Basking Shark Scotland

It’s now under 6 months before our 2019 peak season #baskingshark tours kick off. Our availability is booking up so make sure you join us soon otherwise you might need to wait till 2020!

What a show it was last night! The Northern Lights dancing bright over Oban Bay!

It’ll not be long till we’re welcoming back the big fish! Our peak season tours are filling fast so don’t leave it too long!

Good discussions today for our 2019 extreme beach clean project! Stayed tuned for info soon - we’ll need another bunch of hardy extreme cleaners! This video was Cearban last year stacked full from a remote beach on #mull 💪💪 🚤 ♻️

Awesome 🦈 📷 by @blueelementsimaging who was out with us last year on our week tour!

A wee blanket of snow in Oban this morning! Who else has some of the white stuff?

Another chance to see Michael’s article! Outstanding images!

Today is (apparently) the most depressing day of the year. Not when we have so much to look forward to this summer. See our email newsletter for our 2019 tour plans! - https://mailchi.mp/baskingsharkscotland/2 019-basking-sharks

Great to see @danboltphoto image of a #baskingshark for his trip with us a couple of summers ago appear in @bsacdivers magazine this month! Great to see his and @andy_torbet article on #snorkelling and #underwaterphotography - great work guys!

How’s everyone’s morning going? Here we dig the overnight snow out from the boat in -5 before heading out 👊💪 ❄️☃️

Some nice #aurora / #northernlights display just now on our tour over in Norway!

@kwokn - just shared a wee memory of a snorkel tour with us a few year ago! It was right at the start of the season and the water temp was 8degrees but our 8mm hooded suits kept them warm! Our seal & lagoon starts again around March!

John Coe up near Inverness! Last time we saw him was in the Hebrides in July! Seems to be always on a mission somewhere!

#fingalscave on #staffa is one of the epic places we explore on our multi-day trips! Although the best itinerary is the week where there is much more chance to swim in the cave!

We operate in exposed locations on the edge of the Atlantic. Our longer tours are planned around allowing enough time in the area to get these kind of weather windows!

#summer2019 #baskingshark dates filling up already! Don’t miss the best dates in the January rush!!!!!

Wow! Check out Michael Vogelsang article and images from his basking shark trip - in the Heinz underwater photography magazine! Available in English and German - links below! https://bit.ly/2TprS0I

A wee selection of some of our clients #baskingshark images from the 2018 season! Happy hogmanay and all the best for 2019! If we missed your epic shark shot then tag us with #baskingsharkscotland and we’ll feature your pics too! @blueelementsimaging @willclarkphotos @rosiebphotography @michaels_bubbles @davidp.robinson @jonathanneville24 @tomhardman2000 @marineathene @philipp.blasch

Great #baskingshark shot by @rosiebphotography who was with us this year on our week tour! She’ll be back again with her trusty camera next year- looking forward to it- although it’s still several months away!

What an amazing experience down to an awesome, friendly, funny, insanely knowledgeable crew. It was beyond expectations.I have a couple of autoimmune conditions so thank you so much especially Shane who very kindly waited for me at the end of the trip to get the best experience I could and to Luke (the human torpedo) who didn't let go of my hand when I was to tired to swim. Of course Inga (sp?) too who I think we broke haha, great times and would recommend to anyone. As a nature lover I also love the fact that the team are all about conservation and respect to the whole environment.

We did the seals and lagoon tour on 7th June and had an amazing day!! The guides were awesome and really made the trip exceptional. Fingers crossed we'll make it back one day to see the basking sharks. Thank you!

The journey was planned for a long time and we traveled with an caravan from Germany to Scotland. It was my great wish to experience a baskingshark live. On 18.8.18 It was finally time, I could go on tour with you.Thank you, you have fulfilled this dream. We were able to photograph the shark from the boat and I was lucky that the shark showed up underwater. I will not forget this experience. Well organized tour, nice team, great ship, wonderful nature and special sharks.

Thankyou so much to the whole team but especially to Shane,Luke and our skipper Cameron!

Seeing wild Orca was magical and an experience that we will never forget!!

Hopefully we will be able to join you in future expeditions!

Swam with seals today. One was very inquisitive and swam right up to us! It was fantastic! I didn't want it to end.

Apart from the seals, we saw plenty of other wildlife too. Luke was telling us about the different animals all the time. He is really knowledgeable. Great day!! Take a trip with these guys!

