Cruise for 2, Inverness

• A fun and informative experience
• Spot the abundance of local wildlife and if you are lucky the dolphins that call this area 'home'
• Plenty of photo opportunities available throughout

My dolphin sightseeing adventure began at Inverness Marina where we were warmly welcomed by the staff who gave us an idea of what we were likely to see on our trip. Their passion about the local wildlife and the area was contagious and I couldn’t wait for the trip to get underway.

We were shown on to the boat (which was split over two levels) and directed to the lower deck which had both an indoor heated area and an open-air viewing platform. Once on board, our guide ran through a safety briefing whilst the Skipper slowly navigated us out of the Marina.

Once out on the Beauly Firth, we headed out towards the Caledonian Canal. Our guide at this point welcomed us to move about and head to the upper deck if we preferred. The top deck does have a restricted capacity so you have to take it in turns to use that as a vantage point, but the views from the lower deck were unrestricted and excellent too.

Whilst dolphin and wild animal sightings cannot be 100% guaranteed, there is such a variety that live in the area (and the landscape is so spectacular!) there is always something to see. Our guide encouraged us to work together and if we thought we saw a dolphin to shout ‘Port!’ or ‘Starboard!’ to alert everyone else to the location.

After cruising around the Beauly Firth, we headed under the Kessock Bridge (incredible in itself) out to the Moray Firth. We went as far as Munlochy Bay, before looping back. I spotted a variety of different animals including seals, otters, guillemots, terns and cormorants. Our guide was able to provide us fun facts about each and their connection to the local area.

At one point we heard a shout of ‘Port’ and we caught a glance of a dolphin’s fin in the water. The Bottlenose Dolphins and Harbour Porpoises families that inhabit the area have all been named and are familiar with the boat so frequently come up to say hello!

Throughout the trip, we were provided with a running commentary about the fascinating history and interesting facts from the local area including the Black Isle (neither ‘black’ nor an ‘isle’!).

Upon return to the shore, everyone was feeling exhilarated and whilst we had only briefly caught a glimpse of a dolphin, our cameras were full and we had lots of great stories to tell! This is a fun and entertaining experience with something for everyone; I cannot recommend it highly enough.