What kind of trips do you offer and how much do they cost?

Our different safari trips that we offer are as follows:

ALL DAY 8 HOUR OCEAN EXPLORER TRIP

Our all day ocean explorer trips are ideal for marine enthusiasts, keen photographers, researchers, or just anyone who loves the ocean and wants the best chances of spotting some amazing wildlife! As it is an all day trip we have a lot more time to go further off shore and to different areas along the coast that we wouldn’t be able to squeeze in on our 4 hour trips. These trips are £110 PER PERSON (or £1000 for the entire boat for exclusive private hire for a group of up to 10 people). These trips depart in the morning.

4 HOUR DAY TIME MARINE SAFARI TRIP

Our half day 4 hour marine safari trips are ideal for families, couples, individuals etc for those who want to explore just what Plymouth’s National Marine Park has to offer and beyond! The furthest that we usually go offshore on these trips is around 12-13 miles, where the Eddystone lighthouse is situated (weather permitting). We pass a couple of reefs along the way which are always good spots to keep a look out for some fins! These trips are £65 PER PERSON (or £600 for the entire boat for exclusive private hire for a group of up to 10 people). These trips depart in the morning or just after lunchtime.

4 HOUR SUNSET SAFARI TRIP

Our evening 4 hour sunset safari is the same as the above day time marine safari but just with an added bonus of a nice sunset (hopefully!) and the opportunity to see Plymouth Hoe at night on the way back in. These trips are £65 PER PERSON (or £600 for the entire boat for exclusive private hire for a group of up to 10 people). These trips depart in the evening.

ARE YOU A WILDLIFE SAFE OPERATOR?

Yes – we are an accredited wildlife safe operator and all of our crew are WiSe trained. This means that we have been trained to minimise disturbance to marine wildlife and we ensure to watch the wildlife in a safe way. For more information please look up the WiSe scheme.

Is there an age restriction?

We ask all participants to be aged 3 and over.

Do YOU PROVIDE LIFE JACKETS?

We are an MCA coded vessel and have life jackets onboard however we currently do not provide life jackets for dogs. If you want to bring your dog – you must provide them with a life jacket. We do not ask our customers to wear the life jackets throughout the duration of our trips as they will automatically be released in case of emergency.

What should I WEAR / bring with me ON MY TRIP?

MANDATORY:

• Closed shoes with grip - for safety reasons we will not permit any open toed shoes such as sandals, flip flops or sliders. Closed shoes will also help to keep your feet warm and dry whilst onboard.

WE WOULD STRONGLY ADVISE:

• WARM LAYERS AND A COAT!! - mandatory for children - We cannot stress this enough. Even in summer when you think you might not need them, trust us, wrapping up is a key factor in enjoying your trip. It gets cold out there with the breeze, especially on our sunset trips as the temperature really drops as soon as the sun goes down. We have limited inside space and you WILL get cold. Even if you want to take layers off whilst on the boat we have a storage area so it’s better to be prepared than not!

• Windbreaker jacket / woolly hat/scarf/gloves

• Suncream (eco-friendly if possible)

• Sunglasses/sun hat or baseball cap• Any camera or GoPro that you may want to use on the trip

• Any food or drink, or snacks that you will want throughout the trip

• Any personal medication or sea sickness medication that you may need throughout the trip – we cannot provide any medication on board

how MANY PEOPLE DO YOU TAKE PER TRIP?

We will only take 10-11 customers maximum on our trips.

Am I guaranteed to see WILDLIFE?

Although many of our customers who book to come on one of our trips are looking to try and see wildlife (dolphins in most cases - everyone’s favourite!) you must be aware that these are wild animals and we are not in an aquarium! The same goes for any other species such as seabirds, seals or other cetaceans. Therefore we cannot guarantee to see any species in particular due to the way nature works. However, with our extensive knowledge of different areas and the behaviour of certain species, we will most definitely do our absolute best to try and find you some wildlife.

When is the best time of the year to SPOT DOLPHINS?

Dolphins are present in our waters all year round. It’s very hard to say which month is best to come on your trip as we’ve had amazing encounters throughout the season along with the odd unlucky day too. Nature is unpredictable and can change from one day to the next!

WILL I SEE SHARKS ON MY TRIP?

The likelihood of spotting sharks on our wildlife trips is very low, so instead if you are wishing to see sharks then the best trip to book is specifically our blue shark snorkel trip. This is because we go much further offshore for our shark trips and head out to certain hotspots which we cannot do for our wildlife and coastal trips.

Do YOU STILL RUN THE TRIPS IF IT IS RAINING?

Yes, we will still operate in the rain, as long as there are no safety concerns! The wildlife doesn’t disappear just because it is raining. Please ensure you are wrapped up and prepared with waterproofs if rain is predicted on the day of your trip.

Do I get my money back or get to go another day if we don’t see any wildlife?

