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Take your class on a journey of discovery. Learning has never been so much fun! School groups will be welcomed aboard for a 2 hour trip where the children will learn about the ecology of the marine habitats of Bantry Bay.

GROUPS & INDIVIDUALS

Marine Ecology

Bantry Bay and Glengarriff Harbour have an abundance of wildlife. On our Marine Wildlife Tour, you have a chance of seeing Atlantic Grey Seals and Common Seals, a wide variety of birdlife, including Oyster Catcher, Curlew, Grey Heron, Egret, Cormorant and if you are lucky, you might see A White-Tailed Sea Eagle flying overhead.

All children will try a little fishing (4-6 at a time). Safety glasses are provided and again we explain the life cycle and anatomy of the fish before releasing them back into the sea. Make sure you ask for the kids to sit in the captain’s seat!

  • €30 Per Child (Up to 4 Supervising Adults Free)
  • 2 Hours
  • Max. 30 (Options of more than one trip or more than one boat available)
  • Prices are for Primary and Secondary Schools Only

Our ADVENTUREs

Your Educational Tour

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Local WildLife

Harbour Porpoise are resident all year round and can be seen daily, while Common Dolphins tend to move inshore early summer and are a popular sighting with our visitors, especially when they are in a playful mood and bow ride alongside the boat. Minke Whales are also frequent visitors to our lovely Bantry Bay. We often see them in pairs or small feeding groups.

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Haul A Pot

Next we haul a Lobster pot, where we can find various types of crustaceans i.e. Spider Crab, Brown Crab, Velvet Crab and the Hermit Crab, when available. We would also have a lobster on display and explain the life cycle of these creatures. We would hope to allow the children to throw some of these back into the water to promote sustainability and kindness to our Ecosystem. This has proved very educational with kids that have been onboard with us.

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Mackerel Fishing

In the height of the summer when the Mackerel are in, it doesn’t take too long before everyone starts to catch, and when you catch mackerel it is a great feeling. Mackerel are caught using feathers or small lures jigged up and down. All rods, reel and tackle are supplied and full instruction given. You will not only catch the fish but you will see how to fillet them, and prep them for cooking.

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Skipper the boat

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boat

More important information about your tour.

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Your Boat

for the day

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Depending on your location and your group size, you will either cruise onboard the Deep Star or the Steran an Mor.

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Your Skipper

for the daY

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Your Skipper for the Day – We like to mix things up so you could have either Brian, Darren or Niall as your skipper.

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Checklist

what to bring

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Make sure you come prepared for the adventure ahead by downloading our PDF checklist prior to your day on the bay.

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We provide life jackets to all. All charters have the provision of a safe and secure trip on-board and a comfortable stable boat with outside seating and toilet facilities. The mackerel fishing trip is dependent on weather and catches cannot be guaranteed, but we will certainly try our best.

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REVIEWS

What people are saying about our boat tours

“Absolutely brilliant. Ireland’s waters are extremely rich in life and the displays here are top-notch. I learned a *lot*. Thanks to very helpful staff member Laura, I learned that the lumpsuckers – beautiful fish — need to be “burped” occasionally, in their tank! The variety of wrasses was amazing, as were the anglerfish and the seahorse. I plan to dive on Monday if the weather cooperates, but I am sure I saw more here than I will in the wild!”

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Robert M. Corless – June 2022

“Amazing day out! Best boat tour we have ever done! Skipper Brian gave us the best experience possible, with his depth of local knowledge, passion for the area and hugely entertaining personality. We learned about the local wildlife, fished for mackerel, and he even cooked us up a tasty pot of mussels!”

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Trip Advisor

“We had the most incredible, memorable family trip out on the Bay with Darren & Bantry Charters, we relaxed in the sun on the boat & got a totaly different perspective of the scenery of the Bay, Bantry & Whiddy, caught fresh pollack for our dinner & got to see 2 whales, amazing! Would highly recommend & will definitely plan a return trip!”

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Claire Hayden – Facebook Review

“Absolutely top class we loved it. Niall and Luke really looked after us we did a three hour tour which included the best Dolphin watching we have ever done and we also caught some fish. Made the kids at ease straight away and it was just lots and lots of fun. 5 stars all the way.”

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Dan Stenson – Google Review

“Could not say enough about what an amazing day we had, we celebrated my sons birthday and the kids caught, cooked and ate their own fish. Darren and crew are unreal from the sights , the fishing, everything. An amazing day Thanks all”

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Gillian Morris – Facebook

“I booked the wildlife tour, Sea angling, and the sunset cruise for my family. We had the absolute best time with BB Charters. Darren and Brian were excellent guides and great with our 2 children. We learned a lot about the history of the area as well as the sea life. Sharon was brilliant advising us what to bring to make sure we were prepared for all of our trips. We will definitely be back next year. Thank you Bantry Bay Charters!”

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T Finn

Our adventures

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