Dolphin and Whale Watching Tour from Dingle
4.5
Dolphin and Whale Watching Tour from Dingle
By Blasket Islands Eco Marine Tours
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 10-99, max of 12 per group
Duration: 4h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: German, Portuguese, English, French, Spanish
More
- Local guide
- Professional photographer guide
- free car parking on pier and in Ventry village
What's not included- no entrance fee
- no alcohol served
- Gratuities
- Start:
- Ventry pier, Ventry Harbour, Co. Kerry, Ventry pier, Ceantra, Ventry, Co. Kerry, IrelandVentry pier is 4 miles west of Dingle town centre on the Slea head drive, road R559. Turn left by the cottages opposite Quinn's pub and you can park your car on the pier
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 26236P5- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Please dress warm with wind proof jacket and warm hat
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Trips may be cancelled at short notice if unsuitable weather or sea conditions so please supply mobile contact phone number inc. international dialing code in case of any last minute change of schedule.
- This trip is not suitable for children under 10 years of age
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Please arrive about 15 to 20 minutes before 1pm departure time to park car on pier; put on suitable warm clothing and for safety meeting.
- The boat departs at 1pm sharp. Please telephone ahead in good time if you expect to be late. The boat will not wait more than 5 minutes for late arrivals.
- Under no circumstances will a refund be given for "no show" or late arrivals. We require 24 hr. notice for any cancellation or refund.
- Nor suitable for children under 10 years of age
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 26236P5
From
$109.27
per adult
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- lindam1011120 contributionsAmazing day--Start to FinishWe had a wonderful 18 days in Ireland--such a beautiful country--but the highlight of the trip was this tour. We were blessed with gorgeous weather--but we were scheduled for a day which was supposed to have bad weather--they contacted us and requested to change for a better experience--we could also cancel at no charge if that didn't work. Amazing customer consideration. Our guide was great--so much information. Blasket Island was great-we hiked around the hill and picnicked up top. Coffee at the cafe and a NPS history session. Then out into the Atlantic where we saw three types of whales--the Humpback, The Minke and The Fin Whale--also two types of Dolphins, Tuna leaping to catch fish and lots of birds. An amazing day start to finishWritten October 6, 2024
- Dclopton0 contributionsWell worth the time and fareAfter the tour was canceled on Sunday due to high winds and terrible rain, we booked the next day. Because of a tidal serge, we could not get to the Blasket Islands to wander around. The tour guide asked if we would take the 4 hour tour of whale/dolphin watching. We took the afternoon cruise to see seals, common and bottlenose dolphins along with several types of sea birds. The scenery was gorgeous especially around Blasket Island. The guide, John, was knowledgeable and friendly. The captain, Vincent, was capable and worked hard to find the dolphin pods. The trip was well worth the time and fare.Written October 2, 2024
- henrikkG6699NY0 contributionsA highly recomandable tripWe were on an excellent trip to Great Blasket Island 23. of July. The Island itself was exciting and really worth a vist. We saw 3 Coughs close to the seal-colony made the visit even better. On the the following whale-safari, we saw 2-3 Mink Whales and 2 flocks of Common Dolphins very close to the boat! And a lot of birds! thausands of Manx Shearwater - (and one Balearic!) all over the sea, Puffins close, Fulmars and other good birds. The guide (Britta) was very informing, and knew all abourt the birds at sea (and cateaceans, off course). A highly recomandable trip. Just do it!Written August 4, 2024
- Q2346RYjohnm0 contributionsA first class experienceThe weather forecast did not look favourable, but what a glorious day was spent on Blasket Island. The island is steeped in history, but also so much wildlife. The beach is a haven for grey seals. After leaving the Blasket Island, Vincent once again demonstrated his navigational skills by showing us stunning scenery and magical wildlife. I will be back.Written July 28, 2024
- Semele10 contributionsHighlight of our trip to Dingle.This was a great tour. The landing on the Great Blasket Island was the perfect amount of time to view the ruins, eat lunch, and complete the (shorter) loop hike on the island without hurrying. I found the island equal parts stunning and fascinating. In late May, there were a large number of seals on the beach. From the boat, we saw common and bottlenose dolphins, two basking sharks, puffins, manx shearwater, guillemots, and many other birds. Be prepared with a packed lunch and layers, it can be quite cold on the boat.Written July 11, 2024
- denisepH2522SG0 contributionsMy favorite Ireland Adventure, June 30, 2024GREAT tour! Amazing views, educational & fun! Thank you Vincent for your boating expertise and for your assistance getting me on and off the dinghy (that was an adventure in itself!). I didn’t fall into the water, and I felt 100% safe! Thank you Jonathan for all of the great information about the wildlife, landmarks, and history. Thank you both for your knowledge and determination that made it possible for us to see the beautiful dolphin that came to check us out on the boat. They were breathtaking. See you in 2025!!! -Denise Florida, USAWritten July 9, 2024