Unfortunately not. This is not the way our business works as nothing in nature is ever guaranteed. But we promise you we will do our absolute best to show you some stunning coast line and more importantly, try to find some wildlife.

What IF I GET SEA SICK?

Even if you never normally get sea sick, we would ADVISE considering taking some sea sickness tablets in line with the instructions on the packet or from instruction from your pharmacy or doctor. Normally, by the time you get on the boat it will be too late to take them if you start experiencing sea sickness symptoms so please be prepared in advance. Sea sickness can absolutely ruin your day out and we cannot cut the trip short as it isn’t fair on the other customers. We cannot provide any customers with sea sickness tablets. If you wish to bring them on board do make sure you have your own supply with you.

CAN I BRING A CAMERA WITH ME?

Yes – of course! We actively encourage any customers to take photos and footage onboard our trips.

CAN I smoke or vape on board the boat?

We would prefer no smoking or vaping if possible to take into consideration the other passengers, however, we do allow it if needed. We would ask that you go to the back of the boat to face away from others to do so, making sure you DO NOT throw any cigarette butts into the sea and ONLY into the bucket provided. If you need a bucket please ask one of the members of crew.

IS FOOD AND DRINK PROVIDED?

We only provide HOT drinks and drinking water. Hot drinks consist of tea, coffee and hot chocolate (with the options of normal milk or soya/oat milk). If you’re lucky then we may also have some biscuits! You will need to provide any other food and snacks for your trip that you may want. We have a microwave that customers can access at any time when the engine is running.

Will there be a guide oN BOARD THE BOAT?

Yes, you will have a guide on your trip. Our guide is there to provide you with some information about the wildlife and coastal areas you may see and also to take photographs! We sometimes will also fly the drone to contribute to sightings data and to collect footage.

Where DO WE MEET ON THE DAY AND IS THERE PARKING?

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your trip departure time.

If arriving by foot please use the following address on the SatNav -

The BoatHouse Restaurant, 2-4 Commercial Wharf Madeira Road, Plymouth, GB PL1 2NX

If arriving by car please use the following address on the SatNav -

Elphinstone Car Park, Madeira Rd, Plymouth PL1 2NU

NOTE: this is the nearest car park to our meeting point just a 5 minute walk but this is a pay and display car park Elphinstone car park does charge roughly around £16 for the full day. You are welcome however to try and find somewhere cheaper around the area to park but please give yourself plenty of time on the day!

Once you have parked up and paid and displayed, you will need to walk left, along the water front past The Piermasters House Restaurant and walk towards ‘The Barbican Landing Stage’. See below for a photo of the meeting point, which will be where one of our tour guides will meet you at the entrance to the Barbican Landing Stage jetty, opposite the BoatHouse Restaurant. Do not walk down the jetty PLEASE just wait at the entrance!

Is there a toilet onboard?

Yes. We have a flushing toilet onboard the boat.

can I bring my dog/s?

Yes, you may bring your dog on any of our 4 hour trips ONLY. This is providing you supply your pup with a doggy life jacket (we do not currently have any on board). They must be well behaved and kept on a short lead at all times during the trip.

PLEASE LET US KNOW IN ADVANCE AFTER BOOKING IF YOU WILL BE BRINGING YOUR DOG.

are you wheelchair accessible?

Yes, we are! Providing the wheelchairs are of a standard normal size, we can take up to 8 wheelchairs onboard in one go. However, our toilet onboard is extremely small, so please bear this in mind when booking as it will not be suitable for all.

Please contact us directly via email to notify us when booking if you will be needing special access.

CAN I BRING ALCOHOL ON THE TRIP?

You may bring some alcohol with you for the way back if you wish (such as a few beers or a bottle of wine) however no customer must be intoxicated before entering the water. Once the snorkelling part is over you are more than welcome to have a glass of wine or beer etc if you are no longer going to enter the water for the rest of the day. If you are intoxicated before snorkelling we reserve the right to refuse you entry into the water.

What’s your cancellation policy?

For all of our trips we require 4 weeks or more notice for cancellation. If you provide us with 4 or more weeks cancellation notice, we will offer you a full refund or the option to move to a different date. If you cancel your trip with less than 4 weeks notice, we will do our absolute best to advertise and try to fill your spaces in the hope of being able to give you a refund but we cannot guarantee this at all and therefore inadequate cancellation notice will most likely lead to the loss of your money that you have paid, without the option to reschedule. Please understand that we have a business to operate. We would also HIGHLY recommend that if you are coming to Plymouth specifically to come out on a trip with us, to try and book accommodation that allows you free cancellation nearer the time or with 24 hour notice. That way, if unforeseen weather or safety circumstances force us to cancel your trip, you will not lose out on money spent on accommodation. WE WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY LOST ACCOMMODATION BOOKINGS.