Wild Discovery

25/08/2026

Join our new tour to Batumi, Georgia in September 2027!

This single-base tour is timed perfectly to coincide with one of the world's most remarkable avian spectacles, the migration of over 1 million raptors south from their Eurasian breeding grounds into the tropics and sub-tropics for the winter!

Each day we will make the most of conditions to maximise our chances of witnessing thousands of birds passing south from one of the elevated watchpoints or along the coast. As well as raptors, thousands of other birds are also moving south from herons, gulls, terns and waders to Nightjars, shrikes, chats and warblers. There is never a dull moment at Batumi!

The area is also good for local breeders and resident species like Krüper's Nuthatch, Green Warbler and Black Woodpecker and there are always other interesting plants and and animals to look out for from Ladies Tresses's Orchids to Praying Mantids.

For more information on the tour, check out the link here, and enjoy a few images from Batumi last September.

https://wild-discovery.com/tours/fully-inclusive-tours/batumi-raptor-migration-georgia

09/08/2026

06/08/2026

It was great to chat to Rose at the Global Birdfair about our exciting tour to Sao Tome & Principe to help raise funds to support conservation efforts there.

04/08/2026

Our good friend Steve Garrett will be performing a fascinating piece on 9 dates at the Edinburgh Fringe this month.

'The Song of the Ice' offers a creative gateway for anyone who loves the natural world, engages with live music, and wants a deeper, more emotional understanding of the environmental change and challenges that face us all. Be captivated by beautiful images and haunting music that are combined to tell the story of the ice. Be inspired by the personal experiences of an artist, musician and scientist with a view encompassing a 40 year perspective. Restore your sense of curiosity and wonder towards the Earth. And yes - there will be penguins!

If you're planning on attending the Fringe then head on over to see Steve perform. Tickets available here:
edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-song-of-the-ice

01/08/2026

Our Western Isles tour has recently concluded and with great success. Lots of fantastic wildlife, stunning scenery, great food and fun company - you can't ask for much more!

Highlights were daily and many but the birds of prey frequently stole the show including a surprise encounter with a very obliging juvenile Long-eared Owl, multiple Short-eared Owls and low fly-bys from both White-tailed and Golden Eagles within 10 minutes of each other!

If you are interested in joining us next year you can see the full itinerary here including a booking link: https://wild-discovery.com/tours/fully-inclusive-tours/westernisles-wildlife-watching-holiday-scotland

31/07/2026

As many of you will know Rachael and Dan have spent thousands of hours at sea and traversed the planet working in the Expedition Cruise industry, from Expedition Leader and Cruise Manager to Photographic Coach and Citizen Science coordinator, Naturalist, Zodiac Driver, Ornithologist and more.

Here they share their top tips on choosing the right expedition cruise for you.

Choosing the right expedition cruise can feel like a bit of a minefield at times. This blogs aims to cover some of the key considerations when booking the right voyage for you from the ship size and type to companies, financial considerations and destinations.

31/07/2026

It is great to have partnered with Global Birdfair to run a São Tomé & Principe tour this December, not only are we hoping to see all the endemic birds of the islands but importantly support the fantastic conservation efforts of the Global Bird Fair and Birdlife International to help protect this remarkable archipelago.
You can hear more about it on the YouTube video below and if you are interested in finding out more about the tour, you can read more and book here:
https://wild-discovery.com/tours/fully-inclusive-tours/sao-tome-principe-birding-global-birdfair

30/07/2026

What a fabulous three days we have had aboard CalMac Ferries MV Loch Seaforth together with Mammal Society and Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.

We undertook 6 crossings of the Minch watching, recording, engaging and hopefully enthusing many passengers and dedicated marine watchers. The Minch is a remarkably rich area of sea and home at this time of year to a superb population of species like Common Dolphin and Minke Whale as well as seabirds such as Puffin, Guillemot and Manx Shearwater.

We logged all our encounters with cetaceans using the HWDT Whale Track app, and all seabird sightings on eBird as well as delivering an evening presentation in Ullapool that was very well attended.

Highlights including an unbelievable 10+ breaching Minke Whales, numerous nursery groups of Common Dolphins and hundreds of Puffins.

We will bring you a more detailed blog in due course as well as looking at dates from a repeat event for next year but for now it just remains to say a massive thank you to all involved from the setup and use of Ullapool ferry terminal, access around the ship, communications, tech support and of course to everyone who came up on deck with enthusiasm and a vest to seeing and learning more about this fantastic area of Scottish sea.

26/07/2026

We are very excited to once again be aboard the Loch Seaforth offering marine mammal and seabird watching for passengers crossing the Minch.

Join us this week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as we head out in search of marine creatures large and small!

All you require is a foot passenger ticket, then join us on the outer decks to see what we can see.

We will also be in the Ullapool ferry terminal at 1930 on Monday 27th July to give an evening presentation.

🚢 Join us, Wild Discovery and Mammal Society aboard the Loch Seaforth ferry as we scan the Minch for whales, dolphins, porpoises and other marine wildlife. Over three days, we'll be on deck searching for fins and recording every sighting using our free Whale Track app. For more info about the event: https://www.hwdt.org/wild-discovery

🤝 You can play a part too! Whether you're travelling on the sea, heading out with a wildlife tour company, or simply enjoying a walk along the coast, your sightings can contribute to vital marine conservation. Whale Track is free to download and includes a built-in species ID guide, plus flexible reporting options for everything from quick, opportunistic sightings to full effort-based watches.

18/07/2026

Wow, we can’t believe it’s already a week since Global Birdfair 26 and what a weekend it was.

As always a massive thanks to Tim & Penny and their army of volunteers for pulling together such a fabulous event.

It was great to be back and even better to have collaborated with Global Birdfair to launch a Global Bird tour which visits the project and species the fair is supporting. This year it is Sao Tome & Príncipe and we cannot wait to head out there in December in search of the island endemics. BirdLife International have been working with communities to create a shift from hunters to guardians and this tour will directly support those hunters who now head out in search of endemic and endangered species to assist with their conservation.

If you’re interested in joining and supporting the project (profits go to the conservation programme) then you can find out more here:

https://wild-discovery.com/tours/fully-inclusive-tours/sao-tome-principe-birding-global-birdfair

And of course the Birdfair was the social event of the year and a great chance to catch up with friends, discuss exciting new tours and ogle over the latest optics.

To those of you who came over to the stand, thank you very much, it was superb to chat to friends old and new and thank you also for all your bookings. Here’s to many exciting tours over the coming years.