- Q2346RYjohnm0 contributionsDo not give this trip a missI booked this trip several months ago, but the weather forecast was for increased wind speed. As a result, my trip was cancelled. At 20.00 on the day prior to my original trip, I got a message to say that the wind was not as bad as predicted and the trip would take place. The Blasket Island is so beautiful and it reminded me of a Caribbean island. The wildlife trip in the afternoon was stunning - sightings of dolphins, puffins, manx shearwater, guillemots and deer. Vincent is a very skilled captain and if there is wildlife, he will spot it in the distance. Thanks also to Mick who arranged the trip.Written July 6, 2024
- 638gd0 contributionsGreat tour - highly recommend!My family recently took this tour and had a great time. I'm not sure if we got lucky and happened to go on an exceptionally good day, but we saw lots of dolphins, whales, seals, several different types of seabirds, and even some deer. The staff was really helpful and I felt went out of their way to provide interesting background on the animals, geography, and history of the area. They also were very conservation-friendly which I liked. The boat was i think an ideal size, with lots of good viewing spots on the deck, as well as on an elevated viewing platform. I was a little worried there wouldn't be enough to do on the island, but that turned out to not be the case, as there were a lot of areas to hike, ruins to check out, and also some guided tours by the Ireland equivalent of the parks department. I'm sure the amount of wildlife you see can vary from day to day, but we saw a ton of it and all-in-all I was really happy with the tour and how the company ran it.Written June 26, 2024
- 971ginette0 contributionsGreat experienceVery knowledgeable and helpful crew made this a true learning experience. Lots of interesting facts, not only on the local marine biology but also local history. Great value for a full days experienceWritten June 23, 2024
- Andrew O0 contributionsLovely ExperienceOur family of 9 (grandparents through teens) had a wonderful experience with Mick and Brigette. Mick was very helpful in designing an experience that suited our group’s particular needs and interests. Brigette was on board as well and told us about what we were seeing, spotted wildlife for us and answered any questions we had. We were able to see the beautiful features of the Blasket Islands as well as dolphins, puffins, red deer, seals, jelly fish and other birds and fish. It was a great morning!Written June 23, 2024
- W7760HKnancyc0 contributionsLove nature? Book this tour!A fascinating day on the water. If you're looking at the variety of boat tours in the Dingle area, don't hesitate to choose this one. The others are thrill rides, but this is a true nature-lovers experience with expert knowledge and respect for the wildlife. (Also you can stand and move around, and there's an indoor area if you get cold). Our naturalist, John, was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the bird and sea life. And we saw so many puffins and guillemots on shore and in the sea - more than I expected. I decided to add the three-hour stay on Great Blasket Island in the morning and what a treat. A beautiful walk that I had to myself and incredible history told by locals. It was by far the best part of a 10-day tour of Ireland with family members. The time flew by. If I have the chance, I'll do it again.Written June 9, 2024
- 50mattj0 contributionsA fantastic all round experience, thanks Mick and team!The team were absolutely fantastic, friendly, and full of knowledge. We went around the time of basking shark aggregations which was amazing to see. Also saw many other species along the way and the crew were always on hand to answer questions!Written May 22, 2024
- D1198PScyrilp0 contributionsWhat a disappointment! AgainIt is the second year in a row we went with this company and again except seals we did not do see anything. Granted the Blasket islands are beautiful and their story is interesting. But staying 3 hrs on the boat to see seals for 20mn is not worth it. I do understand you can not predict nature but at least it would have been good to get a little word from the captain apologizing for not being able to see any marine mammals. If animals patterns are changing as the guide was telling us then they need to adapt their tours. 413 euros to sail the Irish sea mostly away from sceneries ( and we did not even go to the island with an archway ) is too expensive! We did the sea safari in Baltimore , County Cork for 3 year straight ( also in late April ) we saw marine mammals every time!Written May 21, 2024
- Nuala A0 contributionsWonderful trip and staff. Saw dolphins lots of seabirds and a minke whale!Wonderful trip. Staff were great, really friendly and informative. Beautiful route round the Blasket Islands. We saw lots of wonderful seabirds including puffins, gannets, razorbills, shags and shearwaters as well as dolphins and, unbelievably, a minke whale. Highly recommendedWritten May 7, 2024