Since I first went out with Basking Shark Scotland, I now go back with them twice every year- both to Coll for basking sharks (plus other marine critters), and also to Norway to snorkel with humpbacks and orca. I suggest return customers are voting with their feet, and there are a lot of us.

On Wednesday I was lucky enough to get out on and under the waves with you lovely guys. It was, without doubt, the most AMAZING experience ever. I have waited a very long time to swim with seals and we were so lucky that a young female graced us with her presence. So beautiful and playful, the experience will stay with me forever. Thanks for getting us out there.

My wife bought me the 3 day trip for my 50th birthday last December.



I have just come back this week from it and I can only say that it was beyond all my expectations. The crew; Shane and Luke were amazing.....thank you guys for the best holiday I've ever had. They were friendly, approachable, enjoyable company, supportive and very knowledgeable about the superb variety of wildlife, especially of course the basking sharks. We saw so many incredible things; basking sharks, harbour porpoise, seals and a huge array of seabirds, my favourites to name only a few being the skuas, manx shearwaters, puffins and especially the sea eagle although with so many beautiful seabirds it really is hard to choose.



The sightings of the sharks were wonderful and we saw many different sharks from the boat. At one point we observed one shark breach the water giving us a clear view of the whole shark and later another managed to ground itself very temporarily on some rocks right in front of us, again giving us a unusual but great view of the whole shark. I've had such an awesome experience with Basking Shark Scotland that I've just booked a 3 day trip for my wife and I next year.

Just back from a weekend away with my work - What a fantastic time and amazing experience! Guides were fantastic and so knowledgeable! Would recommend every tries this

Just a fantastic few days with you guys. Swimming with the sharks was amazing, we were so lucky with the weather too. Also loved Lunga. Struan was a great skipper and Inga and Hannah were very helpful and knowledgable, their enthusiasm was obvious. I'm sure I'll be back at some point.

I visited Basking Shark Scotland as the European Rolex Scholar and it was an excellent experience! Even though we didn't find basking sharks as it was the beginning of the season, the experienced crew (Shane, Eszter and Luke) took us to stunning places! We interacted with beautiful seals in very clear waters and we snorkelled around Coll Island. If you haven't been here yet you should go!! At this time of the year (june) it is surprisingly warm and full of wildlife

Had yet another amazing time with this company. It must be so hard walking a fine line between providing for the needs of tourists seeing these animals in the wild while also being wary of the environmental impact that these tours can have if not run properly. Fortunately they excel at both. Basking Shark Scotland have such a great work ethic for wildlife tours together with an obvious passion for the subjects which simply is contagious. Cannot recommend them highly enough for anyone up for an adventure and a bit of a gamble with huge potential pay offs. Thank you.

Had an amazing time joining the team for a 4 day research expedition. From start to finish everything ran smoothly.

The whole crew, Shane, Luke and Inga were very friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and interesting and I learnt a great deal from them. We were lucky enough to get 2 days with excellent conditions. Saw lots of activity and wildlife from gannets diving, grey seals, Harbour porpoise, gilimots, razor bills, a brief glimpse of a minkie whale and 5-6 different basking sharks including underwater encounters with 2 different individuals. Was totally amazing to be close to such a large animal, observing it feeding in its natural surroundings. Really enjoyed getting involved with plankton sampling, counting, recording data and taking photo ID shots.

Great base and accommodation on carry farm and such a beautiful area. Only Wish I could have stayed longer.

good luck for the rest of the expedition and for your work in the future.

Many Thanks ��

Had a great day out with Cameron, Kate and Inga, had a blast watching these amazing creatures. As a bonus we even got a sea eagle passing our boat on the way back. Thanks for the amazing experience!

Epic. What a great week to experience the wild side of Scotland, the Hebrides and the wonderfull Island of Coll. The crew was amazing, the sharks plentyfull. Thanks to everybody. Slainte Mhath!

Amazing experience! Spotted a huge variety of creatures coming in close to the boat including basking sharks, minkies and a pod of dolphins! Staff couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful.. especially Tammy! Put at complete ease out at sea.. will definitely be back! �������

Absolutely brilliant !!! Kind, friendly and oh so helpful, nothing is too much trouble and huge amount of help for people that have never even put on a wetsuit or been in the sea. Highly recommended, it was my second weekend trip with these guys and already planning to do a week next year :)

AMAZING TOUR! Went on the two day basking shark tour out of the Isle of Coll and it was an unforgettable experience. We saw basking sharks (duh!), seals and minke whales. Loved the atmosphere, I traveled solo and never felt "alone". The other guests that were with friends/family were very welcoming! I would HIGHLY recommend this company and this experience! We are already thinking about the orca trip in Norway ��!

