SeaXplorer

When Jenny of SeaXplorer phoned me to ask if I’d like to go on a free wildlife watching RIB boat trip I said ‘Yes’ right away. After I’d put the phone down my first question to Andy was ‘What’s a RIB boat then?’

RIB is short for Rigid Inflatable Boat (so Andy knowledgeably told me, but this seems to be a contradiction in terms to me) – so I began to imagine something similar to the very small, inflatable lifeboats I saved up milk bottle tops and stamps for a Blue Peter Appeal several decades ago (anyone under 35 will wonder now what milk bottle tops are (were?)) I began to have doubts about the sense of boarding a very small inflatable dingy type craft with my dodgy ankle and appalling sense of balance. I had visions of falling flat on my face inside the boat, or worse, outside of it and into the water.

An email soon arrived from Jenny with pictures and a description of the trip!! The boat was a very, very fancy RIB boat with padded seats and everything! The next worry was, what to wear. Now this might sound like an old battlecry for a woman – but these things are important. An email to Jenny – quickly responded to, informed me that warm clothing and gloves would be good, I’d be provided with a set of waterproofs. Fantastic!

So on a grey evening at 6.15 I arrived at the SeaXplorer support vehicle in the West End Car Park in Fort William. There were people putting on yellow and blue waterproofs chatting away to each other and with the guides, and I was provided with my own very fetching set of waterproofs! There was a very short walk to the slip way where our boat was tethered (or should this be moored?) The RIB is much bigger than I’d thought; it seats 12 passengers plus crew. We were safely assisted onto the RIB to sit astride a bench. The seat in front had a useful handle to hang onto. We were given a brief safety chat and an outline of where we would be going and what we might see (no promises!), then we were off, quickly moving away from the slipway and out into Loch Linnhe.

We sped across then down the loch, past familiar houses and landmarks which looked odd viewed from a different perspective. On our trip we were lucky, we saw several porpoises, various birds and two lots of seals. The ride is fairly smooth – forget bouncing around on top of the waves – the boat is too long I guess and we were not on a swelling sea. The ride back to Fort William was exhilarating too, we seemed to be racing cars on the A82!

Did I enjoy the trip asked Jenny when we arrived back at the car park?

This is so much more than a wildlife watching trip. There is every opportunity to see wildlife, we were lucky, we saw a lot. But even if you see nothing at all, the adventure is worth every penny. The scenery is spectacular from the water, the waterfalls cascading down the hills, the glens, the little hidden bays (unseen from the roads), all pointed out and brought to life by knowledgeable guides. You need to be prepared for wet weather, put on warm clothing and bring with you a spirit for adventure! You will surely not be disappointed!

Sue