Fishing

The Herra men going to the Far Haaf in sixareens usually fished from Fethaland on the Mainland.

A craig stone lies below Graveland and two lie below Gremister. On the stones the hollows for holding bait can be seen.

Large sea trout used to be caught in abundance in Whalefirth and brown trout in the burns and lochs in the Herra and at Lumbister.

Trawlers in Whalefirth

Fishing Meids

The set distance for haddock fishing grounds were found by sailing outside the mouth of the voe until opposite the high face off Rawick and then lining up the kirk with the Lee of Volister.

To know when over the rough sea bottom at Rawick you had to be opposite the three knowes on land.

To avoid the Baas outside the Stacks of Stuis keeping North Grummond in sight continue out the voe until the White Stone at Breibister, Fethaland comes into sight. Then turn westward round the back of the Stuis.

Shipwrecks

1620 an unknown packet was lost at the Daal, Lumbister

1664 Whelehareth a Dutch wood lugger was wrecked near Graveland

1731 an unknown vessel laden with logs was wrecked at Whalefirth. The story was that the timber cargo was used when building Windhouse.

1838 through mistaking Whalefirth for Yell Sound the ship Inga Skepminga was driven on to the rocks. The ship took a while to sink and although all of the crew managed to scramble ashore they were disappointed not to have saved belongings, the captain especially regretted not taking his compass and sextant.

As the ship was dashed on the rocks her cargo of timber was washed overboard. Men from all over Yell went to collect what they could.

July 20, 1881 Caroline, a pleasure sail boat foundered at Graveland with total loss

July 20, 1881 Condor foundered off Fethaland

1876 an unnamed sloop foundered three mile off the Ramna Stacks

1898 an unidentified fishing vessel foundered east of the Ramna Stacks while under tow

1918 fishing vessel Tyne Wave sunk 20 miles WNW from Ramna Stacks by German submarine

1918 fishing vessel Peregrine sunk 15 miles NNW from Ramna Stacks by German submarine

May 19, 1933 the River Nile, a fishing boat, struck a rock in Whalefirth and sank

Dec 9, 1943 A/C Fairey crashed in the sea off the Ramna Stacks

Nov 13, 1984 Unity wrecked seven mile off the Ramna Stacks

The Ayre and Skate Boddom 2003

Striped Dolphin

In the late 1990s a tropical Striped dolphin was seen by neighbours of the lower houses of Gremister. It was stranded on the beach after swimming in the voe. As it was very unusual for the creature to be in Shetland waters the Shetland Sea Mammals Group were interested to find out what had happened to it.