EcoVentures
EcoVentures
5
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About
Boat trips from the beautiful village of Cromarty. Wildlife regularly encountered includes; the resident colony of Bottlenose Dolphins, Seals, Seabirds and the occasional Minke Whale. Daily sailings from Easter through until October weather permitting. Booking highly recommended.
Cromarty, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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5.0
422 reviews
Excellent
389
Very good
23
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Terrible
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Glenn f
1 contribution
Sept 2020
I can not recommend these guys highly enough , we was very fortunate that the day of our visit the sea was like a mirror hardly a ripple , the weather set fine , the rib is running at reduced capacity due to Covid with Sarah and the team taking all the required measures to guarantee your safety.
Now down to the trip , 30 mins in sporting only a seal and many sea birds I was beginning to become sceptical that we may not see any dolphins , how wrong I was , Sarah our skipper firstly found a pod of 10+ dolphins plus a baby less than a week old which we had the pleasure of floating alongside for a good 15 minutes + we then repositioned across the bay only for Sarah to find another pod of 4 to follow.
Magical moments , fantastic trip highly recommend one not to miss.
Now down to the trip , 30 mins in sporting only a seal and many sea birds I was beginning to become sceptical that we may not see any dolphins , how wrong I was , Sarah our skipper firstly found a pod of 10+ dolphins plus a baby less than a week old which we had the pleasure of floating alongside for a good 15 minutes + we then repositioned across the bay only for Sarah to find another pod of 4 to follow.
Magical moments , fantastic trip highly recommend one not to miss.
Written 15 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kel2806
67 contributions
Sept 2020 • Friends
Had a lovely trip in these current difficult circumstance.The boat was only running at half capacity and plastic screens had been put up between groups meaning we felt very safe. Professional staff put everybody at ease. Easy communication via email to book.Great view of the dolphins who swam at the side of the boat for a good 20 minutes.Would highly recommend!!Thank you for a great trip!!
Written 13 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heather M
8 contributions
Jun 2022
From the moment we walked into the shop and were warmly welcomed by Lorna to the moment she waved us off again we had a great time. Booking was easy to do and confirmation email gave lots of information about what to wear/bring and what they could provide and where and when we needed to turn up. Lorna was very friendly and keen to tell us all about what they had seen on recent trips. Good briefing by Tim before setting off - told us all the essentials but didn’t waffle on unnecessarily! Tim was very knowledgeable and answered all of our many questions brilliantly. He was also very considerate of the dolphins’ space - we didn’t linger for too long so as not to disturb them. He was very calm and confident throughout even when there was a potential emergency at the harbour as we were setting off (completely unrelated to our trip!). He spoke up well throughout meaning that my Dad who is slightly hard of hearing could hear the vast majority of what he said - this was helped by being in a good seat to hear so do let Tim know if you struggle with hearing and he will be able to help! The trip itself was lovely and covered much more than just dolphins although we did see a couple of dolphins which was a highlight! Boat ride exhilarating and despite being in seats where we did get rather splashed, the waterproofs that were provided made sure we stayed very warm and dry. A brilliant experience and we will definitely book again when we are back in the area! Thank you!
Written 19 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Redkitewatcher64
Andover, UK2,007 contributions
Jul 2021
We booked with Ecoventures because of their great reviews and social media posts and their experience in dolphin watching trips. For many years we have gone to Avoch to watch the dolphins from the coast but with family visiting we thought it would be a treat to try and see them from the sea. We have been on many wildlife trips all over the world and understand that sightings are not guaranteed, however within a few moments of being on this trip I had a feeling that we weren't going to see anything. The online booking was easy and professional as was the follow up emails. The welcome was warm , and the safety talk and equipment provided was high quality. There were only two groups on the trip so we sat separately in the front and back of the boat to comply with social distancing. It was a lovely sunny day and great to be on the water, although the wind got up and it became a bit of a bumpy roller coaster ride but still fun if a little wet from the spray. However for a dolphin watching tour I was puzzled that much of the first 30 minutes of the trip was spent looking at the moored oil rigs and a ship wreck site. We then followed along the coast line with talks about the bird colonies and salmon fishing huts. Knowing that the dolphins are most commonly seen along Fortrose and Avoch I couldn't understand why the boat did not go in that direction until the last few minutes of the trip , with a couple of quick looks with binoculars, before we raced back bouncing on the waves. . When we landed it felt like the skipper was reading from a well prepared script when he apologized for no dolphins , and when we got back to the office there was already another group ready and waiting to go on the next trip. It did feel that this was just an extra boat trip that had been arranged for summer tourists on a busy summer day and not really linked with the tide times that the dolphins normally use. (this was confirmed when we checked the tide times when we got home) When we left we stopped at Avoch for a takeaway coffee , and chatted to a regular dolphin photographer who stated he had seen our boat out at sea and he thought it was an unusual time for it to be out. It was such a shame and so disappointing , as at £200 it wasn't a cheap trip . I think we will stick to standing on the shore and watching the dolphins in the future . Would recommend if you book this trip to double check the tide times and try and get a trip 1.5-2hrs after low tide to have a chance of spotting dolphins
Written 25 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Firstly, thank you from all the team here for taking a trip with us, this past 18 months have been challenging to say the least and we appreciate our passengers more than ever right now. Thank you also for taking the time to leave us such detailed feedback and I am sorry you were disappointed with your trip. Your review however does give us a welcome opportunity to address some of the all too common misconceptions with regards to shore based versus boat based wildlife watching. I do hope this will clarify things for you and other readers of your review.