A very professional, friendly and fantastic team, the best day was had by myself and family. Three teenage girls and ourselves, one of whom never snorkelled before, and within half an hour was face to face with a feeding basking shark. Shane is patient, calm and excellent at what he does and us and the girls are still buzzing. Many thanks :-)

What an amazing experience down to an awesome, friendly, funny, insanely knowledgeable crew. It was beyond expectations.I have a couple of autoimmune conditions so thank you so much especially Shane who very kindly waited for me at the end of the trip to get the best experience I could and to Luke (the human torpedo) who didn't let go of my hand when I was to tired to swim. Of course Inga (sp?) too who I think we broke haha, great times and would recommend to anyone. As a nature lover I also love the fact that the team are all about conservation and respect to the whole environment.

We did the seals and lagoon tour on 7th June and had an amazing day!! The guides were awesome and really made the trip exceptional. Fingers crossed we'll make it back one day to see the basking sharks. Thank you!

The journey was planned for a long time and we traveled with an caravan from Germany to Scotland. It was my great wish to experience a baskingshark live. On 18.8.18 It was finally time, I could go on tour with you.Thank you, you have fulfilled this dream. We were able to photograph the shark from the boat and I was lucky that the shark showed up underwater. I will not forget this experience. Well organized tour, nice team, great ship, wonderful nature and special sharks.

Thankyou so much to the whole team but especially to Shane,Luke and our skipper Cameron!

Seeing wild Orca was magical and an experience that we will never forget!!

Hopefully we will be able to join you in future expeditions!

Swam with seals today. One was very inquisitive and swam right up to us! It was fantastic! I didn't want it to end.

Apart from the seals, we saw plenty of other wildlife too. Luke was telling us about the different animals all the time. He is really knowledgeable. Great day!! Take a trip with these guys!

Since I first went out with Basking Shark Scotland, I now go back with them twice every year- both to Coll for basking sharks (plus other marine critters), and also to Norway to snorkel with humpbacks and orca. I suggest return customers are voting with their feet, and there are a lot of us.

On Wednesday I was lucky enough to get out on and under the waves with you lovely guys. It was, without doubt, the most AMAZING experience ever. I have waited a very long time to swim with seals and we were so lucky that a young female graced us with her presence. So beautiful and playful, the experience will stay with me forever. Thanks for getting us out there.

My wife bought me the 3 day trip for my 50th birthday last December.



I have just come back this week from it and I can only say that it was beyond all my expectations. The crew; Shane and Luke were amazing.....thank you guys for the best holiday I've ever had. They were friendly, approachable, enjoyable company, supportive and very knowledgeable about the superb variety of wildlife, especially of course the basking sharks. We saw so many incredible things; basking sharks, harbour porpoise, seals and a huge array of seabirds, my favourites to name only a few being the skuas, manx shearwaters, puffins and especially the sea eagle although with so many beautiful seabirds it really is hard to choose.



The sightings of the sharks were wonderful and we saw many different sharks from the boat. At one point we observed one shark breach the water giving us a clear view of the whole shark and later another managed to ground itself very temporarily on some rocks right in front of us, again giving us a unusual but great view of the whole shark. I've had such an awesome experience with Basking Shark Scotland that I've just booked a 3 day trip for my wife and I next year.

Just back from a weekend away with my work - What a fantastic time and amazing experience! Guides were fantastic and so knowledgeable! Would recommend every tries this

Just a fantastic few days with you guys. Swimming with the sharks was amazing, we were so lucky with the weather too. Also loved Lunga. Struan was a great skipper and Inga and Hannah were very helpful and knowledgable, their enthusiasm was obvious. I'm sure I'll be back at some point.

I visited Basking Shark Scotland as the European Rolex Scholar and it was an excellent experience! Even though we didn't find basking sharks as it was the beginning of the season, the experienced crew (Shane, Eszter and Luke) took us to stunning places! We interacted with beautiful seals in very clear waters and we snorkelled around Coll Island. If you haven't been here yet you should go!! At this time of the year (june) it is surprisingly warm and full of wildlife

Had yet another amazing time with this company. It must be so hard walking a fine line between providing for the needs of tourists seeing these animals in the wild while also being wary of the environmental impact that these tours can have if not run properly. Fortunately they excel at both. Basking Shark Scotland have such a great work ethic for wildlife tours together with an obvious passion for the subjects which simply is contagious. Cannot recommend them highly enough for anyone up for an adventure and a bit of a gamble with huge potential pay offs. Thank you.

