0:00:23 > 0:00:28This little piece of Utopia is Mull in Scotland.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Just to prove it's that, look behind me.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34These dainty little sand martins are nesting at the top of a beach.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Where else could you find that in the UK?
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Most of our beaches are far too disturbed, but not here.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Mull's coastline is a wildlife heaven.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Sea eagles, otters, in springtime a host of wild flowers.
0:00:47 > 0:00:53The animals I have come to look for today hang around in pods and I guarantee they'll get you excited
0:00:53 > 0:00:58and, given the conditions today, I reckon my chances of finding them
0:00:58 > 0:01:00are pretty good.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09You know those endless top ten lists, things you must do before you die?
0:01:09 > 0:01:16I can guarantee that up there with naked paragliding is the desire to see dolphins or whales.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23The thing is, seeing some of these remarkable creatures
0:01:23 > 0:01:26is a really achievable thing throughout the course of the year
0:01:26 > 0:01:29and in Britain you can do it with your clothes on.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32In fact, you normally do it with rather a lot of clothes on.
0:01:34 > 0:01:41The Isle of Mull is a real whale hotspot and here you can even see them without getting your feet wet.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47Now, I know it's a statement of the obvious, very obvious indeed,
0:01:47 > 0:01:51but unless you are excruciatingly lucky,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54you could sit up here staring at this water for quite a few hours,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58so for some mild distraction, pick up a book about whales and dolphins.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03This one shows views of the animals taken from the surface,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05just the sort of view you're going to get from up here.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10No smiley faces - you don't get to see smiley faces if you're on top of the water, here.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12But what about the best days to come?
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Bright, sunny days aren't much good. There's too much glare off the water.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18And days when it's too choppy aren't good either
0:02:18 > 0:02:23because then every white-topped wave looks like it's the result of a dolphin's fin.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27One last tip. I know it sounds absurd, but keep your ears open
0:02:27 > 0:02:31because you can often hear whales and dolphins when they are blowing.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36On a quiet day, you'll pick up on that.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43And in the seas around the west coast of Scotland, you'll find plenty of dolphins and porpoises, too.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46But if you are on Mull, Tobermory is a good place
0:02:46 > 0:02:50to start your adventure and there are plenty of operators to take you out.
0:02:59 > 0:03:05This is whale-watching, Western Isles of Scotland style, and just look at it - sunshine, dramatic scenery,
0:03:05 > 0:03:11blue seas and the potential to see 24 different types of whale and dolphin.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17I'm on the hunt for one of the smallest and least known whales -
0:03:17 > 0:03:22the minke, or stinky minke as it's known because of its fishy breath.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26I know the ocean's a big place and looking for whales can be like
0:03:26 > 0:03:32looking for a bin bag bobbing around in the middle of nowhere but there are clues to whale activity.
0:03:33 > 0:03:39Just up ahead of us there are some gannets diving into the sea, which is a pretty spectacular sight.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42We mustn't be distracted by the birds
0:03:42 > 0:03:48but you've got to keep your eye on seabirds because often, when there's a group of them on the surface,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52it could be that there is a minke feeding there.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55When they feed, they often spill food and the gulls pick it up.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59The minkes were proving elusive. All was not lost though
0:03:59 > 0:04:05because on this trip, serious whale research is undertaken too. Skipper James Fairbairn roped me in.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Another good thing about these whale-watching safaris
0:04:08 > 0:04:11is they are not just an excuse for gratuitous whale eye candy.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15You learn things too, particularly about why the whales are here.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- That's all down to their food, isn't it, James?- Yes, that's right.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20- What's this? Plankton net?- Yes.
0:04:20 > 0:04:26It's got a very fine mesh and we use it to catch plankton so we can show people what the whales are after.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Bottom of the food chain, rich water. Let's see.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37OK. See how clear it is. Still see the net.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41- Doesn't put up much of a fight, does it, plankton? Hardly a sporting fish, is it?- Not really.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Because basically what you've got there is a whale, isn't it?
