Boat Trips & Tours in Cornwall – The Best Way To View Stunning Uk Sea Life

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Join us for a breathtaking experience!

See amazing wildlife and a unique view of the stunning Cornish coastline. Our boat trips in Cornwall, are an unforgettable experience for you, your family or friends. Come and see how truly magical a sea life safari trip really is…

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sea life safari tour padstow

Sealife Safari Boat Trip

2 Hours

Our popular 2 hour sea safari departs from the historic fishing port of Padstow and covers approximately 25 miles of our beautiful coastline.

Adults £42.50 |
Children £30.00

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Seal Head Above the Water

Seal Safari Boat Trip

1 Hour

A shorter version of our spectacular, on this 1 hour voyage we visit areas where we can regularly see our local grey seals. The perfect family boat trip.

Adults £27.50 |
Children £17.50

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Explorer Safari e1623332457477

The Explorers Safari

3-4 Hours

Travel further along the coast and further offshore with our 3-4 hour explorers safari; depending on the conditions on the day, we may visit places of interest or down the coast in search of wildlife.

Adults £55 |
14 yrs+ Only

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Camel estuary boat trip

Camel Estuary Boat Trip

1 Hour

Come and explore the Camel Estuary from its gentle meandering course further upriver, to where waves build as it meets the wild Atlantic. Discover more about the area’s fascinating history and legend as well as keeping an eye out for wildlife along the way.

Adults £25 | Children £15

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RIB boat hire padstow cornwalll

Skippered Boat Hire

Optional

Hire the boat and your skipper will take you anywhere you would like to go. Up to Boscastle for an ice cream or Newquay for a picnic.

Price on request

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25 Years Experience

Our boats are head skippered by Ian Kitto who has grown up in Padstow and spent his life going to sea with his father Andrew from an young age.

State-of-the-art Boats

Our boats are 10m Humber Quinquari Ribs with twin Evinrude 200bhp out board engines with cruising speeds of 30 knots and a top speeds of 50 knots.

Safety

Your safety and comfort are paramount to us. All passengers are personally fitted with life jackets and a safety briefing given before departure of every trip.

Incredible Area

Padstow Uk’s Sea life Gem has some of the most rugged and beautiful coast in the British Isles. We give you a unique view of the hidden headlands and caves in Cornwall’s beautiful coastline.

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Boat Trips Conservation Cornwall News Sealife Wildlife

December 13, 2021

Learning About Sharks in Cornwall

Here are some deep dives on some awesome sharks! Image above: The Shark Trust Basking Sharks Basking sharks are the largest shark in the world! At an average of 9.8…

PSLS

Love1

Seal eating fish

Conservation Cornwall News Sealife Wildlife

December 10, 2021

Cornwall’s New Seal Hospital

In September 2021 a new purpose-built hospital was opened in Cornwall for ill and injured grey seal pups. This facility has been built by the charity British Divers Marine Life…

PSLS

Love0

Bow of inflatable boat out at sea

Sealife

September 23, 2021

Feeding Frenzies

Photo credit: Anna Jones We are very fortunate in the summer months to be occasionally treated to sightings of feeding frenzies while we are out on our trips. These are…

sealife

Love6

Come with us and meet Sammy the Seal and Flip the Dolphin!

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Google Rating

4.8

Padstow Sealife Safaris - Boat Trips in Cornwall

Padstow Sealife Safaris - Boat Trips in Cornwall

4.8

Kirsty Carr

Kirsty Carr

20:28 30 Sep 17

Fantastic coastal trip today....it was a bit wet and wild but was great fun! ?

Freya Henderson

Freya Henderson

22:46 02 Apr 17

Had an amazing trip on Ian's super fast boat last summer. Saw dolphins, seal, loads of sea birds and even a weird looking Sun Fish. Great treat for the holiday.

Zoe Wilson

Zoe Wilson

22:01 06 Jul 16

A fantastic experience. Unfortunately we didn't have nice weather and ended up getting very wet, but despite this we were lucky enough to see bottle nosed dolphins, seals, puffins and much more wildlife.We were provided with water proof trousers and offered a coat but had our own.The crew were excellent and couldn't have asked for a better experience. Definitely worth the money for the 2 hour experience!!!!

Sumbul Ejaz

Sumbul Ejaz

18:28 26 Aug 16

Amazing experience ! Spotted seals and Dolphins !

