Spending A Few Hours With Nature (EcoVentures Dolphin Tours (Cromarty))

Member Name: chugglebunny

Product:	EcoVentures Dolphin Tours (Cromarty)
Date:	15/07/09 (85 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great views, excellent wildlife, fun boat

Disadvantages: Might not see dolphins or whales

As I have reviewed previously, I was lucky enough last year to visit the breathtakingly beautiful Scotland on a trip organised by WDCS the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.

As well as many other great trips and excursions included in the weekend, were 2 trips with EcoVentures.

What is EcoVentures?
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EcoVentures are a small company located in the lovely town of Cromarty. This was the base of our stay where our hotel was located. Basically EcoVentures are a sightseeing company. They are based in the harbour at Cromarty and have a small shop where your tour will begin.

In the shop you can purchase an array of merchandise including photos and postcards, toys for younger visitors and many factual books and poster etc.

EcoVentures is run primarily by 2 ladies, Robyn and Sarah. Both are extremely helpful and will make sure on your arrival you are cared for properly and are happy to answer any questions. Sarah is the skipper for the excursions and Robyn deals with the shop mainly.

When going on a tour with EcoVentures, you are provided with a wet suit / boiler suit type thing, it goes over your clothes to keep you protected from the elements. You also receive a life jacket and sweat bands are available for keeping hair out of your face and your ears nice and warm.

What might you see?
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EcoVentures own a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) which is approx 10 metres long, the boat only seats 12 people maximum (including Skipper/Guide) so it will be a nice small group. This means however that you also get great views no matter where you are on the small boat and also a nearly personal guided trip around the beautiful coastline.

The point of the 2 hour trip is to introduce visitors or wildlife enthusiasts to the Cromarty area and all the wonderful nature it has to offer. In the Moray Fifth area, were Cromarty is based, live the largest dolphins in the world, due to the cold temperature of the water these dolphins grow a lot larger and bulkier than their smaller warmer sea dwelling cousins.

Both outings I went on were specifically organised by the WDCS as part of our trip, so of course dolphins were a top priority of wildlife to hopefully encounter. There are also many whales living in the area, the most common being Minke whales, which are smaller but the most likely to be encountered on this tour.

The views themselves are worthy of a trip out, seeing the wonderful coastline from the ocean is breathtaking. On top of the chances of dolphin and whale encounters, you are also shown a variety of bird colonies that exist around the coastline on some of the cliff faces, Sarah the guide is very knowledgeable about all aspects of the tour and could easily identify and explain each species as well as answer any questions. Gray seals and harbour seals are also common place. There is also a lot of local history thrown in to the wildlife tour, which I found interesting. Ranging from details on a shipwreck which you get to visit the site of to oil rigs and the impact they have on the local wildlife etc.

Cost
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For £22 an adult for 2 hours, I think this is a well worth it excursion if you happen to be in the area. The amount of local wildlife and knowledge gained in that time is amazing, and it is a great experience, especially if you're lucky enough to encounter some of the oceans inhabitants.

My Experience
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As I mentioned, our WDCS group went out on 2 separate occasions with EcoVentures and I had a great time both times. The 2 hours flies by. Half way through the excursion you are provided with a drink and a biscuit, which was a nice touch. The boat itself is exhilarating, we were lucky on both days to have clear weather, although a little blustery at times it was nice and clear.

The clothing you are given is a godsend at keeping the brisk wind off your face and ears.

I thoroughly enjoyed the actual boat ride as well as the educational aspect, the RIB boat is great fun and reaches some pretty good speeds, it cuts through the waves a lot like a speed boat rather than riding them, which makes any sea sickness not a problem.

On the first trip out we didn't see any of the elusive dolphins, obviously sightings are not guaranteed, but Sarah did however extend the tour for longer than 2 hours trying to find some for us. Checking all of the hot spots and using her local knowledge of hunting grounds etc. It was slightly disappointing, but that's a chance and outcome you have to expect when hoping to observe something in its natural habitat.

We did however, see a few cheeky seals popping up near the boat to have a look and of course lots of the beautiful coastal views and many coastal birds.

On our second tour a few days later, we were in luck. No whales but we did come across a few dolphins. It was amazing just how close they will come up to the boat of their own accord. EcoVentures operates as part of the "Dolphin Space Programme" (Not sending them in rockets!) which is basically a code they abide by that means they will not approach dolphins closer than 20 feet. Instead they will stop the boat, kill the engine and allow the dolphins to approach the boat on their own terms. This reduces any stress to the dolphins. Another part of the Programme is to also always leave an "exit" space for the dolphin, so not to approach them when they are in an area that the boat would be blocking an exit path for them.

It was amazing watching the dolphins swim past and watching them even in the distance. We were lucky to even have a few swim up to the boat and underneath us, really giving you an idea of the size of them, especially as the boat is rather low down. You get some amazing views.

Conclusion
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Both experience I had with EcoVentures were great. I had great trips and learnt a lot, as well as having an experience of a lifetime, viewing wild dolphins just how they should be, in the wild. Not in enclosures for people to pet and swim with and not in tiny pools at zoos.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who may be in the area. For £22 for 2 hours you get a lot for your money and it is a very enjoyable trip, obviously seeing the wildlife was great, and hoping to see dolphins and whales make it even more special. But even if you are unlucky and do not see either like we were on the first trip, for £22, it's definitely not the end of the world, and enjoyable none the less. Of course you can always go out the next day and try your luck again also.

http://www.ecoventures.co.uk

A glowing 5 stars from me.

Thanks for reading :)

Summary: A fantastic trip with breathtaking views