0:04:47 > 0:04:49A whale's mouth, trawling.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51That's absolutely right.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Doing exactly the same thing it would when it was feeding.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Let's have a look. What have we got here?
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- This is zooplankton, isn't it? - That's right.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06- This is whale food, isn't it?- That's right. Exactly what the whale...
0:05:06 > 0:05:11- A pint of whale food. I wouldn't down it myself.- Full of protein.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13I'm vegetarian!
0:05:16 > 0:05:21Unfortunately, plankton was to be our only catch of the day.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Not a sniff of a minke, let alone its fishy breath.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27So, it was minke one, whale watchers nil.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Still time, though, to check out the jellyfish before returning
0:05:31 > 0:05:34to Tobermory to get ready to try again the next day.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Another day, another chance to see a minke.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Whale-watching operators claim a high success rate around Mull
0:05:46 > 0:05:49so this had to be our day.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54As part of the research project, the minkes are photographed.
0:05:54 > 0:05:59It means their movements can be monitored and it's something that you can get involved in as well.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06I bet 99% of your punters want to go home with a photo, don't they?
0:06:06 > 0:06:10What tips can you offer for cetaceal photography?
0:06:10 > 0:06:16The most important thing is to just always keep an eye on what you're looking at.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18When you're holding the camera a lot of people find
0:06:18 > 0:06:24they tend to naturally close an eye, put their other eye inside the lens, the viewfinder,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28whereas the most important thing is to keep that eye open.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32You can always guide the camera in the right place...
0:06:32 > 0:06:38And be poised as well so you're looking with this eye and immediately up...
0:06:38 > 0:06:42- You've got 1½ seconds whilst it's breaking the surface.- If that.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46We're both armed with great big telephotos. What about little snappy cameras?
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- Do they ever come close enough to use those?- Oh, yeah.
0:06:49 > 0:06:55I think actually you don't need to have this sort of equipment. This is more for photo identification.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00If you want a photo to take home, these little snappy ones you get are just as good.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07Now by this time things were, frankly, rather tense and the minkes were still refusing to play ball.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12But there was a big clue - the seabirds were back on the surface
0:07:12 > 0:07:15and strange things were happening under the water.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18There it is right here.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21- Look at that!- Finally, a minke.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27It's here again, it's under the bow.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29There it is right here.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34Then the whale just got closer and closer to the boat.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36It was unbelievable.
0:07:40 > 0:07:46This is one of around 65 individual minkes that have been identified in these waters.
0:07:49 > 0:07:50Just about to come up again.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Look at that!
0:07:55 > 0:07:56Oh!
0:08:03 > 0:08:08- If you're thinking of going to Canada, Iceland or Norway forget it!- Here...
0:08:08 > 0:08:12There it is, guys, down here, right underneath us.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Wow!
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Really checking us out. It's going to the stern.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Honestly, I've seen a few whales around the world,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30but never has one shown this much attention to the boat.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34It must have criss-crossed under the boat 10, 12 times now.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Fabulous views, looking down through this clear water. You can see every detail.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Doesn't look like a bin bag floating on the surface -
0:08:42 > 0:08:46it looks like a proper animal. James, what can you tell us about this one?
0:08:46 > 0:08:53It's a young one. The juveniles are much more curious than the adults. The adults tend to stay away.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55- What do you think?- It's amazing.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59I've seen minke maybe a handful of times,
0:08:59 > 0:09:04but to keep going backwards and forwards so slowly, so controlled, it blew me away.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06- It's almost like it was a pet.- Yeah.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09It's like it performed for us.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11It knew we were here, and it performed.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14And you couldn't ask for anything else, could you?
0:09:14 > 0:09:19People go all the way to the Bahamas, Nova Scotia, California...
0:09:19 > 0:09:27but, look - calm sea, blue sky, sunshine, minke whale, pet minke, swimming under the boat.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32What are you talking about? Save your money. Mull is the place to come.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- Vote for Mull!- Mull!- Mull!
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 2006
0:09:46 > 0:09:49E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk