Within minutes of arriving on the harbour front in St Ives, you will be sure to be greeted by cries of “Seal Island Boat Trips” by the ticket sellers. This is one of the top must do things in St Ives so why not take a boat trip on our recommended operators. St Ives and the surrounding area is a beautiful part of the Cornish coastline. There are swathes of stunning beaches with golden sands, rugged cliffs and rocky out crops and marine life in abundance. It is a fun way to see the coastline and marine life. You can view our local seal colony, go to Godrevy Island, take a mackerel fishing trip, a wreck fishing trip and even enjoy a glass bottom boat sea safari. If you’re in luck you may see dolphins or even whales.
The SEAHORSE is the longest established pleasure boat business in St Ives! It has been running for nearly 40 years, offering pleasure cruises to holiday makers as can’t be missed by its bright orange colour which it is famous for. The Seahorse can offer Seal Island trips, Godrevy Lighthouse trips as well as private charters or mackerel fishing, all for up to 12 people. The trips are family friendly and dogs are also welcome aboard! Seal Island is three and a half miles away along the stunning coastline of St Ives and the trip lasts just over an hour and will delight passengers as they travel to meet the colony of Grey Atlantic seals that reside there. On any of the trips look out for other fantastic marine life along the way, dolphins and porpoises are frequently spotted by our passengers. You can book online for an unforgettable boat trip @ The Seahorse Boat Trips
On our trips we explore one of the UK’s most stunning areas. St Ives Boats offer daily boat trips leaving from St Ives harbour. Sea safaris on the famous “Dolly P boats” offer seal watching along the magnificent Cornish coast at Seal Island or across the bay at the famous Godrevy lighthouse . Boat Trips depart daily, Easter to November, from St Ives Harbour, at all state of tides, if sea and weather conditions allow, but also Dolly P and James Stevens No.10 are fully licensed to carry 12 passengers and we are pleased to accept private boat charters to fulfil your preferred requirements.
St Ives Bay in Cornwall has been recognised by The Most Beautiful Bays Club as one of only 32 bays in the world and one of only 2 in the UK to meet the stringent requirements of outstanding natural beauty and interesting wildlife including dolphins, seals, sharks, whales and more.
Fishing in St Ives has some of the best fishing grounds in the UK with gin clear water and masses of mixed-species without having to travel miles. Now the only company here with two large Catamaran boats, we offer a bigger, faster, and safer experience.
Choose from a family friendly mackerel fishing trip or the more adventurous half day deep sea trip for the larger fish which include pollock, cod, gurnard, john dory and ling etc. No experience is needed.
We also offer private charters tailored to suit your needs at St Ives Fishing Trips – Bluefin Charters St Ives, Cornwall
Exciting Boat Trips and Sea Safaris on the Little Mermaid St. Ives.
Explore the stunning Cornish Coastline and watch the wildlife in their natural habitats.
The Little Mermaid offers the best family-friendly and dog-friendly boat trips from St. Ives Harbour around the local waters of the north coast of Cornwall. St. Ives is one of the most sought-after places to visit in the UK and has some of the most beautiful bays in the world.
A boat trip is the best way to see the stunning natural coastline, from St. Ives to Godrevy Island and the Western Carracks (Seal Island), you can view coves, bays, and a wide variety of marine wildlife including seals, dolphins, and seabirds.
Our trips last just over 1 hour and are suitable for up to 12 passengers.
See our website for private hire options.
The Little Mermaid is where moments become memories.
The NEMO is a state of the art glass bottom boat, built only 4 years ago and is run by a local family. With eight glass viewing panels, the NEMO is one of the largest glass bottom vessels in the UK and therefore offering a unique experience to visitors to St Ives. It also offers boat trips to Seal Island and Godrevy Lighthouse to see the seal colony and also the abundance of marine life underwater and on the reefs through the glass panels such as crabs, starfish, jelly fish, seabass, shoals of fish and sometimes the odd seal or dolphin pops up to say hello. You can also book a private charter, a 2.5 hour extended sea safari or a 4 hour Lands End sea safari perfect for watching the sunset. The boat is also coded for up to 12 passengers. Book online for an unforgettable experience @ Nemo St Ives
TIGER LILLY is a local family-owned business, established for nearly 20 years and offering the highest customer service. The boat is a fine example Lochin 33 Sports Fisher, with a maximum capacity of 12 passengers. Daily boat trips departing from St Ives harbour exploring the magnificent Cornish coastline to Seal Island and Godrevy Lighthouse, they also offer private charters, mackerel fishing trips and twilight adventure trips which are highly rated and very popular. The Tiger Lilly team are well established and committed to contributing to the health and wellbeing of marine life, regularly recovering ghost netting and plastics working with other local organisations for onward recycling. You can book online for this fantastic experience @ St Ives Boat cruises
All three operators are WISE accredited (www.wise.org) which means the Skippers are wildlife safe and follow protocols to protect the local marine life.
Fishing and St Ives go together like, well, fish and chips. Whether you want to grab a rod and hunt for your supper, enjoy a family fishing trip on a boat, or fancy a relaxing day of coarse fishing, St Ives has plenty of fishy fun on offer.
If you want to fish in St Ives, Porthmeor Beach is a good place to start. When the surf’s running, you can catch bass; and although dogs are banned from this beach in the summer, dogfish are a year-round visitor. In the winter, you may be able to catch plaice, turbot and flounder, or occasionally cod. St Ives harbour and pier is a good location to catch mackerel on lures, as well as various flatfish.
Please be aware that sea fishing can be dangerous, and if possible, go with a friend or two (more fun anyway…). Let the landlubbers know where you’re going, and always check the tide times.
Visit the British Sea Fishing website and the South West sea fishing forum to find out more.
Just three miles outside St Ives, in the beautiful and wild Penwith moorland, is Amalwhidden Farm, a family-run coarse fishery with three well-stocked ponds. Teaching and rod-hire are available if you’re a novice, and it’s a lovely place for experienced pleasure anglers to enjoy a day. Nance Lakes, also near St Ives, combines coarse fishing with camping – the perfect holiday for the freshwater angler.