2026 will be my last year of running  walks and cruises.

Seabird and cetaceans – Pelagic Boat Trips 6hrs (From Brixham) 

Wednesday 29th July   –   8.30am departure (FULL)

TUESDAY 25th August  –  8.30am Departure  (FULL)

Wednesday 26th August  –  8.30am Departure  (FULL)

Saturday  12th September   –   8.00am departure  (FULL)

           
Price for  6 hour trip – £ 78 (held the same as 2025)

Places very limited  just 7 participants on each cruise, booking essential  

I keep a reserve list on FULL cruises as I do regularly get late cancellations (please note top of page regarding cancellation of a booking). If anyone  wants to be put on a reserve list please me know: Contact Mike

Contact Mike for more information or to book a place.

The mixing of the currents off Berry Head and deeper water just out into Lyme Bay attracts good numbers of feeding seabirds, many just a little too far out for most people to appreciate detailed identification features even with the best telescope.

This year again I’m running longer 6hour hour cruises to get to the best areas of Lyme/Start Bay.

Join Mike and skipper Dave on Kelly’s Hero special seabird charter to search for and concentrate on some of the more interesting birds – hopefully including Manx Shearwater, Balearic Shearwater, Kittiwakes, Gannets, Fulmar , Gulls and perhaps Terns, Skuas even Storm Petrel, there’s also the good chance of seeing Porpoises and Dolphins. Each of the summer and autumn months has it’s own particular pelagic species to look for.

Last few years trips included the best and greatest variety and rarity of wildlife seen. It appears changes in our oceans means that the numbers of the globally threatened Balearic Shearwater are increasing together with sightings of the ‘large’  shearwaters Great and Cory’s. During one of my guided trips Devon’s very first Scopoli’s Shearwater was seen and photographed. Mid- summer also sees the return of the gulls, good numbers of Kittiwake, Mediterranean Gulls and my cruises regularly find Yellow-legged Gulls – tricky to sort out among the Herring Gulls. During the last three years Caspian Gulls have been seen very well flying  along  beside the boat. Later in the autumn we will search for Tuna too, last year getting in amongst ‘boils’ of these impressive predators. And there is always the outside chance of seeing the sought after White-beaked Dolphin as we have on previous cruises including 2025.

Mike will guide you through the identification of the various wildlife encounters with insight into the behaviour of these creatures. This is a great opportunity for photographers to get closer to seabirds they could never hope to easily photograph from the shore. The weather will play a huge part in what’s likely to be seen on the day, a slight breeze means shearwaters are much more likely to be moving around. However even on calm days there will be birds and wildlife to see – in fact the cetaceans and Sunfish are easier to spot and see when the sea is calm and shearwaters often loaf around in groups or even large flocks..

If the sea is too choppy the trip will be cancelled – but we will aim to try again as soon as possible – so if you are available a day or two before or later even better…

What to bring: A good pair of binoculars, clothing to suit the weather – remember it can get surprisingly cold for a number of hours at sea.  Although Dave always makes a cup of tea or coffee for us and Mike provides the biscuits  – bring a hot drink and a snack, sea sickness tablets for those that think they might need them (usually taken 2hrs before setting out on the boat) .

There is free parking up around Battery Gardens, or North Furzeham Road (approx 12 minute walk) or pay car parking much closer at Oxen Cove (approx 7 minute walk) but the parking fees may be more than  £9 for 4 hours! Please arrive at 15minutes before the   prompt departure time – it’s not fair on the others on the trip to delay the start and cut short our time at sea due to someone’s late arrival.

Meeting point: The charter boat pontoon Brixham Harbour 15 minutes prior to the given departure time : Meeting point »

Contact Mike for more information or to book a place.

Coast and River Guided Wildlife Cruise 4 hours

Summary of last years cruises  Click Here

Wednesday  19th August Time: 4.30pm – 8.30pm (FULL)

Departing  – KINGSWEAR

 (pick up and drop off from Dartmouth can be arranged)

             
£46 adults (under 18’s £30) – places limited, booking essential

Contact Mike for more information or to book a place.

I keep a reserve list on FULL cruises as I do regularly get late cancellations (please note top of page regarding cancellation of a booking). If anyone  wants to be put on a reserve list  let me know: Contact Mike

The Dart estuary and coastal waters just beyond are perhaps the best place in the SW for seeing both species of seal. At sea in July and August there’s a very good chance of spotting porpoise or Dolphin too.

On these afternoon cruises, condition allowing, we’ll head both out to sea and up the river in search for seals, dolphins and of course any birds along the way. The Dart estuary is of course a a very pleasant and scenic area to take a boat trip. Being on our own private charter aboard ‘African Queen’ with skipper Alan we can adjust the itinerary accordingly and make the very most of our time out.

With luck, as has been the case during the last three years, we might find Harbour (Common) seals with pups. Common Seals pup during the summer unlike Grey Seals which usually pup in the autumn. 2024 was only the 6th year breeding had been recorded in the SW for Harbour Seals. As the small population of Harbour Seals increase on the Dart our chances of seeing this again gets better every year.

