Orca Sea Safari

I'd been making particularly heavy work of climbing a coastal path and had stopped to take in the view when I felt it; a sudden and surprising sense of wistfulness. Whether it was the fishing boats just a way out to sea, the sun glinting on the tops of the waves or the wind chimes someone had hung in a nearby tree, but I remembered how this beautiful part of south west England had enchanted me as a child on long summer holidays and it was thrilling to be back.

Falmouth is a Cornish resort of myriad charms; whitewashed picture postcard hotels gaze down onto its sleepy lanes and secluded sandy coves; a rugged coastline, natural harbour and moasiac of rockpools point to a colourful maritime history. I'd travelled down to this popular holiday resort to take part in an Orca Sea Safari - a 3 hour tour of the local Cornish coastline on a specially designed speedboat called Seaquest of Falmouth. Orca’s website (www.kingharryscornwall.co.uk/ferries/orca) mentioned recent sightings of Basking sharks and dolphins and so I was excited at the prospect of getting out on the open sea.

A Tudor stronghold

Having journeyed down by train the previous evening, the morning was mine to explore the town and so I took a walk along the coast to Pendennis Castle (www.english-heritage.org.uk/server.php?show=nav.11391). Built in the mid 16th century by King Henry VIII as a frontline defence against French and Spanish raiding ships, Pendennis has been recently restored by English Heritage but was still in operation right up until the Second World War. If you’re in the area it’s well worth making time to visit this outpost of military history.

But it was sea life I was here to see and so I made my way back along the coastal path down to Falmouth Docks to meet Seaquest’s skipper - a friendly Kiwi called Matt, and his crew, Laura and Leona. Wrapped up in the requisite life-jackets and waterproofs, myself and about half a dozen others squeezed aboard Seaquest. I’m no boat expert but I already had the feeling that if required this craft could really move. Perched in his observation tower/ control deck Matt gave us a rundown – over the speaker system – of how the next 3 hours would pan out. Several recent seal and dolphin sightings meant the omens were good as we weaved through the immense tankers moored in the harbour.

Casting off

Our first stop was at Black Rock, which is, well, a black rock, just beyond the entrance to the harbour. This popular hangout for seals, with its nooks and crannies carved out by the sea, was sadly deserted on this particular day, so we zipped over to the eastern coastline to the lighthouse at St Anthony Head (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-stanthonyhead/). Here I did catch a glimpse of a brown seal, though it was only a glimpse, and as cameras were pocketed again I couldn’t help feeling this could turn into a trip of missed opportunities.

But even when the seals or dolphins aren’t showing themselves, there’s still plenty to enjoy on an Orca trip. When the skipper opens up the throttle and you’re roaring along the Cornish coastline on a perfect sunny day and you find yourself giggling like a school kid (or maybe that was just me), the surge of adrenalin takes some beating.

Cruising further out to sea we noticed a cloud of activity on the horizon. What first appeared to be seagulls turned out to be a frenzied flock of feeding gannets, darting and diving mercilessly into the sea. Convinced that such activity meant there were probably dolphins in the area, Matt slowly edged the boat towards the scene and it wasn’t long until we were rewarded with an incredible sight.

Breaching the waves

As the gannets continued their feeding frenzy, we were enveloped by dozens of common dolphins. Slick grey and white skins flashed in the sunshine, arcing below the water and the boat only to bolt out from the waves amidst the gannets - these weren’t dolphins jumping through hoops at an aquarium. My camera soon became redundant as I realized they were simply too quick to capture, but also that this was a moment to truly savor and enjoy, to forget about watching through a lens.

Once the gannets had had their fill and the dolphins their fun, it was time to turn west and head along the coastline. As Matt gunned the boat he warned us to hold on tight as we’d be hitting speeds of up to 35 knots. He wasn’t joking either and ten minutes later, with a fixed grin and spectacularly big hair, we arrived at the last place the Orca crew had spotted a Basking shark some weeks back.

An intoxicating encounter

Unfortunately there were to be no shark sightings that day. Though as Laura pointed out a Peregrine Falcon and some Guillemots, I was still wrapped up in my dolphin encounter and didn’t much mind that the sharks had other places to be. Coming to the end of the tour, Matt decided to try for one last meet and greet with the boys (and girls) in grey, and sure enough as we motored gently back to Falmouth we picked up some common dolphins in our wake and marveled again at their play.

Arriving back at he docks, sunburned and windswept, everyone seemed a little taken aback by what they’d seen. A little stiff legged, but exhilarated and happy, we disembarked  the Seaquest of Falmouth and said our goodbyes. There are no guarantees of what you’ll see on the Orca Sea Safari, but whatever happens the chances are it’s an experience that will inevitably stay with you for a very long time.

Visit Orca Sea Safari (www.kingharryscornwall.co.uk/ferries/orca) to book a trip and find out more information.

Discover where else you sent Pete on England's little adventures!