Jenna Drummond

Jenna Drummond

19:46 07 Jul 17

Amanda Marshall

Amanda Marshall

21:17 08 May 18

My 7 year old daughter and I went on the 10am Wildlife Boat on one misty morning last weekend. Despite wrapping my daughter up (it was very hot on land) experience tells me that it is still much cooler at sea but it didn't stop my daughter or other children feeling the cold. Don't ever forget to wrap up warm folks! Well, as pointed out to us by our 'captain' we were in nature and not a zoo. No puffins, no dolphins, whales or sun fish on our trip although we did see a seal pop his head up and saw some other unremarkable sea birds. Typical, a whale the day before and dolphins for the following rides I believe. HOWEVER! we still had a blast in the boat and it was still a fun and exciting activity which offers great value for money. We were still very happy and would definitely do again.

Peter Fillery

Peter Fillery

14:26 21 May 18

Great tour, great guide. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic he made the tour for us.Oh and the dolphins, they helped.

Lorna Fudge

Lorna Fudge

12:48 24 May 18

A great experience & Jen has really good tour knowledge ¬ forgetting the skipper Kev was great.?

Nadine Saar

Nadine Saar

09:27 25 May 18

Huge thanks for a magical experience. I am a little nervous on boats, but not this time. I felt so safe on our vessel of happiness! The driver & wildlife guide were brilliant. We were lucky enough to see many local species of birds nesting, including the delightful little puffins. It was so close up & a dream come true to see puffins! I have lived by the Cornish coast for 15 years & this was a first. I have been on 3 trips with Padstow Sealife Safari over the years & I have been lucky enough to see dolphins each time. This time was exeptional. The dolphins were clearly delighted to see us & they allowed us to watch them so closely for such a long time. We could even hear their amazing clicks & sounds. It was the best wildlife experience of my life. Huge thanks to the crew whose skill & knowledge made this possible! Our adventure was topped with spotting seals & visiting a very impressive blowhole. Simply perfect! I will definitely return for more amazing memories.

Mina C

Mina C

22:41 03 Aug 18

Enjoyed the wildlife trip so much!

Giorgio Spacagna

Giorgio Spacagna

10:00 23 Aug 18

Superb marine trip and respectful of the animalsWe've been on a few marine trips, and shopped around before booking this one. I must say, this is one of the best we've been on. The marine biologists were very knowledgeable, kind and easy to understand. The captain of the boat was very experienced, drove the boat very skilfully and very respectful of the animals. They got close enough for a clear view, but not too close to harass or endanger the animals.The rib ride itself was worth the money, and everyone found it extremely fun.We first saw a seal in a bay, and then saw the nesting spot for some puffins (it was out of season, but saw a lot more seals on the island).We then went looking for Common Dolphins. The conditions were a little choppy and I was doubtful we'd see anything, but the skills of the crew spotted a pod and the dolphins played around our boat for 15-20 mins before we headed back towards shore.While going past the beautiful Cornish coastline, the crew spotted (I still don't know how...very eagle eyed!) a sunfish! It was the first time me and my wife saw one, and she's been wanting to see one for years! We also saw a junior puffin flying by.This is definitely on of the best things we've done in Cornwall and fun for all. Highly recommended.

David Garbe

David Garbe

12:53 02 Nov 18

Really enjoyed the wildlife and stunning scenery.

Mark 'NCW' Graham

Mark 'NCW' Graham

14:33 11 Apr 19

Professional and fun, great commentary, well recommended.

Sarah Scull

Sarah Scull

21:48 15 Apr 19

Lovely boat. Amazing skipper and knowledgeable marine biologist on board. We were lucky this time and saw common dolphins. There is no guarantee of this, we have been out in the past and not seen them (you are almost guaranteed to see seals tho). They were amazing leaping and interacting with the boat. So playful! Because the boat is small it is a very close experience if you are lucky enough to have it. Also because of this, the price is a little higher than we are used to, but I guess it is because it is more of an exclusive trip and expensive part of the country.

gonzalo echeverri

gonzalo echeverri

10:19 28 Apr 19

A beautiful coastline of England, it's an expected paradise! Will come back 🙂

Lee Chapman

Lee Chapman

07:25 17 May 19

Fantastic trip, plenty to see and really good fun. Ian the skipper was an absolute professional and the guide was very knowledgable. Saw a few seals and interesting seabirds. The views were stunning, well worth a trip!!

Daria Werner

Daria Werner

11:08 30 May 19

Worth every penny. Prepare to get wet and go FAST.

Emily Jayne Beilby

Emily Jayne Beilby

11:49 30 May 19

Amazing everytime we come on these trips. The staff are so knowledgeable which makes all the difference personally. Skippers know exactly how to give us a thrill! Thank you as always. The Beilbys

connor Dawson

connor Dawson

14:14 12 Jun 19

Amazing speed boat experience, well worth the money certainly go again

Nigel Beilby

Nigel Beilby

09:13 14 Jun 19

Fantastic experience. As a family we have never been disappointed, one of the highlight of our holiday in Cornwall that we look forward to everytime. Not just a boat ride - although this is worth it on its own the guides depth of knowledge make it very educational.

