Animated Padstow Sealife Safaris Logo

1 Hour Camel Estuary RIB Tour

White waves
White waves

Perfect for:

Local History Lovers
1 Hour

Come and explore the stunning Camel Estuary! This designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty hosts a huge variety of birdlife, from gannets, gulls and terns feeding at the river’s mouth, to grey herons, little egrets and kingfishers feeding along its banks and occasional visits from migratory ospreys. Discover more about the area’s fascinating history and legend as you visit sites of interest along the way including the formidable “Doom Bar”!

These tours are special trips which only run when conditions do not allow us to head out to sea, but can be run as a private tour if you wish (tide dependent).

 

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the nature of the boat and the unpredictability of sea conditions we do not permit pregnant women, children under the age of 2 or anyone with current or historic back, neck or bone problems. If you need further advice about if our trips are suitable for you, please contact us.

Adult

£25.00

Child

£18.00

Share with a friend:

“We had a lovely crew and saw lots of birds. And found out about the history of the area too. A really nice experience and we will book the longer boat tour on our next visit.”
Mike
30+ years experience
State of the art boats
Safe & comfortable
Stunning coastline

Boat Trip features

Sealife spotting

Occasionally seals come into the estuary to shelter from the sea and porpoises and dolphins have been spotted feeding in the river too.

Bird watching

Opportunities for bird watching including little egrets, grey herons and even potential migratory birds such as ospreys.

Sites of interest

View the "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" around the Camel Estuary and learn about our local heritage.

Safety Onboard

Our state of the art RIBs are custom-built for comfort and safety, with a highly experienced skipper at the helm.

What to expect

The Route

Exploring the Camel Estuary from cruising its gentle meandering course further upriver to riding the waves as they build where it meets the wild Atlantic Ocean. Stopping at points of interest along the way, there is a fascinating history to learn about, while we keep our eyes peeled for wildlife.

What we're looking for

A myriad of birds use the estuary as feeding and nesting grounds, or a pit stop on long migrations. Occasionally seals and porpoises enter the estuary to get shelter from stormy seas or feed on the fish moving in and out of the river and, from time to time, we have even had visits from the Southwest’s resident bottlenose dolphin pod who have been known to travel into the estuary as far along as Rock; there’s plenty to keep your eyes peeled for!

Professionally guided

Our boat trips are professionally guided, offering you the chance to learn a little about any wildlife we see as well as local points of interest and our rich local heritage. Your knowledgeable guide will be happy to answer any questions you have about the wildlife. You will have ample opportunity to snap some great photos.

Image from on the Padstow rib. Guide talks and points out features of interest
Darkl blue waves
Darkl blue waves

Reviews of 1 Hour Camel Estuary RIB Tour

markn002
"Excellent and exhilarating"
Read More
You accelerate quite fast out of the Camel Estuary, and the bow of the boat can rise quite far out of the water and slam back down, so be prepared for that. However, I found it very exhilarating, and it’s in order to get you to the wildlife sites ASAP. We went first to an island to see puffins, razorbills and guillemots. From there, the three RIBs split up to hunt for dolphins, and we managed to find these beautiful and gentle creatures. Lastly from there to visit a second island to see more seabirds and seals. All in all, an excellent trip with a superb skipper and an onboard guide who was able to explain the wildlife we were seeing
Squisito_11
"Make family memories"
Read More
Arrived early in Padstow before the crowds on Easter Monday. Lovely to see the village quiet and peaceful before the crowds arrived. Our boat left at 10 on a beautiful sunny day. We cruised slowly up the Camel estuary and then shot off at speed to open sea. Our captain pointing out interesting places en route. Saw razorbills, cormorants etc on Puffin island. Further on we saw a couple of puffins and seals. Boat headed up to Port Isaac and we were fortunate to see a pod of dolphins - amazing! As our captain mentioned this is not a zoo so nothing can be expected. We were lucky today but what a wonderful experience
Wigmore67
"Sun Fish Ahoy"
Read More
Booking definitely advised. Beautiful weather with a pick up on the glorious Camel Estuary sand. Amazing rib boats with wet weather gear gratefully used. All supplied with lifejackets. An exhilarating and speedy trip out over high waves with a very knowledgeable and lovely guide called Frankie kept us informed and made us laugh. We were lucky to see seals and a stunning Sun Fish. Two hours went past so quickly. Not for those with back problems as boat most definitely leaves the water. Even got our teenage son laughing!! High recommend this trip.
AnneC2010
"What a Great Trip"
Read More
Just returned from a one hour trip with Padstow Sea Safaris. It was brilliant the crew were so knowledgable saw loads of birds and several seals. If the weather is good its got to be something that just has to be done, do not miss it. Its ideal for families the children will love it.The coastline and the Camel Estuary are absolutely wonderful the scenery is breathtaking especially when seen from a boat.
Previous
Next

