Orca Sea Safaris
Orca Sea Safaris
4.5
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Falmouth, Cornwall, England
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Travelers' Choice
2022
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(16 reviews)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
136 reviews
Excellent
107
Very good
15
Average
5
Poor
6
Terrible
3
Paul M
3 contributions
Jun 2022 • Friends
My two brothers and I had been planning on a grand send off for our father who passed two years ago, not from Covid but during one of the lockdowns. The Jubilee weekend seemed like the most beneficial time to do this and I had been in contact with George for several months prior, scoping out options, prices and timings with him. He always found time to respond to my questions, sometimes almost immediately and sometimes a little later, depending in his workload at the time. His experience, knowledge and professionalism shone through, right from the start.
Our arrival in Cornwall for the memorial weekend coincided with some of the best weather so far this year, and whilst we initially had booked for Sunday with a weather backup of Saturday, George contacted me to ask if we'd like to go out on Friday instead, as the weather was much better.
When this young chap, almost catalogue image, met us on the quayside, I must admit that all three of us were expecting someone rather more grizzly, given the sea shanties of Cornwall portraying wizened ruffians as boat captains and crewmen.
Again, his knowledge, professionalism and experience were self evident, especially when we got out onto open water, and he could open the throttles a bit more 😉
Well, two hours simply flew by and, despite not actually seeing any dolphins, porpoise etc., my two brothers and I remain extremely grateful to George for his help in making our memorial of father such a great weekend
I would not stop in using George again, particularly for private charter but also for sea safaris and would wholeheartedly recommend him as a top tourist attraction in the Falmouth area.
Our arrival in Cornwall for the memorial weekend coincided with some of the best weather so far this year, and whilst we initially had booked for Sunday with a weather backup of Saturday, George contacted me to ask if we'd like to go out on Friday instead, as the weather was much better.
When this young chap, almost catalogue image, met us on the quayside, I must admit that all three of us were expecting someone rather more grizzly, given the sea shanties of Cornwall portraying wizened ruffians as boat captains and crewmen.
Again, his knowledge, professionalism and experience were self evident, especially when we got out onto open water, and he could open the throttles a bit more 😉
Well, two hours simply flew by and, despite not actually seeing any dolphins, porpoise etc., my two brothers and I remain extremely grateful to George for his help in making our memorial of father such a great weekend
I would not stop in using George again, particularly for private charter but also for sea safaris and would wholeheartedly recommend him as a top tourist attraction in the Falmouth area.
Written June 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you so much for such a wonderful review. It was a pleasure to have you out on the water and what a wonderful send off it was. I hope we get to see you when you're down again!
All the very best,
George
Written July 2, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kel
1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Family
What an experience, by far the best part of our holiday. Excellent communication and professional, friendly staff. We were lucky enough to see a minky whale on the trip, which is something we have never witnessed before and a real bonus to see up close. Watching the dolphins was a fantastic experience, and memories were made that will stay with us for many years to come. We could have watched the dolphins all evening in the sunset, it was breathtaking. We highly recommend Orca Sea Safaris and can’t wait to do the trip again on our next trip to Cornwall.
Written July 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Antbat
Basingstoke, UK11 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
A great way to spend a couple of hours. George was a friendly and knowledgeable guide and despite telling us that there was no guarantee we would see the wildlife we wanted, we still managed to spot a couple of seals and a large pod of dolphins who were feeding.
We certainly got our moneys worth with the dolphins who put on a great show. They swam alongside the boat a number of times and also leapt out of the water as they swam along.
Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our ride. Even if we hadn’t spotted any wildlife it still would have been a pleasant journey around the coast, but once the dolphins started playing around the boat it turned into a memorable trip.
We certainly got our moneys worth with the dolphins who put on a great show. They swam alongside the boat a number of times and also leapt out of the water as they swam along.
Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our ride. Even if we hadn’t spotted any wildlife it still would have been a pleasant journey around the coast, but once the dolphins started playing around the boat it turned into a memorable trip.
Written June 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hi Antbat,
Thank you for taking time to leave such a lovely review with us. I'm so glad to hear that you had a good time and enjoyed the experience on-board the boat too. We hope to see you out on the water with us again!
All the best,
George
Written July 2, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Liz W
Leeds37 contributions
Sep 2021
Fantastic trip this afternoon. Simon warned us we may only see birds but he gave us an informative tour of Falmouth harbour before heading out to sea. His admirable skill at finding dolphins resulted in a fabulous display so close to the boat you felt you could almost touch the dolphins. The pod stayed with the boat for a good while, swimming and diving as though putting on a display just for us. Fabulous to see wild dolphins playing and feeding in their own environment. Oh yes, and the birds were equally impressive to see so close.
Thank you Simon for such a memorable trip.
Thank you Simon for such a memorable trip.