One of the most frequent questions we are asked is “When is the best time to see dolphins?” The short answer is that when you are out on a boat there isn’t one. The Moray Firth Dolphin population consists of approximately 200 individuals, these form many fluid and frequently changing subgroups whose range covers hundreds, if not thousands of square miles. There is not one single group of dolphins and this is perhaps where much of the confusion arises. Unlike shore based watching, when you are out on a boat you can cover a far larger amount of ground and many more of the areas that dolphins and other marine life tend to inhabit.
The Inner Moray Firth remains one of the best places in the world to view Bottlenose Dolphins in the wild and our three skippers have over 60 years experience between them skippering both research and tourism vessels in this area. Over the last 17 years of operation we have been lucky enough to encounter cetaceans on average annually on between 70 and 80% of all trips.
There are certain areas Dolphins are more likely to be encountered in and certain routes they tend to follow but there are never any guarantees with wildlife watching and for that reason we do not market any of our trips as ‘Dolphin Trips’. As you point out, our skippers and shore staff take time to ensure passengers understand that finding any wildlife, especially any of the Moray Firth’s 200 resident Dolphins, is never guaranteed.
We would urge any passenger contemplating a trip with us to treat it as a boat trip and if you are fortunate enough to encounter Whales, Dolphins, Porpoise or any other sea and bird life then that is a privilege and a bonus. There are many reasons to do a boat trip, for many a trip in a RIB is an experience in itself. This is a small group experience with a knowledgeable guide and we endeavour to cover as many of the best wildlife watching areas as we can whilst explaining a little of the history and current highly visible industry. This does involve a short run west of the Harbour into the Cromarty Firth which takes approximately 10 – 15 minutes depending on weather and allows us also to check for wildlife and birdlife in the Firth first before heading out into the wider Moray Firth. There is nothing more frustrating than doing a two hour trip out beyond the Sutors to arrive back at the Harbour and find Dolphins heading out having been in the Firth the entire time. Over the years we have encountered seals, Peregrine and a variety of seabirds utilising the oilrigs and it is an area we sometimes also encounter Harbour Porpoise.
There is, as you say, a small tidal influence in sightings at the Chanonry Narrows and that is because you are standing in a fixed location waiting for the possibility that dolphins might come in to feed there, as fish are channelled close to the Point by the strong currents. Much to many people’s surprise sightings are certainly not guaranteed there either. It is only a tiny proportion of the Bottlenose Dolphin population as a whole that will use the Narrows and perhaps that, unfortunately, is where much of the confusion arises and the myth that Dolphins are only seen at set times. To achieve the sightings record we do, we have never visited the Narrows on any of our trips, nor would ever choose to do so. As a member of the Dolphin Space Programme, which is a voluntary Code of Conduct designed to minimise disturbance to Dolphins, the Chanonry Narrows is classed as a sensitive feeding area and as such, all tour vessels must proceed through behaving as routine traffic and are not permitted to stop.
Pre-Covid, we conducted our pre-trip safety briefing inside where our sightings board is always prominently displayed, we appreciate that by limiting the number of people in the shop, you might not have had the opportunity to read our sightings reports, showing location and timings of all our encounters with cetaceans. Had you been able to do so, you would see that Dolphins are encountered on our trips in every state of tide and time of day. We have a huge number of repeat customers who would testify to that and we would welcome anyone thinking of taking a trip to view our sightings board. It is unclear from your post whether you stay locally, but if you do I would welcome the opportunity to show you our daily board and our sightings record sheets. We log and record all our sightings and have done so for every trip in our 17 years of operation.
During the summer months we run as many trips as we safely can to ensure the most number of people have the chance to experience a trip with us. The school Summer holidays are of course our busiest time. We keep our prices as low as we can and we feel that £40 per adult and £32 per child is reasonable and competitive in these very challenging times, especially as up until August 9th we were having to socially distance passengers on all our trips often running at 50% of our normal capacity.
There are advantages to both shore based and boat based watching, most people will choose to do a bit of both and what you choose to do is a personal decision based on your budget and what you hope to gain from the experience, but I hope this goes some way to making clear the differences between the two, and addresses some of the common misapprehensions.
