Dingle Boat Tour Review: Wildlife, Sea Stacks, and Everything You Need to Know about Ireland’s Sea Safari
Frequent readers know how much I love getting onto the water to explore hard-to-reach places and see wildlife. The Dingle Boat Tour and Sea Safari was the best tour we took in Ireland.
We saw epic rock formations, wildlife such as dolphins and puffins, and learned a lot about the history of the Dingle Peninsula. If you’re looking for a wonderful tour that gives you a little bit of everything (including plenty of salt in the hair), this is the one to do!
Below, we’ll dive into our 3.5-hour tour, photos, and others FAQ’s about the Sea Safari. Hopefully, it’ll inspire you to book a trip and see the area as well.
Review: My Sea Safari Experience in Dingle
After a lovely drive from Killarney to Dingle, we arrived a bit early in the small western Irish town and walked around the colorful main street to kill time. Once it was go time, we were given warm, water-resistant jumpsuits to wear throughout our Sea Safari and began boarding.
The staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating throughout the entire process.
Once on the water, it took us about 10 minutes to leave the bay and get out into the open water along the Dingle Cliffs. From here on out, it was phenomenal!
Dingle Cliffs
As we headed out to sea (though not technically), the dramatic Dingle Cliffs hugged the right side. At one point, our captain found a small opening (a sea cave of sorts) and headed inside. The opening was likely less than 25 feet across, but he put us in the right place to get up close.
It was a super unique experience, and as my wife put it, felt like a Disneyland ride!
Related: Need ideas of what to do in Dublin? See my recommendations.
Blasket Islands and Cathedral Rocks
After getting in and out of the small cave safely, we kept moving west out to the Blasket Islands. This area is no longer occupied, though farmers do keep sheep on it. With humans gone, one of the main beaches is now home to a group of sea lions!
As our group was heading away from the island, our captain saw a Whale Shark and then a Minke Whale. Both were fleeting sightings. While Minke Whales are boring, I had never seen a Whale Shark before and would have loved to see it.
With the stop to spot the whales and travel time, it took us about 40 minutes to go from the Great Blasket Island Beach to Cathedral Rocks, on the eastern side of Inishnabro. This island, west of Great Blasket Island, has dramatic rock formations and is home to puffins.
The Cathedral Rocks are one of the most popular and recognizable destinations on the Dingle Sea Safari tour. The group spent 15 minutes here, taking photos and learning about the geological reasons for its formation.
From here on, we were on the hunt for puffins and wildlife!
Wildlife throughout our Sea Safari
As we pushed back from the Cathedral Rocks, our eyes were locked on the sea cliffs in search of Puffins. The captain said mating puffins would be up there. Unfortunately, we didn’t see many. But there was a reason why.
They were almost all in the water in front of us. Forty to eighty puffins were floating, flying (momentarily), or diving for fish in the calm waters. Even though there weren’t many waves, it is still quite the chore to take a shot of a puffin that is moving while on a rocking boat.
Of the hundreds of photos, only a few were noteworthy.
It was after 6pm as we turned around and began our quest home. The 20 minutes or so with puffins were a blast, and I had one more hope.
Dolphins.
Sure enough, halfway through the ride home, a group of dolphins helped pace us home. Watching them glide in and out of the water in the golden light was magical. They stuck with our boat for most of the way home before we turned into the bay towards Dingle.
Is the Dingle Boat Tour and Sea Safari Worth it?
The Dingle Sea Safari Boat Tour is a MUST-DO if you make it out to the peninsula. Sure, the rib boat can be a little uncomfortable as you’re basically sitting in a padded chair/saddle. But it’s what makes this a unique experience. Instead of being on a larger boat, you’re just above the waterline, and the smaller boat allows access to tight quarters.
This tour is highly worth it, and you’ll love getting out to see places most tourists never see when they visit Ireland.
Photos from the Dingle Boat Tour
Here are more of my favorite photos from our day on the water.
What camera and lenses should I bring to photograph on the tour?
On this tour, I had my Canon R5, my 24-105, and my 100-500 for wildlife. I don’t think I’d have chosen anything differently, though maybe I would have liked to go a little bit wider with a 16-35. However, our phones have good wide-angle capabilities, and I was able to use that in a few instances.
I also brought my GoPro 12, but found that handling too many cameras was taking away from the experience, so I stopped using it.
Tips for shooting on a moving boat
- Increase your shutter speed to reduce the chances of a blurry shot. Because it’s a mid-day tour, you can easily shoot at 1/1000.
- Don’t be afraid to bump your ISO into the 500 range. Better to have a little noise/grain than get blurry shots.
FAQ About the Dingle Boat Tour
How long did it last?
The tour usually lasts between 3 and 4 hours. We were given a little bit of a longer tour for whatever reason – and definitely not complaining. The views out there were perfect!
Could you get seasick?
There’s a good possibility of getting seasick if you are prone to motion sickness. I didn’t have any issue, but it might be smart to have a pill on you if you are worried about getting sick. Also, so many factors can contribute to larger waves that it is hard to predict what the conditions will be like.
Do you get wet?
There are chances where a bigger wave could splash over the side of the Rib Boat. But this isn’t white water rafting. You’re not going to get soaked. And even if you did get splashed, you’re wearing a water-resistant jumpsuit.
At some points, I do think I was a bit cold. I would recommend wearing a sweater under the jumpsuit, just to be safe.
Are there any beach landings or a chance to walk on solid ground?
Nope. This is an entirely water-based adventure tour. You do get close to rocks at some point, but that’s about it.
How much does it cost?
The Dingle Sea Safari costs around $125 USD per person. This comes out to be $105 Euros.
What else is there to do in Dingle?
We LOVED exploring the Dingle Peninsula. I have a two-day itinerary to read here.
I also recommend:
- Driving Slea Head Drive
- Holding baby goats
- Seeing 4,000-year-old stone huts
- Taking a hike
Final thoughts on the Dingle Sea Safari in Ireland
This was one heckuva tour, and I highly recommend it to people visiting the Dingle Peninsula. I don’t think many other places in Ireland offer an excursion like the Sea Safari. So, you might as well book this one and have an awesome day on the water!
Until next time, adventurers, stay safe.
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