Our cruises

2 hour cruises

The two hour cruise is a fun-packed sprint to the Corryvreckan whirlpool, taking a different route home with lots of stops to spot wildlife, and passing a number of seal haul-outs. Because of the strong tides, the Gulf of Corryvreckan is an exceptionally rich feeding area and a wonderful place to see porpoise, dolphins, white-tailed sea eagles and much much more!

Click here for full details of our 2 hour trips

3 hour cruise

Our most popular cruise! The 3 hour cruise also features the Corryvreckan whirlpool but we cover a larger area and spend more time over sightings. To the west of the Corryvreckan we follow the 'Great Race'- an offshore tidal stream in which sightings of Minke whales are more likely. We then pass the Garvellachs chain of islands which were central to the Kingdom of the early Scots and Celtic saints. To finish the trip we visit the home territory of a family of Golden Eagles and return via the Slate Islands and a Scottish Wildlife Trust Reserve.

4 hour landing trip
Our most popular landing trip stops at the southernmost island of the Garvellachs chain, and lets you explore the fascinating ruins that were built by the early Scots almost 1500 years ago! You will hear the exciting stories of St. Brendan the Navigator and St. Columba and visit the ruins of the monastery they built. The beehive cells that these early monks lived in are also the finest examples in Scotland. The whole site has such a lovely feel to it, you'll be left wishing you could stay a week, perhaps that's the reason St. Columba used to visit this island for rest and retreat! There is also a Golden Eagle territory, and there's every chance of seeing these magnificent birds.

We take you ashore in an inflatable tender, so wear sturdy footwear. This island is wild - so a degree of agility is required, please phone if you have any concerns.

5 hour cruise

This is a whalewatching trip, where we head out through the Corryvreckan to the open seas in the search for those magnificent beasts of the deep, the Minke whales. We follow a similar inshore route to the 3 hour trip and so expect to see all the variety of wildlife the Special Area of Conservation has to offer but we spend much more time offshore in the feeding grounds for the whales. We are also likely to see dolphins, porpoises and many seabirds, including some species that are usually only seen far out to sea.

Click here for full details of our 3, 4 and 5 hour trips

Prices

2 hour trips:

Adult £30, Child £22 (under 16)
2 adults & 1 child £79.00
2 adults & 2 children £98.00
2 adults & 3 children £115.00

each additional child £20.00 each additional adult £28.00

1 adult & 1 child £50.00
1 adult & 2 children £70.00
1 adult & 3 children £90.00

GROUP BOOKING:- for 2 hours £270.00 & £130.00 for each additional hour

3 hour trips:

Adult £41.00 , Child £29.00
2 adults & 1 child £110
2 adults & 2 children £138.00
2 adults & 3 children £166.00

each additional child £27.00 each additional adult £39.00

1 adult & 1 child £69.00
1 adult & 2 children £97
1 adult & 3 children £125

4 hour trips:

Adult £53.00 , Child £42.00
2 adults & 1 child £141.00
2 adults & 2 children £182.00
2 adults & 3 children £223.00

each additional child £41.00 each additional adult £51.00

1 adult & 1 child £92.00
1 adult & 2 children £132.00
1 adult & 3 children £172.00

5 hour off-shore whale watching

Adult : £59.00, Child £49.00

Porpoise II is a big fast seaworthy boat licensed for 60 miles from a safe haven with no weather restrictions. We can go anywhere! For example the grey seal colony at Oronsay, Colonsay, Jura, Iona etc. Call us and ask!

General notes

Our trips are scheduled in advance and pre-booking is essential.

Please arrive between 20 and 10 mins early. If you arrive too early there may be no parking available.

For your own safety please keep everyone, and especially small children, away from the edge of the pier.

Our guests board the boat at Balvicar pier, 12 miles south of Oban, on the Isle of Seil, which is connected by road to the mainland. Please see the map and directions below to see our location.

One of the great advantages of working from Balvicar, on the sheltered side of Seil Island, is that we have the choice of reaching the Corryvreckan via the shelter of Shuna Sound, and are not forced to cross Easdale Bay should the sea be a bit rough.

Our boat, Porpoise II, is one of the most powerful charter boats of its size ever built and for your comfort is fitted with a heated cabin, on-board loo, and is designated a non-smoking zone. Its silenced engines cruise quietly at 17 to 20 knots with much higher speeds available if required. This means you spend less time travelling and have more close encounters with the rich wildlife and dramatic scenery.

Because of our large size and stability, Sealife-Adventures is popular with people of all ages. The safety of our guests is our top priority and you must therefore be fit enough to be able to negotiate a few steep steps, down the pier, and be able to step onto the boat. Please wait until the crew are ready to assist you in this process.

We can load by inflatable, which involves sitting on the tube of the inflatable from a sloping beach (we can help!) and climbing the side of the main boat. This may be easier for some people. Generally boarding around high water is easiest.

A full safety briefing is made at the start of our journey to familiarise you with our comprehensive safety equipment, electronics and crew qualifications. We travel well inside the sixty-mile zone permitted by our licence, at all times.

Hot drinks and biscuits are served throughout the journey.

We cannot guarantee sightings of any particular species, however we operate in a Special Area of Conservation and National Scenic Area, which is host to one of the greatest diversities of marine life in Britain. It is particularly rich in whales,dolphins and porpoises, with the highest recordings reported to Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust last summer.

How to find us...

Approximately 8 miles South of Oban on the A816 Oban to Lochgilphead / Campbeltown road, TURN RIGHT onto the B844 signposted for Isle of Seil and the 'Atlantic Bridge'. Follow the B844 onto and along Seil Island, until you see a large bay with many boats on your left hand side and our yellow sign. TURN LEFT immediately after the golf course at the junction where the Balvicar store and post office is set back from the road on the left.

Follow the road through Balvicar village and turn right into the Golf Club Carpark.

Park in the bay on the left facing the flooded quarry. Please park as close to the next car as possible and two cars deep ( make sure the car in front is on the same trip!)

Aim to arrive 15 mins. before your trip, there may not be parking spaces if you are too early, please be aware that we must leave on time and ‘no shows’ are charged.

Please follow these instructions with care as mobile phones do not work on Seil and so you cannot contact us to say you are lost. Don’t follow signs for Sea.fari, who are in Easdale, not Balvicar. and please don’t use the postcode in your car GPS or you will end up at our house! We look forward to seeing you on the boat.

TRIPS MAY LEAVE FROM BALVICAR, CUAN OR EASDALE. PLEASE PHONE THE DAY BEFORE YOUR TRIP TO CONFIRM WHERE IT WILL DEPART AND THAT THE WEATHER IS SUITABLE

Booking

Pre-booking by telephone is essential.
Switch and most major credit cards accepted.
+44 (0)1631 571010 (daytime)
+44 (0)1852 300203 (evenings and weekends)

You can also book at the Tourist Information Centre at Oban.

Important points to note

Our policy is to welcome disabled people when it is possible to do so without compromising safety. If you have special needs please contact us to discuss them.

Although Porpoise II is probably the most comfortable and stable of all the cruise boats in the area, it is important to be aware that some degree of mobility is necessary as there are steps to get on and off the boat, and there are no handrails or proper paths on some of the islands.

Also please note that a cruise on Porpoise II may not be appropriate if you have a medical condition which could be exacerbated by the movement of the boat. Please contact us if you are in any doubt.

Scotland, even in the height of summer, is not always hot! Out at sea, it may be chilly even if it is warm on the mainland. Please bring warm clothes, suncream, sunglasses and perhaps a hat!