cruise to seal island

Duration: 20 - 30min

Start Location: Mossel Bay Boat Adventures - Mossel Bay Harbor

End Location: Mossel Bay Boat Adventures - Mossel Bay Harbor

Departure Times: See our booking system for time schedule.

• Close Encounter with Marine Life and Seal Colony

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Seal Island Boat Trip - Circe Launches

Seal Island Boat Trip is available at the first stop of our Cape Point Private Tour.  Join a boat cruise to Duiker Island otherwise known as Seal Island to see thousands of Cape Fur Seals in their natural environment.

Seal Island Boat Trip - With Circe Launchers

CIRCE LAUNCHES, is the original 'SEAL ISLAND' (Duiker Island) Cruise operators from Hout Bay Harbour, was established in 1973.

Their vessel m.v. CALYPSO, operates departures to the Cape Fur Seal Colony at Duiker Island, commonly known as 'Seal Island'.

Seal Island Boat Trip - Glass Bottomed Boat

CALYPSO is the only true, GLASS BOTTOMED Passenger vessel, in South Africa. She has two viewing ports in the base of her hull, in the aft cabin, through which our passengers can see the seabed and sea life, around the Island, during good visibility and have close up views of the Cape Fur Seals, on the Island, from her decks.

Our cruises offer magnificent views of Chapman's Peak, the Sentinel Mountain, Hout Bay and the closest sightings of the Cape Fur Seals, in their natural habitat.

Our professional and experienced crew will ensure that your cruise with us will be a memorable one.

Seal Island Boat Trip - Departure Times

Departing 7 days a week 09:00 - 09:45 - 12:00 & 15:00

If you would like to take this boat trip, you might like to consider booking a Cape Point Tour, this is the first stop of the tour and the option is offered to guests to view the Habrour for 45Mins or Take the Boat Ride, Click for Details!

• Schedule & Rates
• Lighthouses
• Puffin Tour
• Isle au Haut
• Acadia National Park

Our fully licensed and inspected Downeast built boat will carry you from Stonington to the Seal Island shores where the puffins nest. On board our crew will provide descriptions of the avian and ocean wildlife along the way. The trips last between four and five hours, depending on weather and viewing. (Note that nobody is permitted to land on Seal Island.) Combo Cruises , stopping at three lighthouses along the way. You'll see remote Saddleback Ledge , Mark Island , and the Isle au Haut Light , along with the Seal Island birds. Bring water, sunscreen, cameras or binoculars and lunch if you wish.

Check out the May 18 WWW Seal Island Birding Cruise

40 Minute Seal Colony Cruise

This is an exciting 40 minute cruise from hout bay harbour to duiker island the seal colony where you can view thousands of wild cape fur seals, close up in their natural habitat..

Adults: R130 • Children under 14: R70 • 2 years and under: FREE

There are 35 species of seals in the world. Duiker Island is a Cape Fur Seal and bird sanctuary, home to thousands of seals and many birds such as the Cape Cormorant, the Bank Cormorants, Black Back Gulls, Kelp Gulls and Hartlaub Gulls.

It is illegal to go onto the island. The majority of the seals on Duiker Island are males waiting out their time until they reach the right breeding age, which is between the ages of 8 to 12 years depending on their size. Duiker Island is not a breeding colony as the sea can get very rough and the pups get swept off. The island is most densely populated from January through March due to the seals moulting. During this period they do not go off in search of food but rely on fats they have stored in their blubber.

Breeding is a continuous cycle and takes place in November/December in breeding colonies around the coastline of South Africa and Namibia. After fertilization there is a dormant period of 4 months and thereafter development continues, making the active gestation period 8 months. The pups are then born in late November early December. A cow usually only has one pup at a time when she reaches the breeding age which is 4-5 years old. She knows her pup by its smell and call and she will only mother her own offspring. Pups are entirely dependent on milk for the first 6 months. They are weaned between 8-10 months old.

They grow quickly and start to swim at 6 weeks old. By about 7 months they can spend 2-3 days at sea on their own and can already swim long distances. It has been noted that tagged seals have swum from Cape Town to Cape Cross in Namibia, a distance of 1600 kms at the age of 8 months. The Cape Fur Seal dives to a depth of 36m on average but diving abilities varies between species. Their ears and nostrils close tightly when they dive and they cannot breathe underwater. Even while sleeping in the water they have to surface to breathe, every 10-15 minutes for young ones and 30 minutes for the adults.

