Just Another Sunday

Duncan Winning

It was just another Sunday paddle. Alex, Austin and I set off from Portencross in calm sunny conditions and headed for Gull Point on the south end of the Wee Cumbrae where we were accompanied by our usual escort, courtesy of the resident seal population.

Conditions being excellent we decided to continue westwards and have our drum up at Garroch Head. On route we had a good view of a nuclear submarine picking up speed on clearing the Cumbrae Gap having dropped it's ministry of defence police launch escort. Away to the south an oil rig under tow was heading very slowly inwards for the Gap.

Callum's Hole already had its ration of visitors, no doubt disgorged from the yachts anchored within its arms. There are not many days calm enough to land in one of the smaller bays at Garroch Head without leaving traces of gel coat behind on the sharp rocks, but today was one. We had Port Leithne all to ourselves to enjoy our mid-day snack. Offshore a large naval replenishment vessel was heading for the open sea, there were several becalmed yachts, their sails hanging limp in the sun, and the views of Arran crowned by Goatfell and the Sleeping Warrior were magnificent.

Having fed and watered we embarked once more and continued, with an intermittent seal escort, round to Dunagoil Bay, in the Sound of Bute, where we had a chat with a family from Millport at anchor in their Dracsombe Longboat, before commencing on our return course. If anything the sea between Bute and the Wee Cumbrae was even calmer than on the outward leg. The slow moving oil rig was still heading for the Gap, although it was now near enough to hear the engines of the three assorted, straining tugs providing the power for her snail like progress.

I became aware of something lying on the surface, off to port. As I watched, the something dived and I realised it was a porpoise. Paddling stopped and we three waited patiently as the animal surfaced to breathe several times. It did not appear to be in a hurry to go anywhere and neither were we. Another two porpoise showed further off, to starboard this time and as we watched a larger shape surfaced behind them. Much longer and with a dorsal fin place well back, it was a Minke whale. We paddled gently in the direction the Minke appeared to be heading in, then sat and waited.

At first there was nothing, other than the occasional breathing of the porpoise as their shiny black bodies rolled lazily to the surface. Then the Minke sounded, heading north some distance beyond Alex's kayak, which was lying about thirty feet ahead of my bow. After what seemed like only a few moments the Minke surfaced again, heading south now, right between Alex and me. With only fifteen feet between me and the whale I had an excellent view of its upper jaw, its right eye and along its grey body to the small dorsal fin before it dived, no doubt having had a good look at me in the process.

Twice more the Minke surfaced close by, as if inspecting the kayaks, then went on its way again. We heard and saw the porpoise several more times before we resumed our course for the Wee Cumbrae, from where we could hear what sounded like the screaming of a bird of prey. During our encounter with the cetaceans there were a couple of yachts and a motor cruiser in the vicinity, none of the occupants of which appeared to have noticed anything unusual.

Bird life was plentiful with Herring and Greater Black Back Gulls, Eider Ducks, a few Manx Shearwaters and lots of young Shags, some of these could even be seen swimming under water. There was no sign of the raptor we had heard, other than a fresh kill of an Eider Duck on the little bit of shingle where we landed for a break on the north east side of the island. While there we watched the oil rig finally make it to the Cumbrae Heads. On the final stretch for the day, as we paddled down the east side of the Wee Cumbrae, past the Broad Isles and the Castle on it's own little island, we were closely followed by one particular seal which seemed intent on playing tag with the stern of my kayak.

Back at Portencross we loaded the boats onto our cars and headed home having enjoyed . . . just another Sunday.