The ‘paradise’ British island with white sandy beaches & giant friendly sharks
AN island in the UK has been described as “paradise” thanks to its white sandy beaches and amazing wildlife in the world.
The rising cost of holidays means more people are considering vacations closer to home this summer.
Luckily, the UK has some incredible spots including the Isle of Coll in the Inner Hebrides in Scotland.
Travel experts, True Highlands, have described the island as a “paradise” thanks to its sandy beaches and blue waters.
While holidaymaker abbiejpyle referred to the Scottish island as a “magical place” in a video on TikTok.
The island is home to an incredible array of species including whales, dolphins, basking sharks, and birds as well as rare flowers and insects.
Thanks to its remote location and small human population, the island’s rich waters attract a variety of marine life.
The Isle of Coll is one of the best places to watch, and swim alongside, basking sharks in the UK.
Roughly the length of a double-deck bus, basking sharks are the largest fish in the British aisles.
Despite their size, these sharks are gentle giants and only feed on plankton and small crustaceans by moving through the water with their mouths wide open.
And from April until October, the sharks can be seen feeding on plankton in the Scottish waters.
While some holidaymakers may get very lucky and see a basking shark from the shore, the best way to spot these sea creatures is on a boat tour.
There are several boat tour operators on the island including Basking Shark Scotland who run a variety of trips including one-day excursions and week-long holidays.
Tourists can either stay on the boat and watch the sharks from the safety of the vessel, or jump into the water, with a trained professional, to snorkel alongside them.
Basking sharks aren’t the only rare marine species that can be seen in the waters around the island either, as the Hebridean Whale Trail is another popular attraction.
This trail covers 30 locations across Scotland’s west coast including the Isle of Coll.
Instead of clambering onto a boat, holidaymakers are encouraged to spot marine wildlife from dry land.
From the remote island, wildlife lovers may be able to spot the minke whale, humpback whale, fin whale, and Orca.
Other marine species that can be spotted around the Isle of Coll include bottlenose dolphins, common seals, grey seals, porpoises, and otters.
Back on the island, holidaymakers will also be able to spot seabirds like puffins and razorbills as well as rare flowers and insects.
But there’s more to the Isle of Coll than wildlife and nature spotting.
There are also more than 30 beaches on the island that are lapped by beautiful blue waters where holidaymakers can surf, swim or kayak.
Crossapol is the largest beach on the island and is home to sweeping sand dunes, while Hogh is another large sandy beach.
Meanwhile, Torastan on the north-west side of the island is a large white sandy beach.
Other activities include a 9-hole golf course, a pony trek, and cycling and hiking routes.
Getting to the Isle of Coll can be a little tricky, with holidaymakers having to board a ferry from Oban.
The ferry from Oban to Coll takes two hours and 30 minutes with tickets starting from £9.50 per person for a foot passenger.
A night in a five-star hostel on the island can be booked from £20pp per night, while a motorhome pitch can be found from £12pp per night.
But this isn’t the only part of the UK where Brits can see basking sharks, they can also be spotted on the Isle of Man.
Known as the UK British Isles Galapagos, this island is home to seals, porpoises, whales, dolphins, basking sharks, and wallabies.
Meanwhile, this UK seaside town has been named the best in the country.
And this is why you should visit this seaside town that was once labelled the worst place for a weekend stay.