Nicola Camp

Nicola Camp

19:42 20 Jun 19

Best sea safari to go on by far, we were fortunate to see approximately 40 dolphins, most of which swam next to the boat! Also saw puffins and seals, would highly recommend to anyone!

bobby parmar

bobby parmar

16:57 21 Jun 19

Excellent 2 hr boat trip along the coastline. Lucky to have seen seals, sun fish, numerous birds and most amazing of all a pod of approx 25 dolphins.. Worth every penny. Great skipper and knowledgeable wildlife specialist Rosie. A must if visiting Padstow.

Shaine Fletton

Shaine Fletton

13:15 21 Jun 19

Amazing trip out. Don't sit at the front if you have a bad back though! We managed to see Dolphins and that was worth the money alone.

Issy Rose

Issy Rose

16:24 22 Jun 19

Absolutely amazing boat trip!! Perfect weather (but would have loved it in the rain too!)Hannah was fantastic, giving us lots of interesting facts and stories about the sights and widelife. Saw loads of dolphins, seals and different birds including puffins. Would highly recommend and would even go again, well worth the money. Also 10% off for parties of 4 or more! Kev the skipper was brilliant, loved the speed, bumping over the waves and the slalom at the end!! All round made our holiday!

tazmina farrell

tazmina farrell

13:50 01 Jul 19

What a great experience, such a fun day, well worth the money, the girls are great, friendly and knowledgeable. You see dolphins, seals, birds. Well worth it. Will definitely be doing this again.

Dale Hyde

Dale Hyde

11:06 02 Jul 19

Great trip, really well run by friendly, professional team.Boat ride was a thrill, we saw a handful of seals around the cave which was great, but highlight was going 8 miles off shore where the crew found a pod of around 20 dolphins who we spend 25 minutes around.Highly recommended operation

sarah fletcher

sarah fletcher

15:34 04 Jul 19

Loved loved loved this experience. Family of 6 thoroughly enjoyed it. Saw seals and sea birds but it was the boat ride st speed that thrilled us all!

matt yeomans

matt yeomans

11:36 16 Jul 19

We just had a trip with Simon and Rosie and couldn't ask for a better experience. The water was calm and clear and we saw so much. Both Simon and Rosie were knowledgeable friendly and fun. You can tell they love there job and who can blame them. Would highly recommend.

Sarah Howard

Sarah Howard

20:14 02 Aug 19

We had a great 2 hour safari. Lovely guide Rosie- who was well informed and the boat was handlwd very well by a confident skipper. Very exciting shooting through the waves! We saw various seabirds, a few seals and to our delight some dolphins- who we kept alongside for quite a while. A brilliant trip!

nic carn

nic carn

21:02 04 Aug 19

Staff great, slight issue with boat 1 1/2 hrs into a 2hr trip. Another boat laid on on our return and another 1+ hours.Great service. Highly recommended. Saw minky whale, seals etc

Laura Hall

Laura Hall

07:51 13 Aug 19

What an amazing experience. Great friendly team that made the experience something to remember. Saw seals and visited lots of interesting places along the coast. We had great fun as a family. My 6 year old daughter loved it and even didn't mind getting wet.

Rob Pelwenkhan

Rob Pelwenkhan

09:00 31 Aug 19

Amazing place. Especially for kids. Lots to see and do. Parking is validated for you. Planetarium is brilliant. Food is not overpriced. Well worth visiting for a good day of activities.

Nick Fayle

Nick Fayle

16:16 04 Sep 19

Great trip around the Cornwall coastline, we saw dolphins, jellyfish and out of season guillemots but sadly no seals. Our guide was great and very informative

Omar Gedden

Omar Gedden

18:13 12 Sep 19

Loved it , would recommend using the clothes they provide as you will get soaked otherwise. Double layer also , don't do what I did and wear t-shirt only . Was freezing and wet . But had a whale of a time excuse the pun . Saw a couple seals and few birds , fish etc with our guide very knowledgeable. Nice couple of hours spent exploring our beautiful coast .