- D8875LStomc0 contributionsWe loved this tour!This was a long awaited boat trip for us. I have been fascinated by the Blasket Islands for a long time and was looking forward to this trip so much. And I was not disappointed!. We had a quick ride out to the Great Blasket and were dropped off without mishap! We happily explored the island, enjoying seeing seals, sheep, hares… Our three hours passed quickly. We met our boat and were taken on a 3 hour marine tour further out in ocean waters. Our pilot and naturalist were pleasant, knowledgable and fun to be with. We saw many different varieties of sea birds, dolphins, basking sharks and minke whales. I would add if you are considering a boat nature tour, you should do it now! And you should book with Mick Sheeran,, Blasket Islands Eco Marine Tours.Written April 19, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
231 reviews
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200
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21
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Marc
5 contributions
May 2024 • Family
The organization, from booking the tour online, to the meeting point on site, to the actual tour by boat (morning tour 3 hours), was very easy and worked perfectly. The guide on board was very competent, had a lot to say and gave us a lot of current and historical information during the trip out to sea. You could tell that he was passionate about it and had spent a large part of his life at sea. As he explained at the beginning of the tour, we are in the wild and there is no guarantee of seeing dolphins and whales. On our tour we were able to observe many dolphins, seals, various species of birds and even a whale's tail fin. Overall it was a beautiful, educational and interesting trip. It is very important to the organizers to protect the animals and the environment as well as possible and to preserve their habitat. That is why they neither disturb animals nor go too close to the animals or the shore.
We can highly recommend the tour and thank you for the interesting trip and the unique encounter with the wild animals.
We can highly recommend the tour and thank you for the interesting trip and the unique encounter with the wild animals.

Written June 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your good review! We are glad that you enjoyed your boat trip with us around the Blasket Islands and Dingle Bay Also, thank you for your kind words about our skipper Vincent, and wildlife guide Jonathan, and even myself Mick, who does the onshore organising.
We appreciate the fact that you were happy with our environmental standards and behaviour within the very fragile marine environment of the Blasket Islands Marine SAC [Special Area of Conservation] and SPA [Special Protected Area].
Written June 22, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Liam O
1 contribution
Jul 2024 • Business
Thanks to all at Eco Marine Tours! Took a school group on their morning tour this week. Both John and Vincent were absolutely fantastic with the boys in explaining about the local marine life and made a real effort to look for dolphins which were fortunate to see. Would highly recommend these trips for small school groups. I'd also like to say a final thank you to Mick, who helped organise this.
Cheers Liam
Presentation Monastery NS, Killarney.
Cheers Liam
Presentation Monastery NS, Killarney.
Written July 7, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks Liam! It was nice to have your boys on board and train them in some nautical facts and skills. The 3 hr. Morning Sea Safari departing from Ventry Pier 10am to 1 pm is the trip best suited for families and children and that is the reason why we have a half price fare for children under 12 yrs. on that tour only as our 4 hr. Dolphin & Whale Watching Tour and our 7 hr. All Day Tour are not suitable for young children.
Thanks again for your great review and we are glad that the boys enjoyed their boat trip from Ventry Pier with Blasket Islands Eco Marine Tours. See you again next year! All the best until then. Mick
Written July 8, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lucie M
1 contribution
Apr 2024 • Friends
Along with a few friends, I went on the four hour wildlife watching tour for two days in a row. What an incredible experience. I've been on many wildlife watching trips before, including working on them as a guide, and work as a conservation filmmaker, yet these two trips provided some of the best wildlife encounters of my life so far. Clearly, wildlife watching trips are always reliant on weather conditions and what the wildlife decides to do that day. Over two trips we were lucky enough to see perhaps 70 (yes, SEVENTY) basking sharks - we coincided out visit with a rare basking shark gathering. We also saw two pods of bottle nose dolphins, a minke whale, grey seals and a whole host of seabirds including a large number of guillemots. All of the crew were really friendly, informative, professional and importantly they knew how to behave respectfully around wildlife. I'd never been to Kerry before but it's also a stunningly beautiful place, and clearly home to a magical array of wildlife. I would genuinely make another trip to Ireland again just to go on this tour again, even if the conditions weren't as good as those that we had. Would 100% recommend.
Written May 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your lovely review and 100% recommendation!