Written September 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Navigator740228
19 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
Me and my wife went out on a 2hr excursion. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. Before heading out they explained that we were not guaranteed to see any wild life but they had a few spots were there would be a good chance. Although we didn't see any dolphin or porpoises we did see 2 seals at 2 different spots and plenty of birds. It was a little choppy out there but the skipper did a great job making the journey as smooth as possible. Even with being a little unlucky on spotting wildlife as we were taken around the coast line the tour guild was very knowledgeable and filled us in with what we were seeing and some fun facts. Would highly recommend.
Written April 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hi Navigator740228!
Thank you so much for leaving such a kind review. I'm so pleased to hear you still enjoyed the experience despite seeing no dolphins on that particular trip. We hope to see you again at some point in the future!
Many Thanks,
George
Written July 2, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Misha3112
London, UK5 contributions
Aug 2021 • Solo
The best experience of my life - Simon is an incredibly lovely and knowledgeable and it is 100% worth the price. I came by myself and he made me feel at home instantly and remembered my name when there was a group of dolphins to see, so that I don't miss them. I would do it again and again. It's just one of the most amazing things you'll get to experience - wildlife in their natural habitat. Simon and team are very sensitive even to the needs of the animals. I just need you to go and see for yourself.
Written August 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jenny P
Exeter, UK16 contributions
Jul 2021
We had hoped to go out on the day of our wedding anniversary. Unfortunately George, the Director, had to cancel the trip on account of predicted poor sea conditions. He did this by leaving a phone message in good time the day before.
However on contacting George and telling him we only had one more day left of our long weekend he managed to get us on the last trip of the next day.
We met at the allocated time and were led through to the pontoon where we had an excellent safety talk and excellent life jackets provided with great care taken to make sure they were put on each person correctly.
More safety rules were explained whilst sitting on the boat at the dock. Groups, families and couples were able to sit together.
We were given excellent information as we were on the journey about the harbour and places we were passing.
Although travelling speedily at times the whole journey felt safe.
We saw little sea life which was a disappointment but did not ruin a great journey in super weather.
However on contacting George and telling him we only had one more day left of our long weekend he managed to get us on the last trip of the next day.
We met at the allocated time and were led through to the pontoon where we had an excellent safety talk and excellent life jackets provided with great care taken to make sure they were put on each person correctly.
More safety rules were explained whilst sitting on the boat at the dock. Groups, families and couples were able to sit together.
We were given excellent information as we were on the journey about the harbour and places we were passing.
Although travelling speedily at times the whole journey felt safe.
We saw little sea life which was a disappointment but did not ruin a great journey in super weather.
Written July 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you so much for the lovely review! We endeavour to provide the best service possible despite the wildlife sightings we have. It's great to see you enjoyed yourself.
Best Wishes
George
Written August 10, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tom B
2 contributions
Jul 2022
I guess that we were lucky, not only with the weather but with the wildlife - there were more dolphins than you can shake a stick at. There were several pods around and they came up close to the boat and gave us great entertainment. The highlight was a minke whale that we were able to get reasonably close to. Because we saw the whale later on, there was no rush to return, which was appreciated. A lovely few hours on the water.
Written July 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
It was just incredible that Minke coming so close, it's not all the time they do that! I'm so pleased you enjoyed it and thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, it really means a lot! 🐬🐬
Written July 23, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alex Snell
3 contributions
Aug 2021 • Friends
We had a great afternoon out on the boat. We had a couple of glimpses of some sealife but the experience was great thanks largely to the driver who was considerate and a very knowledgeable tour guide.
Would highly recommend as a trip out irrespective of how many animals you see.
Would highly recommend as a trip out irrespective of how many animals you see.
Written August 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Phoebe M
4 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
Professional and respectful trip. Simon's knowledge of the wildlife and seas meant that we did see a pod of dolphins hunting fish. We enjoyed the experience of watching the dolphins.
Simon was respectful of the environment and although we saw the dolphins we did not disturb.
The squeaks and whistles of the dolphins were amazing to hear!
Simon was respectful of the environment and although we saw the dolphins we did not disturb.
The squeaks and whistles of the dolphins were amazing to hear!
Written July 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Lee
The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, UK16 contributions
Just booked this for August, can't wait.
Email says bring waterproofs since they can't provide any due to covid which is fair enough.
How waterproof do we need to be? Is jacket/trousers/wellies overkill?
Orca Sea Safaris
Falmouth, UK
Hi There!
In all honesty it depends on the conditions of the day.
However, I'd always recommend wrapping up warm and bringing whatever waterproof clothing you may have, even if it is just to protect yourself against wind chill and possibly a slight bit of spray from the water depending on the wind direction. You can always decide on the day whether you wish to wear them or not!
Equally, I wouldn't say anything is 'overkill' however at the end of the day, it is entirely up to you. I would just recommend at the very least bringing it with you on the day if you have it.
Best Wishes
George
nataliarey123
Bath, UK2 contributions
What clothing and footwear are you required to wear yourself?
gumuth1979
Northampton, UK40 contributions
They just said wear warm clothes. We had tshirt, jumper, jeans, Trainers & a rain coat.
They gave you a proper wet weather coat & trousers. It was warm in Falmouth but when we got out in the sea it was colder.