Shetland Sea Adventures

07/06/2024

07/06/2024

The poor weather is causing no end of headaches for us.
Rearranging and cancelling bookings and sorting out refunds, and praying for a change in the weather.

22/05/2024

Key rings designed and made by Elma (11).
A perfect momento of your day in Foula.
Various designs available, this one celebrates a delicious dish prepared by her mum that has become a favourite with the Foula folk and visitors alike.

21/05/2024

A great opportunity especially if you have a young family.

15/05/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/C7UVwA6yJR4yYa2u/

13/05/2024

A fine forecast for the weekend and after an unsettled week what better way to make the most of it by joining us for a trip to Foula.
1200'+ vertical cliffs
2nd 3rd and 4th highest hills in Shetland
Tens of thousands of seabirds
The tamest seals ever resident in Ham
Delicious food, lobster, crab and the native lamb
Come and see the UK's most remote inhabited island and find out for yourself what makes it so special.
Book now for Saturday 18th at https://shetlandseaadventures.com/product/foula-trip/

13/05/2024

09/05/2024

A great forecast for Saturday perfect conditions for a Foula trip.
If you would like to join us book at the link below
https://shetlandseaadventures.com/product/foula-trip/

07/05/2024

We pass over the wreck every trip.
https://www.facebook.com/100077699742952/posts/464958226104165/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

Oceanic, the predecessor of , was built in 1899. Until 1901, it held the title of the largest ship in the world. The vessel was constructed for the White Star Line and embarked on its maiden voyage in the same year.

During the late 1800s, maritime technology advanced rapidly, leading White Star Line's competitors, Norddeutscher Lloyd and Cunard Line, to introduce state-of-the-art ships. To keep up with the competition, White Star Line needed to produce its own flagship capable of rivaling them.

Following a strategy of prioritizing luxury over speed, Oceanic was built in Belfast and had a capacity for 1,710 passengers, including 410 in First Class, 300 in Second Class, and 1,000 in Third Class, along with 349 crew members. The ship was launched on January 14, 1899, with an audience of over 50,000 spectators. It would become the largest and final British liner launched in the 19th century.

When World War I broke out in 1914, Oceanic was commissioned into Royal Navy service on August 8th of that year as an armed merchant cruiser. In the same year, it set sail from Southampton to patrol the waters from the North Scottish mainland to the Faroes, specifically the area around Shetland. However, Oceanic ran aground and was wrecked off the island of Foula, Shetland in September 1914

30/04/2024

We have a great forecast for Thursday and still a few places left on our first Foula trip of the year.
If you would like to join us book now at https://shetlandseaadventures.com/product/foula-trip/

26/04/2024

26/04/2024

The frustration of a day like today and a forecast like this

16/04/2024

Yesterday the coastguard helicopter was here doing an exercise on the top of Hamnafield, looking like a squashed Daddy-long-legs.

16/04/2024

https://www.shetland.org/visit/plan/areas/foula

This remote island lying 20 miles west of the Shetland Mainland covers five square miles and has five distinctive peaks, including one of the highest sheer sea cliffs in Britain – Da Kame (1,233ft).

13/04/2024

A “fireball” was captured flying over Dunrossness this morning amid reports of a “loud” meteor.

13/04/2024

Penny found the first Arctic Tern of the season yesterday. Unfortunately something else had spotted it before her and eaten all but the wings and the lower part of the bill. But it could still be recognised by its all red bill and the narrow black line on the outer edge of its wings. Usually we do not see them so early - not until May.

08/04/2024

05/04/2024

⚡️PUFFIN UPDATE⚡️

Goosebumps moment! Puffins are starting to fly, close to Sumburgh Head. They’re not on the cliffs yet, but it won’t be long. We’ve seen several Puffins whizz by the Observatory as they edge their way closer and closer to shore. Remember, they’ve been out at sea for the last 8 months so it might take them a while to find their land-legs!

📷 Puffins in Flight, 2023 by Vicky Armstrong

31/03/2024

The sun is setting north of Foula and the Silver Swift is nearly ready to go back in the water.
Looking forward to a busy summer.

03/02/2024

Continual gales at moment make for impressive seas. Looking over Hellabrick's wick.

24/01/2024

https://www.facebook.com/100041939654928/posts/1139212180820093/

06/01/2024

A guid Yule ta aabody on Foula and further afield.

28/11/2023

NON COMPLIANCE

MAGIC WORDS —. " DUTY OF CARE " Also "FAIR AND IMPARTIAL "

We can collate evidence that historically all of our catches are weighed and inspected. Via the landings operations we are open about the species ,areas, quota systems and keep evidence too be scrutinised by the Fisheries inspectorate etc .

In other words we follow the rules whereby the foreign transhipment vessels don't.

WHY SHOULD OUR U.K. VESSELS COMPLY WITH THESE ‘RULES’ WHEN NON U.K. OWNED VESSELS DON’T ?

THIS IS SIMPLE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST OUR FLEET AND SKIPPERS SHOULD SAY TO FISHERY OFFICERS WHATS GOOD FOR THEM IS GOOD FOR US - STAY OFF OUR VESSELS.

THESE VESSELS ‘TRANSHIPPING’ THEIR CATCHES TO THE FIRST POINT OF SALE IN THE EU ARE NOT ‘LANDING’ HERE AND IS AGAINST NEAFC RULES MARINE SCOTLAND ARE ALLOWING THIS TO TAKE PLACE DAILY.

NON MONITORING - DESTROYING SCIENTIFIC DATA - DESTROYING THE ECONOMIC LINK.

DESTROYING FAMILY BUSINESSES
DESTROYING COASTAL COMMUNITIES.

ARE MARINE SCOTLAND FIT FOR PURPOSE?

16/11/2023

https://www.facebook.com/100069348495262/posts/645569877764623/?app=fbl

We had a surprise visit by guizers earlier on this week including one with an impressive home grown neepy lantern.

The actual day, Hallamas, used to be celebrated in the past rather than Halloween, the evening before. With the change in calendars Hallamas now falls on the 13th Nov in Foula.

15/11/2023

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=adfwf9CvazE&list=PLcC86inHhxrjR7TJ_BcP7RljNrE-1iC9R&index=3&fbclid=IwAR03q5urPAw2AVOvJmdiuss40ZFdjulDteqdIXt9KWqHCNPhvc7Ad0X_9KU

Ref: SFA20180043.4Synopsis: This film documents a trip by council officials to Foula in 1984. They are taken on a tour of the island to view the landscape, b...

11/11/2023

We are getting a lot of enquiries from South (ie the UK and further afield) about winter whale watching.
My first advice is Shetland seas in winter are quite testing for a small boat and there is less than a 50/50 chance we will even leave the pier far less get out to where the boats are fishing.
So coming up here in the winter just to go off in a boat to see whales will be expensive and likely disappointing.
But seeing the 65 and 27 pods from the shore is highly likely if you are willing to put in the miles when they are spotted.
And if you are already in Shetland and conditions allow you can always join us if we go.
If a boat trip to see them up close is your dream then I can highly recommend Stephane as a guide and his winter tours to the fiords of Norway where sea conditions are much more sheltered.

https://www.facebook.com/contrees.sauvages

Voyages d’aventure et d’observation de la vie sauvage dans des destinations méconnues.