We are glad that you got to see lots of Basking Shark, one of our more impressive marine megafauna here in Blasket Islands Marine National Park.
Throughout the season we have different species of cetaceans and other marine fauna like basking shark, sunfish and even leatherback turtles coming and going as well as all the interesting birdlife, especially puffins and also some very interesting jellyfish ranging from comb jellies, crystal jellies, moon jellyfish, compass jellyfish, lion's mane jellyfish to the diminutive but very interesting Portuguese Man-of-war and By-the-wind sailors!
From megafauna like Basking shark and Humpback whales to microfauna like gooseberry jellies and By-the -wind sailors we are very lucky here in Blasket Islands Marine National Park to have such a wonderful diversity of wildlife to show our visitors and hopefully the NPWS will draw up a proper Management Plan, with input from relevant stakeholders like ourselves, to help to conserve it for future generations to enjoy.
Written June 22, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MegAnn
7 contributions
Jun 2023
We were a group of 4 that was traveling in from Kinsale, we messaged the company before the scheduled time that we were running behind and should only be 10 minutes late. When we arrived (only 5 minutes late) there was no boat at the dock and no boat in the bay. When we called to see if they could come get us since we were only 5 minutes late, the man on the other end of the line was very rude and told us that since everyone else had arrived they decided to leave early (which he later said he never said). He said if we had contacted him (which we did) he would have waited. The man we were in contact with kept going back on his word and could not give us a straight answer. One minute he says he left early the next he says he waited an extra 10 minutes (which he clearly did not do). One minute he says he would have waited if we contacted him and the next he says its not his fault we were five minutes late even though we contacted him before the boat left. Any company that has mainly tourists as clientele should be understanding, accommodating, or at the very least polite. Can not say this boat tour has any of those things.
Written July 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your one * review Megan. We hope that it is informative for other customers. We recommend to all of our customers to arrive 15 to 20 minutes before 1pm departure time in order to park car on the pier; put on suitable warm clothing and for pre-voyage safety meeting. We never, ever, depart early. We sometimes wait for maximum of 5 minutes for late arrivals - but only if contacted in good time by telephone.
We are very sorry that you did not get a chance to travel with us, but under no circumstances can we be held responsible for your late arrival at 13:11 hrs. The boat waited 5 minutes for you and departed at 13:05 hrs. as per ship's log. We appreciate your sense of grievance for the boat not waiting longer but as explained on the phone, the other passengers had arrived early as instructed on the site, and we could not leave them waiting any longer than 5 minutes for you to arrive. We are truly sorry that you did not arrive in time and would like to offer you a complimentary voucher for any of our tours for use by you or your friends either this season or next year. Hopefully we can make it up with you then as we never like to see anyone go away disappointed from one of our tours.
Written July 2, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Дария
3 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
We were a group of four, and we loved it.
First, communication with Mick (the organizer) was easy. He was always available to answer all our questions and was very kind in adjusting to our circumstances.
Second, they never take people out to sea in bad weather—quality over quantity.
Third, the crew is amazing. You can tell they are genuinely interested in marine life, sharing stories on the boat. They are also happy to share even more if you're eager to know more.
We saw stunning landscapes, plenty of bird species, dolphins, and seals. It was exciting to stay on the top deck, where you had to hold onto the rails to keep your balance.
Many thanks for this experience!
First, communication with Mick (the organizer) was easy. He was always available to answer all our questions and was very kind in adjusting to our circumstances.
Second, they never take people out to sea in bad weather—quality over quantity.
Third, the crew is amazing. You can tell they are genuinely interested in marine life, sharing stories on the boat. They are also happy to share even more if you're eager to know more.
We saw stunning landscapes, plenty of bird species, dolphins, and seals. It was exciting to stay on the top deck, where you had to hold onto the rails to keep your balance.
Many thanks for this experience!
Written September 8, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much Dariykari for your lovely review and very kind words about Mick and our crew and staff. We are glad that you enjoyed your boat tour with Blasket Islands Eco Marine Tours out of Ventry Harbour, Co. Kerry and had a "lovely experience" watching the stunning seascapes and landscapes of the Blasket Islands from your perch on the flying bridge of our Dolphin and Whale Watching Tour Boat M.V. "Blasket Princess".
We look forward to seeing you and / or some of your friends again next season on some of our three different marine wildlife tours around the Blasket Islands and Dingle Bay. Thank you and Best Regards until then.
Mick
Written September 9, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Laura C
5 contributions
Jul 2021
Had a wonderful morning boat tour on 5th July 2021. The crew couldn't have been more helpful and knowledgeable.
