EARLY EVENING HARBOUR TOUR WITH LIVE UNDERWATER VIEWING - WITH SEABIRDS-AND-SEALS

Seabirds-and-Seals - Shetland's Original Wildlife & Photography Boat Tour Business.

SHETLAND'S ONLY 5 STAR BOAT TOUR ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐

Join us aboard our very spacious & comfortable catamaran 'Seabird' for a 'Memorable Wildlife Boat Tour to experience Shetland's wildlife so prolific in Lerwick Harbour. We also explore Shetland's underwater forest using our remotely controlled submarine video camera, which relays amazing underwater views to display screens inside our sheltered cabin.

SCOTTISH FAMILY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (MICRO) The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards 2024

SERVICE EXCELLENCE - SCOTLAND FSB - Federation Of Small Business Awards 2024

BEST OUTDOOR OR ADVENTURE EXPERIENCE - 2024 Finalists at The Highlands & Islands Thistle Awards

BOAT TOUR OF THE YEAR - SCOTLAND THA - Travel & Hospitality Awards 2024

GREEN TOURISM 'GOLD' Green Tourism Accreditation 2024

TRIPADVISOR TRAVELLERS' CHOICE - TripAdvisor 2024 & every year prior.

5-STAR TOUR ATTRACTION - Graded By Visit Scotland

NO.1 BOAT TOUR/WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE As Ranked On TripAdvisor

BEST VISITOR ATTRACTION Highlands & Islands Thistle Awards 2023 - Double Win

INCLUSIVE TOURISM Highlands & Islands Thistle Awards 2023 - Double Win

BEST WILDLIFE & PHOTOGRAPHY BOAT TOUR COMPANY - SCOTLAND UK Enterprise Awards 2023-24/2022-23/2021-22

WILDLIFE TOUR OPERATOR OF THE YEAR - SCOTLAND Scotland Prestige Awards 2023-24

COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY - FINALISTS The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards 2023

Scottish Family Business Of The Year (Micro) - FINALISTS The Herald Scottish Family Business Awards 2023

Weather permitting we operate this tour twice weekly on selected days with a start time of 6:15pm, but may be subject to change. Please check our online booking calendar by clicking on ‘Book Now’ and navigate through the week until you find our early evening harbour tour listed. Once you have decided which day you would like to join, you can book/pay online using our easy-to-use online booking system which accepts debit, credit card or paypal. Alternatively you can contact us directly and we will get you booked on. If you book online you will receive a full booking confirmation, if for any reason you do not receive this – please let us know so that we can investigate.  

We ask please that you arrive promptly at the tour start time advertised on our online booking calendar, preferably slightly before to maximise your time at sea. We like to depart as soon as we have done our warm welcome and the all important safety briefing.  

This tour generally lasts 1.5hrs, but we never know exactly what we’ll find on our excursions, so we do sometimes return a few minutes late. If you have to be back exactly on time, to catch a ferry, bus or for any other reason, please let us know at the start of the trip and we’ll make sure to dock on schedule. 

In the interests of our passenger safety, comfort and welfare, we always have minimum two crew accompanying every tour, this also gives you a MUCH richer experience and makes sure you have an unforgettable tour with us. Our experience and knowledge of the sea, nature, wildlife and local heritage is unrivalled, we are consistently ranked NO.1 on the review site Trip Advisor. During the tour Marie provides live commentary using our PA system, each passenger receives their very own handset/earphones when they step aboard and the commentary can be heard wherever you are located on our spacious catamaran, the sets are fully sanitized between tours. Having your own receivers gives that personal touch and to enable you to hear everything that is being shared by your expert guide(s). Marie gives you her full attention throughout and with her great knowledge on the wildlife, geology, local history, landmarks and so much more – she is happy to answer any questions you may have and to ensure you are having an enjoyable experience.   

This year starting from May, we’re running our popular ‘Underwater Experience’ as an early evening trip, highlighting the prolific wildlife of Lerwick Harbour and Shetland’s extraordinarily rich aquatic environment. Our remotely controlled submarine video camera explores caves, kelp forests and even a shipwreck – relaying amazing underwater views to display screens in our cabin. It’s like scuba diving but without getting cold and wet. Seabirds-and-Seals pioneered this form of underwater viewing in 2000, winning a Scottish Tourism award.  