Lymara Smith

Lymara Smith

17:29 17 Sep 19

Been on the 2 hour safari today. We seen some seals unfortunately no dolphins. I thought I would be really disappointed but I wasn't bothered as the safari was amazing and worth every penny. Going really fast for the majority of the 2 hours was awesome. We got wet so definitely use their waterproofs. Can't wait to go on it again. Thanks guys

Mike Kiff

Mike Kiff

19:23 18 Sep 19

Brilliant. Trip of a lifetime. Sea safari to see wildlife in situ but even though there was not a lot to see, a few birds and some seals, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the RIB ride, even down to the quite rough occasional landing on a low wave. Really worth the money. Had done a similar trip a few years before on a normal boat but this one was by far better. Waterproof clothing supplied and it was definitely required. Thank you, Padstow Sea Life Safaris.

Niamh Donoghue

Niamh Donoghue

08:02 23 Oct 19

We had a fantastic trip around the coast yesterday! The team were really friendly and helpful, the boat was great (open top, very fast!) and we seen lots of wildlife including dolphins, seals and birds. Highly recommended!

Lucy

Lucy

08:04 14 Nov 19

Highly recommended going on the Padstow sealife safari it was such a lovely experience even if we did just see seals. We plan on coming back in the summer to see the puffins.

Richard Parker

Richard Parker

19:13 14 Aug 19

Great boat trip, got to sea various sea birds and a group of sealion's plus local coastal landmarks. Highly recommend.

Zorro Dog Studios

Zorro Dog Studios

18:58 28 Apr 20

I haven't been in a while but it’s truly marvellous, you see so much, from puffins to seals. But you can see all that int he brochure, the staff are lovely and very helpful, both in the booking shop and the guides themselves, great boatmen. 10/10 would go again 🙂

John Thorne

John Thorne

15:59 07 Aug 20

Had a fantastic 2 hour safari with our guide Izzy and Skipper. We saw seals, dolphins and an array of sea birds. Fantastic experience. Tip even if its red hot on land take a coat!

martin romeijn

martin romeijn

19:49 20 Jul 20

Absolutely magnificent. We had a great time, got a bit wet, had fun and saw some dolphins. It was a great start of our holiday in the UK.

Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams

19:10 15 Jul 20

Absolutely fantastic! Second time we have been in the 2 hour safari. Today we even saw dolphins. So much fun and so exhilarating. Looking forward to next time

Sam Martinhull

Sam Martinhull

16:52 21 Oct 20

I have been out on multiple trips with these guys and had a totally different yet equally amazing experience each time, I have seen a variety of animals including seals, dolphins and even a Minke whale!Even on trips where we haven’t seen any wildlife the exhilarating high speed boat ride and the amazing scenery are still worth every penny.The guides are amazing and have a wealth of knowledge about the wildlife we see and the local area.On our last trip the weather was not great but we still had a great time and the staff even provided us with waterproof clothing.

Gregg Holt

Gregg Holt

19:44 23 Sep 20

Went on the 2 hour sea safari and saw dolphins, minke whale, tuna and gannets. Fantastic experience. The rib was fast and wasn't too bumpy either. I would definitely recommend and I think the 2 hour safari gives greater scope when searching for wildlife.

Rahul G

Rahul G

20:18 18 Aug 20

It was an adventurous experience to be on Sea-life Safari. Booked online for 2 hrs sea life safari and it was worth for each second spend on High speed Rib 🙂 Kids and family really enjoyed it. It was a lovely sunny day and we were lucky to sea Dolphins and Seals in their natural habitat.Our Skipper and onboard guide were awesome, shared great knowledge for Sea wildlife, showed us beautiful coastal line and land created by volcanic eruptions.Highly recommended on a sunny day!! We would love to visit again

Shannon

Shannon

19:05 10 Sep 20

We saw dolphins!! They came right up to the boat, I can't believe how lucky we were! We also saw some grey seals. The weather was a bit awful, but we had such a brilliant time on the boat - really good fun and very fast! Our skipper was great and gave us a brilliant high speed cruise, and also did some high speed turns back to port which was brilliant fun (nothing scary though). The staff were great, and very well organised considering how things are in the world right now! Its worth bearing in mind that you need to wear a face mask on board, and that waterproofs are essential as there is a fair bit of spray that comes off the waves as you jump them! I would definitely say if you have a bad back this is not the boat trip for you, I've had a muscle injury to my back in the past and was fine, but if you have any disc issues you may want to consider something else! All in all would highly recommend, such an amazing experience!

