Silurian: from smuggling to science
Since 2002, our research vessel, Silurian, has been collecting information of international importance on marine life in the Hebrides… but has she always undertaken such vital work?
Each year Silurian travels thousands of nautical miles to monitor whales, dolphins, porpoises (collectively known as cetaceans) and basking sharks off the west coast of Scotland. She has welcomed over 1,000 people - or citizen scientists - on board to be trained and deployed as field biologists. This pioneering and unique research programme holds the largest database of its kind for UK waters and provides data to deepen the understanding of species and evidence to support marine conservation in Scottish waters.
A recognisable and familiar presence off Scotland’s west coast, Silurian and her teams of citizen scientists have worked hard over the decades, monitoring and protecting areas of critical habitat for whales and dolphins. But has she always undertaken such vital work?
A minke whale breaks the surface, with Mull and the Treshnish Isles in the background
SILURIAN’s ORIGIN STORY
Silurian was built in Seattle in 1979 and purchased by a geologist who named her after the geological period which saw the diversification of bony fish. Little is known about her early days spent with the geologist, but at some point, we presume he sailed her to Florida, where Silurian’s story took a shady turn. In the early 90’s, Silurian was used to smuggle cocaine until she was seized and impounded by the US Coastguard. In 1993 she’s bought by Kit and Jessie, who are in the market for a vessel to film marine wildlife and undertake research at sea. In August 1998, Silurian crosses the Atlantic, bound for the UK. After fitting a crow’s nest and other upgrades, Silurian heads back across the Atlantic, filming for the first BBC Blue Planet series and the Discovery Channel, while gathering data for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Following the birth of their son, Kit and Jessie took the difficult decision to sell Silurian. On the 04 January 2002, HWDT officially took ownership of Silurian and the Hebrides have been her home ever since.
Silurian’s first trans-Atlantic crossing was apparently a bit hairy at times
HWDT FLAGSHIP
Having just celebrated her 20th field season as HWDT’s flagship and going from strength to strength, Silurian continues to provide the evidence needed to help conserve the Hebrides remarkable marine megafauna.
One of our earlier hydrophones towed behind the vessel, 2020 saw a fantastic upgrade to our acoustic monitoring capabilities
Silurian is fully equipped as a research vessel with a crow’s nest for observations, computer systems for logging data and underwater microphones called ‘hydrophones’ for detecting cetacean vocalisations. With space for ten people and all the facilities needed for life at the sea, Silurian is the perfect vessel for travelling the Hebrides conducting our scientific monitoring work. Silurian undertakes year-round whale and dolphin monitoring, in all conditions. Over 1,000 volunteers have surveyed the equivalent of three times round the world during research expeditions. Collecting data to inform protection measures for minke whales, Risso’s dolphins, harbour porpoises, and basking sharks.
Species monitoring is vital to conserve wildlife. Long-term research and monitoring are essential to understand and protect highly mobile and long-lived species like whales and dolphins.
For ONE WEEK ONLY we are raising funds to refit Silurian and safeguard the vital conservation programme on board. During this week, ANY DONATION YOU MAKE WILL BE DOUBLED by The Big Give.
ONE DONATION, DOUBLE THE IMPACT!
Everyone who donates through our Big Give campaign page before midday on 27th April, will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win a voyage for two. You and a friend could be sailing with us next June, from Ullapool in the northwest Highlands, to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, stopping over at a couple of beautiful anchorages on the way. Donate now and let’s ensure Silurian is shape-shape for many more years to come!