1 Hour Camel Estuary RIB Tour FAQs

We take from ages 2 and up (babies are not permitted). Please be advised that our boats travel at speed and can be very bouncy which some young children enjoy but others are not so keen on. Individual children’s suitability is at your discretion.

Our trips still run on rainy days. Rain does not deter the marine life (they are wet anyway!) so we simply wrap up in waterproofs and go for it! Please dress extra warm on rainy days with lots of layers to avoid getting cold. If you would prefer not to go out on a rainy day, please keep an eye on the weather and you may cancel your booking yourself. As long as we receive at least 24 hours notice, we can issue you with a full refund.

If we cancel your trip due to rough sea conditions or minimum passenger numbers (5) not being met, we will contact you as soon as possible to offer to reschedule you to a later date. If this is not possible, we can issue you with a full refund. Please note: If you cancel a booking yourself, we require at least 24 hours notice to be able to issue a refund.

Due to the bouncy nature of the boat and the unpredictability of sea conditions, our tours are not suitable for pregnant women.

 

All of our trips travel at speed and can be very bouncy in places so are not suitable for those with back/spine/bone problems.

Well behaved, small to medium sized dogs are permitted on our boats, however, often dogs do not like the sensation of being on a bouncy boat so please take this into consideration. If you can make other arrangements for your dog, it might be best to play it safe and leave them on land.

Wildlife you might see on your adventure...

Other boat trips & tours

Padstow Sealife Safari rib from the front out at sea. People on the boat looking at dolphin popping out of water on the left of the image.

2 Hour Sealife Safari Boat Trip

Adult:
£42.50
Child:
£32.50
Our most popular tour. The Cornish coastline also hosts a myriad of seabirds as well as other wildlife including seals and dolphins.
Animal lovers of all ages
2 Hours

1 Hour Seal Safari Boat Trip

Adult:
£27.50
Child:
£20.00
A 1 hour voyage following the rugged coastline to spot seals popping out of the water to say hello or having a laze on the rocks.
Seal lovers of all ages
1 Hour
Front of a Padstow sealife boat with dolphins at the bow. Person taking photo from the boat window.

3 Hour Explorers Safari Boat Trip

Adult:
£55
Travel further along the coast and further offshore with our 3-4 hour explorers safari in search of wildlife and places of interest.
Wildlife Enthusiasts
3 Hours
Four puffins stood on black rocks with seaweed looking out at sea.

1 Hour Puffin Safari Boat Trip

Adult:
£27.50
Child:
£20.00
This trip is all about the birds. We visit nearby “Puffin Island” where we look our for seabirds including razorbills, Guillemots and of course, puffins!
Puffin lovers of all ages
1 Hour

Isles of Scilly Day Trip

Adult:
£185
An unique and exciting boat ride along the North Cornwall coast to spend a day soaking in the unspoilt beauty of the Scilly Isles
Culture-loving explorers
12 Hours