Reece sheppard

Reece sheppard

13:48 01 Aug 21

📅 1st August 2021🛥 The boat was great, interior and exterior seating available. 3 hours flew by.👩🏻‍✈️Emma was our guide and she was charming, friendly and super knowledgeable, she really helped make the trip.🐬 We were extremely lucky. We were able to see jellyfish, Dolphins, Sunfish, Seals and several bird species. they keep respectful distances from the animals.🅿️ we parked in the nearby harbour carpark £5 for 12h we were on the early trip (9am) so getting a spot was easy. may be harder if you go later.🏧£55 for three hours pp.ℹ️ well worth the money was a ton of fun. Even with grey skies and a threat of rain. It’s probably worth the trip just to see the coastline from the aquatic perspective. Add the excitement of seeing exotic animals in their natural habitat, it’s great.

Radka Janechová

Radka Janechová

03:19 20 Apr 21

I booked the 2h tour for me and my partner. The customer service was amazing and everybody was quite helpful and friendly. They provided us with waterproof trousers and jackets which was greatly appreciated as it was freezing out there. We saw some seals playing around, loads of birds and beautiful scenery everywhere. Both the guide and our captain were well informed and entertaining throughout the trip. If you think you have enough layers on - add 2 extra. 🙂 10/10

Alex Till

Alex Till

20:23 20 May 21

Amazing! We saw lots of sea birds including puffins. We also saw some seals and got the closest I have ever been to porpoises. The crew were great and informative and the front of the boat was an adrenaline rush as well!

Hayley Caiels

Hayley Caiels

06:07 08 Jun 21

Had a great experience this morning- saw a couple of seals, lots of puffins and the icing on the cake were the many dolphins all jumping chest our if the sea right alongside us. My son was scared going at high speed but by the end of it, he loved it. Skipper Simon and guide Evie were excellent and it’s clear they love what they do.

Dougie Lawson

Dougie Lawson

13:30 24 Jun 21

This was brilliant. I've never been in a RIB and it was a superb experience. Thanks to Jennie for the commentary and helping us to see the carefully camouflaged seals.I'd recommend this to anyone who is holidaying near Padstow.

Andy Adams

Andy Adams

16:41 27 May 21

Brilliant trip, lots of opportunities to See a lot of wildlife. We saw seals, plenty of seabirds and lots of common dolphins. The staff were all great and entertaining, looked after all guests especially those who were older and needed assistance.Only point to make would be when the tide is low it's quite a walk around the headland to a beach.

Jolene Bristow

Jolene Bristow

17:33 25 Sep 21

This has got to be the absolute best trip I've ever been on! Including any abroad! The young lady was so informative, and seemed to absolutely love what she was doing, we saw many dolphins a whale and sealsIts literally made our trip here to Cornwall so special, if i could give 100 stars that wouldn't be enough! Thank you so much 😊

Matthew Skyrme

Matthew Skyrme

23:15 09 Nov 21

We had a great time looking for wildlife and the sea was rough enough to make blasting across the waves great fun. The skipper was excellent and the lady who was our guides was knowledgeable and amusing.

Natalie Woodruff

Natalie Woodruff

06:27 18 Oct 21

Had the most amazing experience! Highly recommended! Our talker Vicky and the Skipper (sorry forgot his name) were great. Vicki was very knowledgeable about the sealife and places were visited. Saw a pod of dolghins, for me that was the highlight seeing them in their natural habitat. I know you're not guaranteed too see them every trip, just glad I was lucky. Thank you! 🦭 🐬

Nick Daultrey

Nick Daultrey

17:35 13 Jul 21

The booking process was very straight forward. Upon arrival, we were given a safety briefing and waterproof clothing. Due to the rough sea conditions, the operator was offering a change of date or refund should we not want to continue - It was nice to see that they were not all about getting money. The trip lasted a good two hours, as advertised. We saw puffins, seals and dolphins, and at regular intervals we were given information about them.

Teresa Brabbin

Teresa Brabbin

21:50 04 Aug 21

Although unfortunately we didn't see any wildlife, I would still highly recommend this trip. Staff were brilliant. Very informative about area. Weather was turning when we travelled but in a weird way this made the trip! It was incredible.

Kaleb Atherton

Kaleb Atherton

16:55 18 Apr 22

Perfect 2 hour trip! The boat is a thrill, speedy and surprisingly smooth over the swells. In just two hours we managed to spot so much wildlife including guillemots, razorbills, manx shearwaters, grey seals, AND common dolphins!! The dolphins were super entertaining, and despite how quick they are, I managed to get at least one good photo. Thank you for an amazing trip!

Satish Thiagarajan

Satish Thiagarajan

08:13 14 Apr 22

Worth the boat trip especially if you have kids and they enjoyed it. Saw dolphins and occasional seals. Weather was good though...

lee ball

lee ball

05:43 09 Sep 21

Very informative got to see some seals. Unfortunately no dolphins. But that is wild life you cannot predict it.

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