We happened to be so lucky that day with the weather and smooth sailing. We were a group of 4, and others on the boat had booked a full day tour so were left off at Blasket Islands for a few hours.
We had a fantastic experience on the tour! We say common dolphins - loads of them! the crew said they love the foam the boat creates so they come right to the side of the boat - mammy and baby ones too!
Then we saw Minke whales! Wonderful! At one stage we saw 5 in different areas surrounding the boat. The skipper stalled the boat for a few minutes so we could see and take photos.
We were such an excitable group and the crew said even we made it a great experience for them - they love it when tourists are enjoying the tour!
They did not disappoint!
I would highly recommend a tour with this crew, the price is reasonable and the crew are friendly, knowledgeable about the local wildlife, and ensure safety is upheld.
Once the tourists on the all day tour got off at the islands, we practically had the boat to ourselves, which was great.
When I am back in Dingle, I will be booking another tour as I am waiting to see a humpback whale!!!
We happened to be so lucky that day with the weather and smooth sailing. We were a group of 4, and others on the boat had booked a full day tour so were left off at Blasket Islands for a few hours.
We had a fantastic experience on the tour! We say common dolphins - loads of them! the crew said they love the foam the boat creates so they come right to the side of the boat - mammy and baby ones too!
Then we saw Minke whales! Wonderful! At one stage we saw 5 in different areas surrounding the boat. The skipper stalled the boat for a few minutes so we could see and take photos.
We were such an excitable group and the crew said even we made it a great experience for them - they love it when tourists are enjoying the tour!
They did not disappoint!
I would highly recommend a tour with this crew, the price is reasonable and the crew are friendly, knowledgeable about the local wildlife, and ensure safety is upheld.
Once the tourists on the all day tour got off at the islands, we practically had the boat to ourselves, which was great.
When I am back in Dingle, I will be booking another tour as I am waiting to see a humpback whale!!!
Written August 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DDeBhal
2 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
We had a trip out this morning from Ventry with our 5yo and 7yo. We took the 3 hour morning trip though we knew the chances of seeing whales and dolphins were lower than the dedicated 4hr afternoon trip, as we felt the afternoon trip would be too long for the kids. Despite a bit of a swell, we had harbour porpoise and puffins on the trip out to the Blaskets and then saw the grey seals hauled out on the beach, with the animals showing no reaction to the boat at all, which is great. We then headed out into Dingle Bay and encountered common dolphins, minke whales, humpback whales and a really close encounter with a huge fin whale. The skipper was very kind to our young fella and the young crewman did a good job with commentary and spotting the action. All in all a great trip.
Written July 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BadHof-fans
Ireland43 contributions
Jun 2021
Truly fantastic full-day trip. After about 3 hours on Great Blasket Island with its beautiful wildflowers and amazing views, we went Dolphin and Whale Watching with Vincent & Richard, and what a jaw-dropping experience. Vincent expertly piloting and scanning and Vincent also scanning and willing the dolphins and whales to show themselves, and they did!!! We saw so many dolphins, playing alongside the boat, diving underneath, then Minke whales (yes, more than one!!) and if that wasn't enough a humpback whale joined the party, surfacing and blowing, before diving again. Hard to believe we were in Ireland and a truly memorable experience enhanced by Richard's breadth of knowledge of marine mammals and the wonderful landscape around us. Thank you so much
Written June 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Orls F
4 contributions
Sep 2020 • Family
My family and I took the 4 hour cruise from Ventry and to be frank it was one of the best trips we have ever taken. The tour itself was very professional and very informative (in terms of location, points of interests and wildlife) with an excellent guide whom was happy to answer any queries during the entire trip. From ventry we headed out to the Great Blasket and were fortunate enough to see a minkie whale en route (thanks to the hawk eyes of the skipper and the guide) and plenty of gannets. After approx 1 hour we arrived at the blaskets to pick up a number of passangers whom had been dropped earlier that day to explore the island. We were very lucky in terms of the weather and we had magnificent views of not just the landscape, the ruins on the island but also of beautiful seals. From there we proceeded towards the outer Blaskets and were shown and informed of details of the various islands, their geology and their inhabitants (seasonal ocean birds) as well as the rather unique inhabitants of one island, the red deer and all from the comfort of the boat and a calm Atlantic. Then we headed further west and within minutes a pod of dolphins (could have been more than 1 pod) started to energetically interact with the boat enthusiastically riding the bow waves and this went on for a significant period of time but as we continued the crew had spotted a large group of sea birds and then we saw them... Humpback Whales.... Several of them, feeding, diving, slapping the water and while all of this was going on the dolphins were still around as too were minke whales. I can't quite articulate just how incredible it all was but it was certainly a privilege to say the least and something I don't think I'll forget. So besides the stars of the show (all of the marine creatures we witnessed) just a few other observations. This tour was operated professionally and safely and all passangers were afforded the opportunity to go up to the higher viewing deck during the cruise itself. The tour was certainly not overcrowded and at all times were all passangers and the two crew masked and plenty of sanitisers were available to all. We were never rushed when viewing these magnificent creatures but most importantly we never encroached on these animals. These guys really know what they are doing. Granted we got very lucky, as obviously you cannot be guaranteed to see anything but I would say this... I'd do this tour again and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this company. It's also good value.