• In general they eat fish, shrimps, shellfish and squid.
• Seals can hear quite well in the air but their hearing underwater is much better.
• Their ability to tell what direction a sound is coming from is very good.
• Their eyes are adapted to see both on land and in the water.
• They maintain a constant body temperature of 38.5 C
• Bulls can weigh up to 350 kgs and cows up to 113 kgs

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Expect breath-taking views of the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive and the Sentinel Mountain. This is an exciting, child friendly 40 minute cruise from Hout Bay harbour to Duiker Island the Seal Colony where you can view thousands of wild Cape Fur Seals, close up in their beautiful natural habitat.

Daily - Subject to weather This ticket is valid for single entry for 14 days after the chosen date

Hout Bay harbour - near our stop No 24

09H15 / 10H00 / 12h00 / 14h00 / 15h15* (* = subject to minimum 15 passengers)

Cruise, Seal viewing

Please see the MEGA PASS

• See thousands of Cape fur seals at the foot of the spectacular Sentinel Mountain
• Family boat cruise around picturesque Hout Bay
• You might also encounter some dolphins and whales

Description

Join a thrilling boat cruise to Duiker Island to see thousands of Cape fur seals in their natural environment. Along the way, take in some of the most spectacular scenery the Cape Peninsula has to offer as you cruise along the rugged coastline from Hout Bay harbour. Expect breath-taking views of the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive and the Sentinel Mountain, in addition to the chance to see other marine life including dolphins and whales.

Drumbeat charters have been cruising the Cape coast since 1989. Their Seal Colony Cruise boat has been specially designed to handle the unique weather conditions of the Cape waters. It’s most-frequented destination is Duiker Island, renowned for its Cape fur seal population and birdlife.

+27 21 511 6000 [email protected]

36 Auckland Street, Paarden Eiland, Cape Town, 7420

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Availability Search for  Cruise Loch Linnhe

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• Cruise Loch Linnhe

Daily 2 hour cruises on Loch Linnhe visiting our local seal colony on black rock as well as some of Fort William's key cultural and historical sights. An informative commentary and refreshments are provided on board by our friendly crew!

Day Cruises Departing Fort William's Town Pier our day cruises to 'seal island' run 3 times a day at 10.30, 13.00, and 15.30 (n.b Nov-March we run a reduced timetable please check our website for departure times). Trips last 2 hours allowing plenty of time for you to enjoy spectacular views of Ben Nevis and the surrounding area. We will begin by visiting the entrance of the Caledonian Canal and the Corpach islands where we have regular sightings of White-tailed eagles, Otters, and porpoises. After that, we will cruise to 'Seal Island' which is home to both common and grey seals. Along the way, we will come across key historical and cultural sights such as fish farms, traditional black houses, and ancient Caledonian forests. Whilst onboard you will be entertained and informed with live commentary of the area by our extremely experienced and knowledgeable skipper Karl and our friendly crew will be on hand to provide refreshments and to take photos. Evening Cruises From April~September , we run our 90 minte evening cruises around Loch Linnhe and up to the very tranquil Loch Eil. Our evening cruises boast the best sunsets over the loch and unbeatable views of Ben Nevis! We also have a well-stocked bar onboard and our crew are on-hand to serve drinks, spot wildlife and talk about points of interest along the route. Our Vessels  Our Vessels have both indoor and outdoor seating including our elevated viewing deck and onboard toilet. Tea and coffee facilities along with snacks and juice to keep you refreshed during your cruise. 

Private charters Are available and can be used for Birthday Parties, School Trips, Fishing trips, Crew transfers, Sea bed surveys, and Sunset or Sunrise cruises. Just send us an email to enquire.

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The content of many of our web listings is provided by third party operators and not VisitScotland. VisitScotland accepts no responsibility for (1) any error or misrepresentation contained in third party listings, and (2) the contents of any external links within web listings ((1) and (2) together hereinafter referred to as the "Content"). VisitScotland excludes all liability for loss or damage caused by any reliance placed on the Content. The Content is provided for your information only and is not endorsed by VisitScotland.

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Travel | Travel: Here’s why the best way to see French…

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Travel | travel: here’s why the best way to see french polynesia is on a cruise ship, dreamy resorts and beaches win raves, but voyages can really bring island life within reach.

“Welcome to paradise!”

