Pentland Ferries

07/11/2017

There are plenty of opportunities to see Caithness wildlife, but most popular is the wildlife cruise across the Pentland Firth. When you set off from Gills Bay, you will see the Stroma and Swona islands where common and grey seals can be seen lazing on the shore, and if you look carefully enough then you will be able to catch glimpses of the now famous feral cattle which were left to run wild over thirty years ago and are now a recognised breed.

Depending on the time of year, while passing across the Pentland Firth, a variety of sea life can be found. Most commonly are the porpoises, orca, dolphins, whales, and on the rare occasion during the summer there have even been sights of basking sharks. For bird watches, this gives you the chance to see close up bird colonies of a variety of birds including puffins, fulmars, great skua, guillemots, gannets, razor bills, and many others.

More locally it is common for otters to be seen swimming lazily in the rivers of both Thurso and Wick, however if you take a drive through the countryside then more types of birds can be found and deer are very common in areas with trees.

There are many eddies and currents running through the Pentland Firth and you may well pass whirlpools and eddies on your journey depending on tides and winds. One such whirlpool just north of Stroma is the Swelkie which according to Viking legend is caused by a sea witch turning the mill wheels to grind the salt to keep the sea salty.

Please note - due to the MV Pentalina going on annual refit, there will be no sailings from Monday 8th January to Friday 19th January 2018 inclusive. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

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