Isles of Scilly, 5/15/2025, National Geographic Explorer
Aboard the
National Geographic Explorer
Europe & British Isles
Without a cloud in the sky, the Isles of Scilly looked stunning today. The sandy bays and sounds between the islands were lighting up the clear waters a spectacular azure blue. Local tenders took us to St. Martin’s in the morning, while we landed at Tresco in the afternoon to spend time birding and enjoying the Tresco Abbey Gardens.
As we sailed out into the Celtic Sea, Manx shearwaters sliced zigzag flightpaths in front of our ship as evening wore into nighttime.
For as long as he can remember, Conor has always been preoccupied with the natural world, from the whales to the fungi. For most of his life he has been an islander: growing up in Cobh, Ireland and settling down in Tobermory in the Hebrides, Scotland...
The first day of our voyage was truly remarkable. We experienced the wonderfully mild weather that makes Cornwall such a popular vacation spot. Guests explored the Cornish seaside on hikes with naturalists and marveled at buildings hundreds of years old, including the Fowey Church which pre-dates Norman conquest. The undersea team explored the nearby waters for interesting marine life around countless underwater granite outcroppings. One of the most charismatic fish in this region, a tompot blenny, was seen peeking out from its home crevice, as well as sightings of numerous European spiny lobsters (a threatened species due to overfishing). To top off the day, the local yacht club had a regatta just as we were exiting Fowey River. The evening was nearly windless, which was not great for the regatta, but the light and subjects were amazing. A fantastic start to our voyage around the British and Irish Isles.
We were greeted with clear skies throughout our visit to the lovely village of Fowey along the Cornish Coast. The tiny town is as picturesque as could be with its old town set along the waterfront and castles and churches along the steep hillsides. Guests hiked the nearby hills to get better views of the town and coastline, and others visited nearby castles with idyllic gardens of mature plants and trees. The undersea team took advantage of the favorable weather to explore the marine environments. We found the oar kelp forests to be teeming with fish and invertebrates. The icing on the cake was when several small-spotted catsharks swam by for a quick visit. These harmless sharks are always a treat to see, and the guests thoroughly enjoyed the footage presented to them at our farewell recap.