Experience should tell well-traveled warm-weather wanderlusters that when offered this greeting at a tropical resort, it’s best to take it with a grain of sea salt. Too many times has this heat-seeking holiday maker been burned, not by the sun’s rays, but that seemingly hospitable phrase.

At the five-star GoldenEye resort in Jamaica, for one, “paradise” had me waking up in a bedsheet speckled with blood despite having the protection, or not, of a mosquito net and generous layer of insect repellant. Las Brisas Acapulco is a luxury property affectionally called “The Pink and White Paradise,” but the only color I saw was red due to loud service carts whizzing past our room at all hours of the night. A drive-by shooting across the street was the cherry on top during a visit that was far from utopian.

If I had a nickel — or other small-value coin of foreign currency — for every time a tropical destination failed to live up to the paradisical hype, that would be a tidy sum and fodder for a tell-all travel book. But since life is short and we need more positivity in this topsy-turvy world, let’s not dwell on places where slices of heaven are inadvertently mixed with bits of hell. We should instead focus our travel binoculars on a corner of the world that rarely disappoints.

We’re talking about French Polynesia in the center of the serene South Pacific. Made up of five archipelagoes and 118 islands, nearly half of them uninhabited, this pinch-me place is a popular setting for screensaver graphics and wall calendars. It literally is the model of what many of us picture as the quintessential tropical paradise.

Who doesn’t dream of cooling off with a fruity libation while lounging beside palm trees swaying in the breeze on a pristine white-sand beach? Here’s where that vision becomes reality, and the icing on the coconut cake are views of crystal-clear turquoise waters surrounded by lush, green mountains. Even sweeter, unlike many vacation destinations near the equator, French Polynesia gets the seal of approval — a Level 1 travel advisory — from the U.S. State Department for safety.

Air Tahiti Nui, American, Delta, French Bee, Hawaiian and United airlines all fly between Tahiti and Los Angeles or San Francisco, and it’s a minimum of eight hours in the air. Although not a short trip, or a cheap one with roundtrips costing north of a grand, the ROI is a French-accented dream vacation with a joie de vivre.

Blessed with unmatched beauty, unique culture, friendly people and an alluring sense of seclusion, French Polynesia is a favored nation for honeymooners, celebrants of milestone anniversaries and others with the urge to splurge somewhere sultry besides the likes of South Florida, Hawaii, Costa Rica and the Caribbean.

Staying at a resort is how 80 percent of visitors do French Polynesia, per the country’s tourism authority ( tahititourisme.com ), and many go big with lodging at one of those luxurious overwater bungalows synonymous with the destination. The pinnacle of posh is arguably The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort ( www.stregisborabora.com ), where from inside your high-class hut you can watch sea life though glass-bottom flooring, and outside jump into an aquamarine lagoon off your private platform with a perfect view of iconic Mount Otemanu.

Making a full-service, five-star resort your base for an entire vacation sounds like paradise, and the majority of visitors would seem to agree. But know that if you ever want to explore other islands to get a different taste of Tahitian-French culture, that, mon amie, can be a hassle. Because flights and ferry service are limited to certain islands and days of the week, even the most resourceful hotel concierge may try to talk guests out of this well-intentioned, yet impractical idea.

If catching “island fever” after spending a few days on one property is a possibility, then your best ticket to paradise could be a cruise. By ship is the easiest way to visit multiple islands in a sprawling destination that’s roughly the size of Europe. On a typical 7- to 10-day journey around the Society Islands, for example, ships make calls in Moorea, Taha’a, Raiatea, Huahine and, of course, Bora Bora, before returning to Tahiti. Paul Gauguin, Windstar and Silversea are offering the most roundtrips with this itinerary over the next year, give or take a port, and of special note are those that anchor overnight in Bora Bora.

One of the benefits of cruising is you go to many places and unpack only once. But when given the opportunity to abandon ship to spend a night in an overwater villa, fussing with luggage a second time is a pleasant inconvenience. On a recent weeklong “More Society Islands & Tahiti” voyage aboard the 332-passenger Paul Gauguin, at least two guests skipped out on their spacious veranda stateroom with butler in exchange for an “Overwater Deluxe Villa” at the St. Regis, the only Forbes five-star resort in Bora Bora. That coveted category starts at $1,530 a night. By comparison, the InterContinental Tahiti and Hilton Tahiti were reporting midweek availability in July with rates starting at $330 and $370, respectively, but with markedly less wow factor.

