meaning “Tiny Gannet” in Gaelic) which is our smaller boat, and holds only 10 people. Nerves mounted as families started checking in for the trip and I wondered if I would be able to remember enough to make it an enjoyable excursion, as well as boat matters. The skipper told me not to worry, he would take care of the boat and I would guide, plain and simple. Dear reader it turned out to be a fantastic trip! Apart from a brief shower the sun shone and the wildlife didn’t let us down with logging porpoise and diving gannets. The people themselves were fantastic too. Some of the kids on board were so enthusiastic even after seeing their 7th shag, still pointing and checking they had identified it correctly. When children experience that much joy from watching wildlife I have to say it gives me hope for the future! My own enthusiasm was abundant (even more so than usual) due to this and the talks I managed to give and the information I imparted all seemed to please the boss. I came off that trip, 2 hours later feeling utterly competent as a guide!
This week the office was busy and they’ve finally got me on answering phone calls. Now for those who know me well you may know of my distinct lack of confidence over the phone, even to people I know well, therefore nerves were getting the better of me answering this particular phone. However the staff just told me to go for it and refused to answer it themselves which is the best way I learn at any rate and so I am thankful they did it. The first call I answered got my heart racing and stumbling on the phrase “Hello, Sea Life Surveys, Sarah speaking” only to be asked how I was by the boss! After knowing I would not have to deal with bookings over the phone I relaxed. This has happened on several occasions and so I have yet to make a booking over the phone but I have dealt with other requests which were equally as challenging. However I feel it shall still be some time before I can confidently pick up the phone in that office!
Wildlife wise it has been a week both of disappointment and elation for all the wrong reasons! Intrigued? First of all the “high density of Otters on Mull” I have been promised (it’s lies, all lies!) has failed once again. I have still to see one even after waiting for 3 hours at a gem of a place on the north of the island. It was a glorious day though and the scenery on the drive was spectacular so I can’t complain. I am, however, adamant that every Otter on Mull has gathered together in an epic meeting to form an evil plan that conspires against me! The Minke Whales too have proven elusive but with myself firmly on Team Basking Shark I have not been disappointed on that front. In better wildlife spotting news I did an 8km walk on a random whim from Garmony to Fishnish and back one evening. It was a beautiful walk through forests and beaches and many types of habitat in between and I couldn’t help but love the opportunity I had been given to live on this beautiful Island. Now along the walk dear reader I was looking for many types of wildlife and didn’t see any, however I did spot what I wasn’t looking for. I looked for Otters and got Seals, I looked for Eagles and got a Hen Harrier and whilst looking for animals I was more rewarded by fungi in the form of some fantastic Fly Agaric mushrooms in a patch of pine forest sunlight. The photographer in me could not stop smiling and some snaps were enthusiastically gathered!
Next week will bring news of a family visit and assorted adventures, both at work and at play on this spectacular Island. Stayed tuned and, as always, hugs to you all!
Sarah
Guide
posted by Sea Life Surveys at
6:57 pm
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