Vectis Diving organised a one-week liveaboard SCUBA diving expedition that circumnavigated the Island of Mull in Scotland departing from Croabh Haven Marina on the week of the 19th October 2026.

The expedition integrated citizen science into the dives to support different environmental projects.
This was a great opportunity for the budding citizen science divers to gain field experience of UK SCUBA diving expeditions and participate in marine surveys, learning from experienced practitioners – divers, engineers and marine scientists.

As well as circumnavigating Mull, a highly weather dependent objective, the expedition completed the following objectives which were slightly less dependent on the weather.
– In support of BSAC Operation Oyster, we found some remnant native oyster populations including in the general area of locations identified by Glasgow University’s Project Eisirean.
– We visited some well-known wrecks and wall dives in the Sound of Mull as well as less well-known sites in search of native oysters. As well as show casing some of Scotland and the UK’s best dive sites, this also built-up expeditionary diving experience for the younger generation of divers in our team some of whom are working towards their BSAC Advanced Diver grade.
– We sought out and dived a new scenic wall/reef dive site off the NW tip of Little Colonsay on the west side of Mull.
– In line with the Kilchoan Melford Trusts mission of Rewilding, Education and Spirituality:
•We deployed the Plant an Oyster project’s ‘oyster pod’ spat catchers complementing the existing range of oyster rewilding activities of the Kilchoan Estate.
• We delivered a BSAC Underwater Surveyor Course and put it to use on various dives. We also provided coaching and mentoring on expeditionary diving skills, which included a night watch system whilst the vessel moored under black skies off Mull.  Après dive discussions covered various expedition related topics including DCI, rescue techniques and marine life identification.
• We visited the chapel at Kilchoan Estate to learn more about their mission and the founder’s vision. Then, after some of the finest liveaboard cuisine in the UK, we discussed how well the expedition lived up to the KMT mission statement, including asking the question are science and faith complementary or in conflict?

The expedition was curtailed by one day due to a very inclement weather forecast, which meant accelerating some dive plans to complete critical mission objectives so that MV Honeydew could depart in time to batten down the hatches prior to Storm Boelo’s arrival on Saturday 24th October

Thanks to our expeditions sponsors the Kilchoan Melford Trust and the BSAC Jubilee Trust.

Thanks to all the expedition team for making the week such a success the crew of MV Honeydew Sara, Rohan and Emily and the dive team Fiona, Pernille, Dean, Danny, David and Ian.

Thanks to the technical support from Marnik Van Cauter @ Kilchoan Melford Trust,  Richard Hunt @ Cool Jacket Coding, Ben Flynn @ Ben Flynn Design, Martin Rayner @ Ventnor Community Shed, Peter @ Beze Products, Terry @ Richardsons Yacht Services Ltd, Anna McGregor @ University of Glasgow and Andrew Harsley @ Cable-ties.bio