/
Ireland
/
County Kerry
/
Dingle
/
Tours & Activities
/
Dolphin and Whale Watching Tour from Dingle
4 h
Instant confirmation
About this activity
The tour boat M.V. "Blasket Princess" departs from Ventry pier, Dingle, Co. Kerry every day at 13:00 hrs. weather and / or sea conditions permitting. Ventry pier - Ceann Trá - is 4 miles west of Dingle town on the Slea head drive, road R559 and on the Wild Atlantic Way. You can park in the village or 500 meters past the pier at the beach or on the pier.
The tour boat holds a maximum of 40 passengers, but usually less, and has 3 to 4 crew depending on the number of people expected for that day. This consists of the skipper, one crew, one wildlife guide for any questions and one spotter / marine biologist. The first part of the trip takes you out to Dingle Bay and on towards the Great Blasket island. The trip passes the seaward side of Dunbeg fort and on past Slea head and Couminole beach and Dunmore Head - the most westerly part of Ireland. We often see harbour porpoises on this part of the trip and sometimes common dolphins and Minke whales off Slea Head. We continue on to the Great Blasket island and moor off the island for a while with views of the old deserted village and the beautiful Trá Bán - White Strand. The skipper of the boat lived and fished from the Great Blasket island and he will give a brief description or answer any of your questions about this island outpost. The boat continues on to Carraig Fhada to view grey seals in the water or hauled out on the rocks. The Blasket Islands hold the biggest population of grey seals in Ireland.
The itinerary of the boat tour changes every day and like nature itself no two boat tours are the same and the skipper decides in real time where the best place to go is that day with the optimum chance to see wildlife taking into account the weather, sea conditions, sea swell etc and also taking into account passenger comfort and safety. The vessel is licenced by the Dept. of Transport for 44 passengers in total and has all the necessary life jackets, life rafts, safety and communication equipment and crew training.
The second part of the trip usually goes out to the mouth of Dingle Bay between the outer Blasket islands and Skellig Rock where some of the recent Star Wars - The Force Awakens was made. Depending on wildlife distribution and sea conditions the tour may go north past Sybil Head and The Dead Man ( island) or west beyond Tiaracht lighthouse - the most westerly lighthouse in Europe.
Puffins can be seen at Inishvickillaun between April and the end of July / beginning of August when they migrate back to the waters off Canada. At the start of the season April to May, when sea water temperatures are around 12 degrees Celsius, basking shark are plentiful in the area. They are the biggest fish in the North Atlantic and the second biggest in the world after the whale shark.
Of course the biggest highlight of the trip can be the appearance of killer whales or humpbacks but although we often see humpback whales on our trips we can never guarantee sightings.
Read more
Show less
The tour boat holds a maximum of 40 passengers, but usually less, and has 3 to 4 crew depending on the number of people expected for that day. This consists of the skipper, one crew, one wildlife guide for any questions and one spotter / marine biologist. The first part of the trip takes you out to Dingle Bay and on towards the Great Blasket island. The trip passes the seaward side of Dunbeg fort and on past Slea head and Couminole beach and Dunmore Head - the most westerly part of Ireland. We often see harbour porpoises on this part of the trip and sometimes common dolphins and Minke whales off Slea Head. We continue on to the Great Blasket island and moor off the island for a while with views of the old deserted village and the beautiful Trá Bán - White Strand. The skipper of the boat lived and fished from the Great Blasket island and he will give a brief description or answer any of your questions about this island outpost. The boat continues on to Carraig Fhada to view grey seals in the water or hauled out on the rocks. The Blasket Islands hold the biggest population of grey seals in Ireland.
The itinerary of the boat tour changes every day and like nature itself no two boat tours are the same and the skipper decides in real time where the best place to go is that day with the optimum chance to see wildlife taking into account the weather, sea conditions, sea swell etc and also taking into account passenger comfort and safety. The vessel is licenced by the Dept. of Transport for 44 passengers in total and has all the necessary life jackets, life rafts, safety and communication equipment and crew training.
The second part of the trip usually goes out to the mouth of Dingle Bay between the outer Blasket islands and Skellig Rock where some of the recent Star Wars - The Force Awakens was made. Depending on wildlife distribution and sea conditions the tour may go north past Sybil Head and The Dead Man ( island) or west beyond Tiaracht lighthouse - the most westerly lighthouse in Europe.
Puffins can be seen at Inishvickillaun between April and the end of July / beginning of August when they migrate back to the waters off Canada. At the start of the season April to May, when sea water temperatures are around 12 degrees Celsius, basking shark are plentiful in the area. They are the biggest fish in the North Atlantic and the second biggest in the world after the whale shark.
Of course the biggest highlight of the trip can be the appearance of killer whales or humpbacks but although we often see humpback whales on our trips we can never guarantee sightings.
Included
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- Local guide
- Professional photographer guide
Not included
- Free car parking locally
- no entrance fee
- no alcohol served
- Gratuities
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Please dress warm with wind proof jacket and warm hat
- Refunds will not be issued if tour/activity is missed due to late or non-arrival of cruise ship
- 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 experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
Features
Tourism
90%
Original
90%
Aquatic
70%
Adrenaline
65%
Reviews
Similar activities in Dingle
Click to discover other experiences
I loved being on the water - saw a few dolphins and seals but no whales. Too long though
It was a great trip and we saw a whole school of dolphins and a couple whales!
This was a great trip - one of the highlights of our time in Ireland. It's a relatively small boat -- there were only about a total of about 18 passengers on the boat. There's enough seating for everyone and the guide is very knowlegable. We went out on a very nice day sunny! and saw three minke whales and a buch of seals. It was a great day. A few recommendations: bring wine with you - they let you have it on the boat. Dress warm... hats, gloves and jackets. It's always colder on the water than on land. Bring hand santizer as there is a bathroom on the boat, but no soap or sink, really. Still a great trip and well worth it for a relaxing day out on the water.
The drive to Dingle from Adare was beautiful, by this time I was used to driving on the wrong side of the road and the round abouts. The boat arrived exactly on time and the captain was there early and visited with all of us on the quay. Once under way, we knew exactly what to expect and what we hoped to see. We saw dolphins, seals, and multitudes of sea birds. But alas, no whales. This was not due to the crew not trying but sometimes nature doesn't go by a schedule. The stories and explanations are not to be missed. I cannot recommend this trip enough. George from Texas
it was a really great tour en we saw a lot of dolhins. There was also a whale, but he didn't show himself a lot. People wehere great, we had some nice snacks en drinks. It's great!
We went far beyond the Blaskets and saw many small whales and birds.
We got the opportunity to see puffins, seals and the highlight was an orca whale!
A wonderful boat ride to Basket Islands. The crew was knowledgeable so be sure to ask them questions! The skipper knew the water and was safe for all!