Written September 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Euripides
14 contributions
Sep 2021 • Friends
Not sure how this boat trip is an "Eco Marine Tour"
We travelled on a standard noisy diesel boat, so don't think it's eco-friendly.
No guidelines on what not to do around animals if you come across (such as please don't run down the beach to the water, screaming and scaring all the seals away from their resting spot.)
I know staff can't control people, but feel like they have some responsibility to the wildlife since they are shuttling all these idiots and offloading them in the area.
No talks on the water, dolphins, birds or whales in the area. More so, any time there was any feeding activity in the distance we slammed that engine into full-throttle in that direction, almost as if we're trying to run the animals down.
I feel bad for writing this review because the staff really are lovely, and are probably under severe pressure from annoying dubs and american tourists who only care about the spectacle.
Just don't let the "Eco" mislead you when looking at this trip. I really feel like I was disruptive to the wildlife in this beautiful area because I took this tour and felt bad the whole way home.
We travelled on a standard noisy diesel boat, so don't think it's eco-friendly.
No guidelines on what not to do around animals if you come across (such as please don't run down the beach to the water, screaming and scaring all the seals away from their resting spot.)
I know staff can't control people, but feel like they have some responsibility to the wildlife since they are shuttling all these idiots and offloading them in the area.
No talks on the water, dolphins, birds or whales in the area. More so, any time there was any feeding activity in the distance we slammed that engine into full-throttle in that direction, almost as if we're trying to run the animals down.
I feel bad for writing this review because the staff really are lovely, and are probably under severe pressure from annoying dubs and american tourists who only care about the spectacle.
Just don't let the "Eco" mislead you when looking at this trip. I really feel like I was disruptive to the wildlife in this beautiful area because I took this tour and felt bad the whole way home.
Written September 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marvin J
Flensburg, Germany
Hallo, ist es möglich einen kleinen Hund mit auf das Boot zu nehmen?
Vielen Dank schonmal fĂĽr die Antworten.
Written April 9, 2024
Bonjour,
Est-il possible de faire une sortie en mer afin de voir des baleines au mois de décembre, plus particulièrement le samedi 9 décembre ?
Merci,
Marion Zmi
Written August 17, 2023
Your booking service does not allow bookings for children to be added. Is there a moo children policy. We can book for the parents only. Thank you. Rupert
Written May 7, 2022
Hello, Is the boat trip accessible to children (6 years and 7 months)? If yes, is the price the same as for adults?
Written January 25, 2020
If you have motion sickness do you think it would be a problem with this tour
Written August 4, 2019
Yes, you should take an anti sea sickness tablet before your trip and only eat a light plain meal beforehand. Also wearing wrist pressure point bands seems to work for some people.
Written September 10, 2019
Hi, can you do this trip with children? One toddler and one baby?
Written July 31, 2019
Yes there is a cabin that you can sit in
Written August 18, 2019
Does this tour allow you to visit Inishvickillane? My husband's family is originally from there ( a long time ago obviously) and we will be coming to Ireland in August and are trying to find a way to see the island. Thanks!
Written April 27, 2019
Yes, we did see it, not too close, though, but the itinerary changes to some extent on each trip, depending on the weather.
Written April 28, 2019
Hi, we (my friend and I) would like to do this tour on a July weekend (probably 15th July - Sun). We want to travel from Cork by public transport. We have checked the bus Eireann time tables but could not find any bus from Cork to Ventry Pier for the weekend. Could you please let us know how to get to the starting point from Cork and if there is any public transport back to cork? Would really appreciate your help.
Written June 26, 2018
Sorry, unfortunately not. We were there with a private bus company
Written July 2, 2018
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.