What are the best months to view certain wildlife around the UK coastline?

[OGITD]

We've just watched the BBC's Hebrides - 'Islands On The Edge' .... & what a fantastic episode ..... although I do think the whole series is V-good!

So! ..... I would now like to focus some of my time on the water to observing and photographing some of the wildlife, which led me to post the question:

What are the best months to view certain wildlife around the UK coastline? ..... because I haven't seen a Minke Whale (apart from in Spyro's photo's) yet and SWMBO would like to see the 'Baskers'.

& we could potentially compile a Forum wildlife album ...

 

[macd]

What are the best months to view certain wildlife around the UK coastline? ..... because I haven't seen a Minke Whale (apart from in Spyro's photo's) yet and SWMBO would like to see the 'Baskers'.

Basking sharks are summer visitors to British waters, and particularly the Celtic and Irish Seas and off the Western Isles (Gavin Maxwell of Ring of Bright Water fame had a basking shark fishery near Skye, which probably didn't do a lot for their numbers). Sightings around the Isle of Man are most common in June and July, with lesser numbers in May and August.
More info here: http://www.manxbaskingsharkwatch.com/