Wildlife Watching Boat Tour

Feel the wind in your hair as you experience the thrill aboard our custom built RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) and share firsthand the unique scenery, wildlife and history of our area. Our experienced local guides will point out some of the key points of interest in the Cromarty Firth before heading out towards the Inner Moray Firth. Frequent sightings of Bottlenose Dolphins, Harbour Porpoise, Seals, Seabirds and even the occasional Whale! Award winning, locally owned and operated business with over 20 years operating experience. Commentary provided throughout by an experienced local guide/ naturalist. (English only) Full waterproofs and lifejackets provided. Group size limited to a maximum of 12 passengers. Please note trips and route are weather dependent and all of the wildlife we encounter are completely wild. As such sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Itinerary

1. We will meet at the EcoVentures Kiosk at the West Harbour at Invergordon. Cruise liner passengers should follow the pedestrian walkway from the gangway to the Harbour. Your skipper and guide will provide a safety briefing and kit you up in wet weather gear and lifejackets. We will then make our way to the pontoon, a distance of approximately 100m and board our Rigid Inflatable Boat. There is a step down from the pontoon to the boat and passengers will require a degree of agility and balance to manage this. We then make our way out into the waters of the Cromarty Firth. Your experienced local guide will point out the oil rigs explaining some of the local industry and we will also stop at the HMS Natal war grave, a poignant reminder of the Firth's wartime history. We will stop regularly and passengers will have a chance to ask questions.
2. If conditions permit we will then leave the Cromarty Firth behind us and make our way out past the historic town of Cromarty through the Sutors out into the Inner Moray Firth. Look out for the imposing war fortifications on the cliffs, a reminder of the Cromarty Firth's important wartime role. The seabird colonies lie to our North and the best time of year to see the birds is late April through until the end of July. We regularly see Guillemot, Razorbill, Cormorants, Shags, Kittewakes and Fulmar nesting on the cliffs and in the surrounding waters.
3. Your experienced local skipper will then guide the boat out to sea covering as many of the wildlife hotspots as we can. Wildlife can be encountered at any point throughout the trip, both in the Cromarty and Moray Firths so keep your eyes peeled from when we leave the Harbour! Sightings can include our resident colony of Bottlenose Dolphins, Harbour Porpoise, Seals and even the occasional Minke Whale. A record of all recent sightings is kept and your guide will be happy to advise what has been spotted recently. Please remember however that all of our wildlife is just that, wild, and there are times we don't see anything at all. The boat will then return to the waters of the Cromarty Firth and we will make our way back to the start point at the West Harbour.

Meeting & end point