Puffin Cruise

In July 2024, I booked onto an RSPB cruise from Bridlington out to the Flamborough coast to view the various sea birds from sea level - A unique view!

Earlier in the year the same cruise I had booked onto was cancelled by the boats skipper due to expected poor sea conditions. At the second attempt the weather forecast was looking a bit hit and miss and the day before I was fully expecting another email starting with “unfortunately…..”

An email did come through but to my delight it stated that the cruise would be going ahead! We had planned a weekend around it and was staying just up the road in Filey so that we still had a trip out even if the cruise didn’t go ahead.

We arrived at the pier of Bridlington harbour and waited for our boat to arrive, the famous “Yorkshire Belle”. They offer various different cruises from Bridlington and some are specifically teamed up with the RSPB to offer bird watching trips such as this one!

Our trip was a 3 hour cruise out past the Flamborough headland and round to the chalk cliffs at Bempton with the main aim to see Puffins as well as all the other seabirds which call these cliffs home during the breeding season. There was a distant rain cloud brewing but in the main the sky was blue and the sea was calm. So off we went…

Heading out around the headland we were treated to views of Grey Seals bobbing up and down in the water and the odd flash by of a Guillemot or Razorbill heading back to the cliffs with a beak full of fish. As we got nearer to Bempton Cliffs the sky was filled with birds! Our on board RSPB guide was on the tannoy system letting people know where to look when a Puffin was spotted and gave general commentary on the various species we were seeing.

The boat was turned around a few times to give everyone onboard a view of the action and we sailed really close in towards the cliff faces to see the birds nestled on the edges protecting their nests - some still on eggs and some now feeding chicks.

The sea was starting to get choppier however and it was difficult to be fast enough with the camera trying to capture shots of the birds on the sea without a wave blocking the view. Most of the time, by the time a Puffin was spotted and the camera pointed towards it, it had flown off or dived under the water. I’m certain a calmer sea would have given a higher hit rate.

At this point the mood changed, the sea got choppier and we could see a huge wall of rain approaching us from the north. We set off on the return for Bridlington and the announcement was made that the rain was moving quicker than we were. Moments later everyone on the boat was diving for cover as the heavens opened. The camera went away to protect it from the downpour and that was it for photos! The weather had cut the trip slightly short and the now choppy sea was causing most of the boat to see their dinner again! Obviously once we got back into the harbour the weather was glorious again!

Obviously the weather is always going to be a major factor to consider with these types of trips, so it is what it is in that respect. It was great to get out onto the sea and see the cliffs from a unique aspect. I have spent many hours on the top of the cliffs looking down at the cliffs and this gave me a real appreciation for just how high the cliffs are! Overall an enjoyable trip out and for the more casual wildlife watcher its great to be taken to where the wildlife is and have running commentary, telling you where to look and giving facts about what you are looking at. Plus it is always great to get up close to Puffins!

Beardies!

YWT Staveley