Additionally, if sea conditions allows, we will head South out of the harbour and work our way along the South Coastline of Bressay, where you can marvel at the stunning rock formations, geos, iconic landmarks and eye catching geology, such as ‘The Orkneyman’s Cave’ and the striking ‘Giant’s Leg Archway’.  

Keep your fingers crossed & your eyes peeled – no guarantees but If you’re extremely lucky, you might even see Orca, Minke Whale, Porpoises, dolphins or otters. Every trip with Seabirds-and-Seals is unique as always something different to see along the way and will hopefully leave you with many happy memories of Shetland. 

Click on our photo gallery to view many more fabulous pictures from our tours – each gives full details of the different wildlife, underwater adventures and places we take you.

We provide fairtrade fresh filter coffee/tea, hot chocolate, juice and a selection of biscuits (including gluten-free). If you or anyone else in your party has any other dietary requirements, just let us know when making your booking with us. You can do this when booking online by adding a note in the ‘Special Requirements’ section or if booking direct with us or another party, please be sure to let us know and we will be sure to cater for your needs. If celebrating a special occasion, please do let us know as we will push the boat out for you (pardon the pun).  If your phone battery runs low after all the photo taking, we can assist as we have USB charging points throughout the cabin.

We launch our ROV mini submarine camera which feeds live colour to display screens in the saloon, revealing Shetland’s secret forest. This underwater world used to be Shetland’s best-kept secret, known only to a few hardy scuba divers. But now you don’t have to get cold and wet to see it.

If the Orkneyman’s cave happens to be our underwater camera dive site for that day we sometimes see starfish, crabs, sea urchins, sea anemones, soft corals, jellyfish and Shetland’s kelp forest. If we use our other dive site you will get to see the wreck of a barge called the Girdleness which sank during WW II. As we explore around the wreck we usually find crabs, starfish, lightbulbs, brittle stars, sea anemones, sometimes very colourful sunstars and the occasional curious seal that has been known to try and steal our ROV. 

Our tours are extremely family friendly with plenty to keep our younger sailors entertained. We have onboard kids activities and challenges set by our highly experienced skipper. Each young sailor receives a FREE sea life activity pack to take home and newly added for our 2024 season is our Eco-Friendly ‘Wooden Puffin Windmill Kits’. Once assembled and designed, set outside and watch their wings rotate, just like a real bird. Each purchase made from our supplier supports the vital work they provide financially to their charity partners.

‘Seabird’ is licensed to carry 12 passengers and because she’s a catamaran – a very stable twin-hulled boat. There’s a very wide and spacious viewing platform all on one level so you can enjoy 360° panoramic viewing without having to watch where you step . This is the ideal boat for the best photographic opportunities, with room to sit, stand or move around without being confined to your seat or in one space – free as a bird! There’s seating on deck for all, but if you prefer to be inside our heated saloon you’ll still have panoramic views. You can sit around the cabin table to chat, or browse our small but informative ship’s library. There’s also dry storage space inside the cabin where you can securely stow any baggage and belongings, accessible at all times throughout the trip. We have an accessible toilet on deck level and equipped with hand sanitizer, hygiene bags etc. Always reassuring to know there is easy access to a toilet on-board and especially after those welcoming refreshments.

Wheelchair accessible onto the boat and ideal boat for anyone with mobility issues, just let us know your requirements prior to booking and we will be happy to assist you. If wheelchair users wish to access the toilet or cabin, they must be able to transfer as the doors are not wide enough. For further information, please check out our published Accessibility Guide. 

Marie, Brian and Marvyn are all Shetland born and bred, our experience/knowledge of the sea, nature and the local heritage around us is extensive. Passengers tell us our fun, personal and engaging style appeals to all ages and varying interests.  

Our continuing success, is reflected in our fantastic TripAdvisor & Google Reviews, complementing each other’s experience, skills and talents. We make a fabulous team, providing a highly informative, fun and fascinating tour, from start to finish.

Ever since the business started 33 years ago, it has built up a very good reputation as a top wildlife tour with many very knowledgeable crew. We are delighted to keep on many of the same relief crew that Jonathan had, with three new additions, our most recent being our relief skipper Marvyn.

We are very excited about the future, this year we celebrate 33 years of the business as it has had 33 continuous years of trading as ‘Seabirds-and-Seals’. We look forward to welcoming many passengers on-board.. 

You can find out more about us and our relief crew members by clicking on here 

Our customer feedback and experience is most important to us – we welcome any questions and would appreciate if you could please leave us a review following your tour with us – Thank You.