Had an amazing time joining the team for a 4 day research expedition. From start to finish everything ran smoothly.

The whole crew, Shane, Luke and Inga were very friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and interesting and I learnt a great deal from them. We were lucky enough to get 2 days with excellent conditions. Saw lots of activity and wildlife from gannets diving, grey seals, Harbour porpoise, gilimots, razor bills, a brief glimpse of a minkie whale and 5-6 different basking sharks including underwater encounters with 2 different individuals. Was totally amazing to be close to such a large animal, observing it feeding in its natural surroundings. Really enjoyed getting involved with plankton sampling, counting, recording data and taking photo ID shots.

Great base and accommodation on carry farm and such a beautiful area. Only Wish I could have stayed longer.

good luck for the rest of the expedition and for your work in the future.

Many Thanks ��

Had a great day out with Cameron, Kate and Inga, had a blast watching these amazing creatures. As a bonus we even got a sea eagle passing our boat on the way back. Thanks for the amazing experience!

Epic. What a great week to experience the wild side of Scotland, the Hebrides and the wonderfull Island of Coll. The crew was amazing, the sharks plentyfull. Thanks to everybody. Slainte Mhath!

Amazing experience! Spotted a huge variety of creatures coming in close to the boat including basking sharks, minkies and a pod of dolphins! Staff couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful.. especially Tammy! Put at complete ease out at sea.. will definitely be back! �������

Absolutely brilliant !!! Kind, friendly and oh so helpful, nothing is too much trouble and huge amount of help for people that have never even put on a wetsuit or been in the sea. Highly recommended, it was my second weekend trip with these guys and already planning to do a week next year :)

AMAZING TOUR! Went on the two day basking shark tour out of the Isle of Coll and it was an unforgettable experience. We saw basking sharks (duh!), seals and minke whales. Loved the atmosphere, I traveled solo and never felt "alone". The other guests that were with friends/family were very welcoming! I would HIGHLY recommend this company and this experience! We are already thinking about the orca trip in Norway ��!

A very professional, friendly and fantastic team, the best day was had by myself and family. Three teenage girls and ourselves, one of whom never snorkelled before, and within half an hour was face to face with a feeding basking shark. Shane is patient, calm and excellent at what he does and us and the girls are still buzzing. Many thanks :-)

What an amazing experience down to an awesome, friendly, funny, insanely knowledgeable crew. It was beyond expectations.I have a couple of autoimmune conditions so thank you so much especially Shane who very kindly waited for me at the end of the trip to get the best experience I could and to Luke (the human torpedo) who didn't let go of my hand when I was to tired to swim. Of course Inga (sp?) too who I think we broke haha, great times and would recommend to anyone. As a nature lover I also love the fact that the team are all about conservation and respect to the whole environment.

We did the seals and lagoon tour on 7th June and had an amazing day!! The guides were awesome and really made the trip exceptional. Fingers crossed we'll make it back one day to see the basking sharks. Thank you!

The journey was planned for a long time and we traveled with an caravan from Germany to Scotland. It was my great wish to experience a baskingshark live. On 18.8.18 It was finally time, I could go on tour with you.Thank you, you have fulfilled this dream. We were able to photograph the shark from the boat and I was lucky that the shark showed up underwater. I will not forget this experience. Well organized tour, nice team, great ship, wonderful nature and special sharks.

Thankyou so much to the whole team but especially to Shane,Luke and our skipper Cameron!

Seeing wild Orca was magical and an experience that we will never forget!!

Hopefully we will be able to join you in future expeditions!

Swam with seals today. One was very inquisitive and swam right up to us! It was fantastic! I didn't want it to end.

Apart from the seals, we saw plenty of other wildlife too. Luke was telling us about the different animals all the time. He is really knowledgeable. Great day!! Take a trip with these guys!

Since I first went out with Basking Shark Scotland, I now go back with them twice every year- both to Coll for basking sharks (plus other marine critters), and also to Norway to snorkel with humpbacks and orca. I suggest return customers are voting with their feet, and there are a lot of us.

On Wednesday I was lucky enough to get out on and under the waves with you lovely guys. It was, without doubt, the most AMAZING experience ever. I have waited a very long time to swim with seals and we were so lucky that a young female graced us with her presence. So beautiful and playful, the experience will stay with me forever. Thanks for getting us out there.