Low tide for both cruises is during the afternoon. Searching the islands off shore we should find some Grey seals and heading further out to sea we hope to find Common Dolphin and Harbour Porpoise, as well as seabirds. During the summer months diving Gannets, and good numbers of the ever declining Kittiwake that have perhaps travelled over from France, are always popular. Perhaps also we’ll find shearwaters and Guillemots or even a rare Yellow-legged Gull.

Occasionally rough seas prevent us going out to sea but it then means we can venture further up the beautiful Dart estuary.

later g we’ll also explore the Dart Estuary, the best place to find the Harbour Seals but also looking out for estuary birds which could include Waders, Kingfisher and during the August cruise perhaps Osprey – but this is not an ‘Osprey’  special they are much more regularly seen during September and October.

The cruise will be cancelled (full refunds given) if the weather is bad.

What to bring: Binoculars, camera, clothing to suit the weather – it can be cool on the boat even in summer. Bring a hot drink and a snack.

There is a small car park by the passenger ferry pontoon –  but Darthaven marina car park is bigger and about 10mins walk away a 5 hour ticket is recommended. There may be some on road free parking after 3pm on the approach road down into Kingswear  with a 10min walk to the ferry pontoon. Please bear in mind these options when you arrive and the timings for the walks.

Meeting point: Kingswear passenger ferry car park  at 15 minutes before the departure time ready for a  PROMPT  departure on African Queen. Collection and drop off from the Dartmouth side of the river can be arranged but please let me know when booking. We will finish back at the car park approximately 4hrs later Map: Meeting point »

Contact Mike for more information or to book a place.

Osprey Search/Watch – Dart cruise 4 hours

SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS CRUISES CLICK Here:

Tuesday 1st September 3pm  (FULL)

Monday 7th September 8am  (FULL)

Tuesday 8th September 9am (FULL)

Wednesday 9th September 10am (fULL)

Tuesday 22nd September 9.30am (FULL)

Wednesday 23rd September 10am (FULL)

Thursday 24th September 11am (FULL)

Tuesday 29th September 1.30pm (FULL)

I keep a reserve list on FULL cruises as I do regularly get late cancellations (please note top of this web page regarding cancellation of a booking). If anyone  wants to be put on a reserve list please let me know: Contact Mike

All Departing Kingswear   –   aboard African Queen  (pick up and drop off from Dartmouth can be arranged)

£46 adults (under 18’s £30) – places limited, booking essential

Contact Mike for more information or to book a place.

50 years ago, hearing that the inspirational wildlife author and TV presenter Tony Soper had seen an Osprey on the Dart Estuary during one of his own wildlife cruises (when Ospreys were still very rare in Britain), Mike and a small group of YOC (Young Ornithologists Club) members cycled out to Stoke Gabriel.  After a long wait, on the rising tide, their dreams came true as an Osprey flew down the estuary ready to hunt Mullet in the shallow water.  Mike revives Tony Soper’s cruises during the peak osprey migration period, on a similar rising tide hoping to see an Osprey. The chances of seeing Osprey are today much improved as Osprey numbers continue to increase in the UK – BUT STILL NOT GUARANTEED! However, over the last 4 years my 24 Dart ‘Osprey’ cruises have encountered and photographed Ospreys on all but one cruise, often with 2 and up to 5 Ospreys present!

These  cruises offer a great opportunity to search the beautiful but notoriously tricky estuary to watch successfully from land (as much of the surrounding land is privately owned), and hopefully spend some time with this amazing bird. We have enjoyed watching Ospreys making multiple dives giving photographers the chance to take some action shots.

On these cruises (assuming sea conditions allow) we’ll first head both out to sea around the Mew Stone Rocks to search for birds and Grey Seals before moving up river on the rising tide. In 2025 we actually saw an Osprey heading south over Froward Point! A low but rising tide is probably the best time to look for Osprey as they can easily catch Mullet feeding  over the shallow, recently flooded mudflats. Of course we’ll be looking for Kingfishers, egrets, waders and wildfowl like the colourful Mandarin ducks along the way. During 2024 & 2025 we were lucky enough to see the impressive Goshawk, Peregrine, Hobby (3 in one trip!) and even Merlin on some of the ‘Osprey’ cruises! during the 2025 cruises Glossy Ibis’s were seen on two trips including the largest flock ever recorded in the UK of 92!! We should find Harbour Seals, the Dart Estuary is the very best place in the SW to see this species of seal. The estuary makes for a very pleasant and scenic boat trip too. Being on our own private charter aboard ‘African Queen’ with skipper Alan we can follow birds including Ospreys up and down the river the itinerary can be adjusted accordingly and make the very most of our time out on the water.

The cruise will be cancelled if the weather is bad.

What to bring: Binoculars, camera if you have one, clothing to suit the weather – it can be cool on the boat even in September. Bring a hot drink and a snack.

There is a small car park by the passenger ferry pontoon –  but Darthaven marina car park is bigger and about 10mins walk away a 5 hour ticket is recommended. There may be some free parking above Kingswear with a 15min walk to the ferry pontoon. Please bear in mind these options when you arrive and the timings for the walks.

Meeting point: Kingswear passenger ferry car park  15 mins before the departure time for a  PROMPT  departure on African Queen. Collection and drop off from the Dartmouth side of the river can be arranged but please let me know when booking. We will finish back at the Kingswear car park 4 hours later Map: Meeting point »

Contact Mike for more information or to book a place.