Our Top Five Wildlife Watching Locations

Cornwall doesn’t get any better when it comes to embracing the coastal seas and the best of British wildlife. This little corner of the world is increasingly becoming known for its marine wildlife watching and its exceptional array of insects, mammals and sea creatures. From rare butterflies to large basking sharks, wild horses to seals sunbathing on the sands – we’ve got it all. Make sure you hit the hottest locations with our top five places to visit…

Land’s End

A verified spotting hive for wildlife, Land’s End has breath-taking ocean views for you to gaze upon dolphins, basking sharks, seals and so much more. Not only rich in regards to its ocean population, Land’s End offers sighting of gannets, black-backed gulls, falcons, choughs, Manx shearwater and also the critically endangered Balearic shearwater. Want to get up close and personal? Marine Discovery, who are experts in sea-watching and wildlife spotting, offer boat trips between March and November.

Porthcurno

This lovely little coastal village. with its crystal clear turquoise waters and granite cliffs, is the perfect place to stop off and take part in some wildlife spotting. As an alternative to the local dolphins, harbour porpoises, seals, basking sharks and ocean sunfish also make appearances. A very relaxing experience and one that is worth exploring.

The Helford

Not only is The Helford ripe with life such as water birds, deer and accompanying dolphins, it is designated as a special area of conservation. This is to protect all the wonderful marine life in the shallow bays, sandy banks and mudflats. Navigating the waterways can be an incredibly enjoyable and leisurely way to soak up Cornwall’s wildlife. Helford River Cruises offer memorable boat tours of the area, or go it alone with Helford River Boats’ fleet of motor and rowing boats.

Pendennis Point

Just ten minutes from The Greenbank, Pendennis Point offers panoramic views of Falmouth Bay making it a popular choice for sea spotting. Keep an eye out for sharks, seabirds and majestic dolphins dancing in the air. Small numbers of seals can often be seen at low water lying on rocks around Black Rock in the middle of the estuary mouth – so pack your binoculars! The variety of life here really is something to witness for yourself.

Falmouth Bay

Falmouth Bay is a top location for anyone interested in sealife watching. Its deep waters, nearby estuaries and productive inshore reefs make this area of Falmouth a very rich, productive and incredibly diverse environment throughout the whole year. Expect to see basking sharks, minke whales, bottlenose dophins, sunfish and even humpback whales! Check out Orca Sea Safaris for more details.