Written 13 August 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kathy E
Southampton, UK98 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
I was really disappointed because I wanted to see wildlife but the trip was just designed for those who like speed. It wasn’t rough but we were bounced along and I was scared. I said so but little notice was taken. You can’t take good pictures of anything in such conditions. After she said she did it for the kids but it’s advertised as a wildlife boat trip not a joy ride. No real attempt to see dolphins and so none were seen! Hated it!
Written 19 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jpjh
Inverness, UK48 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
My third trip with ecoventures as I love bringing friends and family to see the dolphins. And my third trip didn’t disappoint! Lovely staff so pleasant, helpful and knowledgeable. Skipper Sarah was a pro at handling the boat (which was super fun) and found us some beautiful cheeky dolphins. The boat was very respectful of the dolphins at all times.
Written 17 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nags1hols2
Wigan, UK33 contributions
Sept 2021
From beginning to end this was so worthwhile and value for money.
Felt totally safe and cared for throughout.
The skipper was so knowledgeable and helped to give us the best possible experience.
Sadly the trip was cut short due to fog coming in thick and fast. Our safety was always the first priority. We were given a percentage refund which I didn’t expect because you can’t control the weather! Also given a cup of hot chocolate on return again unexpected but welcome.
The boat was top class like everything else about this enterprise.
Would recommend and I would definitely do it again. Thanks to all.
Felt totally safe and cared for throughout.
The skipper was so knowledgeable and helped to give us the best possible experience.
Sadly the trip was cut short due to fog coming in thick and fast. Our safety was always the first priority. We were given a percentage refund which I didn’t expect because you can’t control the weather! Also given a cup of hot chocolate on return again unexpected but welcome.
The boat was top class like everything else about this enterprise.
Would recommend and I would definitely do it again. Thanks to all.
Written 12 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ScottishJams
Helensburgh, UK27 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
EcoVentures is a fantastic company and an outstanding way to see some of the local area and wildlife. Lovely, friendly and helpful staff with a very professional attitude. Coupled with an in depth knowledge of the local area, from history to ecology, I would highly recommend them to anyone.
An early morning fog had us a bit concerned but we headed out to see what the morning brought. And what a morning! The fog lifted gently and we headed off to look at some of the sea birds and then Sarah spotted some local Dolphins. Always with consideration for these wild creatures, which I think shows a lovely respect for the natural environment, we were treated to some wonderful sights.
Really can't say enough good things about the whole team!
If you get the chance, go! No matter what you see it's just a great way to spend some quality time.
An early morning fog had us a bit concerned but we headed out to see what the morning brought. And what a morning! The fog lifted gently and we headed off to look at some of the sea birds and then Sarah spotted some local Dolphins. Always with consideration for these wild creatures, which I think shows a lovely respect for the natural environment, we were treated to some wonderful sights.
Really can't say enough good things about the whole team!
If you get the chance, go! No matter what you see it's just a great way to spend some quality time.
Written 25 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tilly E
10 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
Brilliant!!! Visited on Sunday. Had a very warm welcome, given waterproof clothing and a safety talk. Sarah was awesome, she took us out on the boat for 2 hours and wasn’t giving up until we saw some wildlife. She stopped the boat to give us a small informative talk about the animals and places we could see. Hot chocolate and biscuits half way through was a lovely touch. Definitely recommend and will be back! Well worth the money!
Written 22 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MM_Hants
London, UK32 contributions
Aug 2021
Fantastic day out. A very professional outfit who provided just the right level of information and let the wildlife be the stars of the show. I was impressed also that the crew were fully respectful of the animals and in particular didn't feel the need to go too close to the dolphins which must be very tempting; you really felt like you were close enough to feel immersed but far enough away that the dolphins weren't stressed or imposed upon. Great experience for little (and big) kids in particular.
Written 31 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and myself are going to Cromarty 28th March and would like to go on an Eco dolphin tour. Can you please let us know if this is possible
Written 13 September 2019
Contact ecoventures directly. They quickly reply to mails. Enjoy your trip!
Written 16 September 2019
My wife and my self will be arriving July 3rd on board Holland America Eurodam Ship. Arr 08:00 dep 17:00
Do you pick up us at the ship dock? or we have to find your place?
What do we have to wear? If the weather is rough the tour will go any how?
If we book on line and for some reason we can´t dock or we miss the port, do we get a refund?
At what time your tour departs?
Written 17 May 2015
Yes you have to go to Cromarty yourselves. They give waterproof anoraks but bring some cardigan and long pairs of trousers. The weather is different out on sea. Although July should be warmer than when we were in April. If weather is not great they might cancel the trip. But it can only be seen on the day. I.m not sure if they charge for it if they cancel the trip or give a refund.
However I would advise you to book with them online or on the phone so you have spaces. They could also tell when the trips are on that day. It can be different times from an early season as it will be high season. And even in the early season it was near full, so popular.
They, ll take your card number and will charge it if you don, t turn up! It sounds harsh but it' s their living!
If you have more question, the best is to call them
and ask. They are a lovely and friendly team!
Enjoy your trip hope you see dolphins !
Written 17 May 2015
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