My wife bought me the 3 day trip for my 50th birthday last December.



I have just come back this week from it and I can only say that it was beyond all my expectations. The crew; Shane and Luke were amazing.....thank you guys for the best holiday I've ever had. They were friendly, approachable, enjoyable company, supportive and very knowledgeable about the superb variety of wildlife, especially of course the basking sharks. We saw so many incredible things; basking sharks, harbour porpoise, seals and a huge array of seabirds, my favourites to name only a few being the skuas, manx shearwaters, puffins and especially the sea eagle although with so many beautiful seabirds it really is hard to choose.



The sightings of the sharks were wonderful and we saw many different sharks from the boat. At one point we observed one shark breach the water giving us a clear view of the whole shark and later another managed to ground itself very temporarily on some rocks right in front of us, again giving us a unusual but great view of the whole shark. I've had such an awesome experience with Basking Shark Scotland that I've just booked a 3 day trip for my wife and I next year.

Just back from a weekend away with my work - What a fantastic time and amazing experience! Guides were fantastic and so knowledgeable! Would recommend every tries this

Just a fantastic few days with you guys. Swimming with the sharks was amazing, we were so lucky with the weather too. Also loved Lunga. Struan was a great skipper and Inga and Hannah were very helpful and knowledgable, their enthusiasm was obvious. I'm sure I'll be back at some point.

I visited Basking Shark Scotland as the European Rolex Scholar and it was an excellent experience! Even though we didn't find basking sharks as it was the beginning of the season, the experienced crew (Shane, Eszter and Luke) took us to stunning places! We interacted with beautiful seals in very clear waters and we snorkelled around Coll Island. If you haven't been here yet you should go!! At this time of the year (june) it is surprisingly warm and full of wildlife

Had yet another amazing time with this company. It must be so hard walking a fine line between providing for the needs of tourists seeing these animals in the wild while also being wary of the environmental impact that these tours can have if not run properly. Fortunately they excel at both. Basking Shark Scotland have such a great work ethic for wildlife tours together with an obvious passion for the subjects which simply is contagious. Cannot recommend them highly enough for anyone up for an adventure and a bit of a gamble with huge potential pay offs. Thank you.

Had an amazing time joining the team for a 4 day research expedition. From start to finish everything ran smoothly.

The whole crew, Shane, Luke and Inga were very friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and interesting and I learnt a great deal from them. We were lucky enough to get 2 days with excellent conditions. Saw lots of activity and wildlife from gannets diving, grey seals, Harbour porpoise, gilimots, razor bills, a brief glimpse of a minkie whale and 5-6 different basking sharks including underwater encounters with 2 different individuals. Was totally amazing to be close to such a large animal, observing it feeding in its natural surroundings. Really enjoyed getting involved with plankton sampling, counting, recording data and taking photo ID shots.

Great base and accommodation on carry farm and such a beautiful area. Only Wish I could have stayed longer.

good luck for the rest of the expedition and for your work in the future.

Many Thanks ��

Had a great day out with Cameron, Kate and Inga, had a blast watching these amazing creatures. As a bonus we even got a sea eagle passing our boat on the way back. Thanks for the amazing experience!

Epic. What a great week to experience the wild side of Scotland, the Hebrides and the wonderfull Island of Coll. The crew was amazing, the sharks plentyfull. Thanks to everybody. Slainte Mhath!

Amazing experience! Spotted a huge variety of creatures coming in close to the boat including basking sharks, minkies and a pod of dolphins! Staff couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful.. especially Tammy! Put at complete ease out at sea.. will definitely be back! �������

Absolutely brilliant !!! Kind, friendly and oh so helpful, nothing is too much trouble and huge amount of help for people that have never even put on a wetsuit or been in the sea. Highly recommended, it was my second weekend trip with these guys and already planning to do a week next year :)

AMAZING TOUR! Went on the two day basking shark tour out of the Isle of Coll and it was an unforgettable experience. We saw basking sharks (duh!), seals and minke whales. Loved the atmosphere, I traveled solo and never felt "alone". The other guests that were with friends/family were very welcoming! I would HIGHLY recommend this company and this experience! We are already thinking about the orca trip in Norway ��!

A very professional, friendly and fantastic team, the best day was had by myself and family. Three teenage girls and ourselves, one of whom never snorkelled before, and within half an hour was face to face with a feeding basking shark. Shane is patient, calm and excellent at what he does and us and the girls are still buzzing. Many thanks :-)