Many ships have run aground on the Green Holms over the years. One such wreck was the Kathleen Annie in 1924 (see Hatston information point on this website to learn more about her). There is a grave marked on the first Ordnance Survey map on Muckle Green Holm, likely to be of a shipwrecked mariner.
Wreck of Kathleen Annie - Courtesy of Orkney Library & Archive
Keep your eyes peeled whilst passing the Green Holms for some passing marine wildlife as this stretch of water is like a crossroads where many of the sea-routes meet. Basking sharks have been seen in this area, as well as Orca. Basking sharks are the second largest sharks in the UK and tend to be seen in Orkney in late summer, opening their metre-wide mouths to take in as much plankton as possible.
Orca © Orkney Marine Mammal Research Initiative, Seals on Muckle Green Holm by Tommy Kirkpatrick, Basking shark © Anita Gould