Selling points of the St. Regis include snorkeling safely in the stunning Lagoonarium stocked with more than 120 species of fish, adults-only nooks and crannies, a heavenly spa, themed dining events nearly every night at one of the six restaurants and bars (the luau-like Polynesian Evening on Wednesdays is a high-energy hoot), and among the recreational offerings is an assigned bicycle for every guest.

The good life continues back on the Paul Gauguin ( www.pgcruises.com ). With an excellent 1:1.5 crew-to-guest ratio, service on the Paul Gauguin is solid — quite possibly the most caring and friendly this sea-legged scribe has experienced. Several among the crew flaunted other talents at a delightfully entertaining crew show on the penultimate evening.

On other nights in the understatedly beautiful 314-seat Grand Salon, Polynesian culture is shared through song and dance by impressive local acts. Late-night entertainment is often a weak link on small ships, but not here; the Santa Rosa Band and pianist-singer Jerry Lomocso are two versatile acts out of the Philippines worthy of the extended contracts they just received.

Shipboard entertainment, a stern-side marina for watersports, and most organized activities are included in the cruise fare, which for a 7-day sail can be booked for as low as $5,000, double occupancy. What’s not included are treatments at the well-managed Algotherm Spa and shore excursions. That’s typical even for luxury-category cruising. Looking at a few tours, ATVing in Huahine costs $279 per machine (single or double), but the views along the route, road and off-road, are priceless; “Coral Garden Drift Snorkeling” ($120 in Raiatea, $125 in Taha’a) takes swimmers to one of the best spots in the world; and the “WaveRunner Adventure” in Moorea ($239 per machine, single or double) includes a pitstop at a motu for a thrilling ray encounter.

Adventures of the epicurean kind were mostly successful on the recent cruise; dishes starring steaks, shellfish, lamb and veggies were of the high caliber one would expect from French-based Ponant, which acquired the ship in 2019, and is known for outstanding cuisine. A tip of the chapeau to Cheese Night at L’Etoile restaurant, featuring a dazzling spread of 15 types of prized French fromage.

Like the food, pretty much everything about the Paul Gauguin goes down smoothly. Even the ship’s bones are specially designed for smooth navigation in Polynesian waters, and at the risk of causing a nerd alert, here’s why: A 17-foot draft allows the ship to get in close to shallow lagoons and isolated islands, maximizing stopover time.

As for parts of the ship we can actually see, recent refurbishments have the 27-year-old ship looking younger and more distinguished than when I sailed on it in 2018. If only the spa’s $210 “Deep Regenerating Sun Care” treatment could have done that for me.

Dickstein is a freelance writer for the Southern California News Group.

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World's Largest Cruise Ship Sets Sail for the First Time in Initial Sea Trial — See Photos!

Royal Caribbean's "Icon of the Seas" is slated to embark on its maiden voyage out of South Florida in January 2024

Royal Caribbean's record-breaking Icon of the Seas is drawing closer to its debut in January 2024 after completing its first phase of sea trials in Europe.

Set to be the world’s largest cruise ship and the company's first Icon-class ship, the vessel has been under construction at Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, according to an official release .

The cruise will offer vacationers the world’s largest waterpark at sea, dubbed Category 6 and featuring six water slides. Icon of the Seas also offers a "resort getaway," a "beach escape," a theme park and over "40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained," according to the company.

Royal Caribbean

Inside, it will feature a one-of-a-kind accommodation: the "Ultimate Family Townhouse," which Royal Caribbean describes as a three-story "sprawling adventure-filled pad" with an in-suite slide, a karaoke station, and hidden areas to discover.

The ship's 20 decks will include Royal Caribbean's first-ever dueling piano bar, eight "neighborhoods," the largest pool at sea and experiences for thrill-seekers like Crown's Edge, described as "a fear-inducing challenge that’s part skywalk, part ropes course, part thrill ride and an all-out test of your courage."

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

The ship weighs in at an estimated 250,800 tons and measures close to 1,200 feet long. It also holds about 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew members, according to CNN .

Over 450 specialists have run four days of preliminary tests on the ship’s main engines, bow and propellers, as well as checking noise and vibration levels, a release shared.

"Between preparations and the trials, the important step in the journey to bring  Icon  to life involved more than 2,000 specialists, hundreds of miles traveled, four 37- to 67-ton tugboats and more than 350 hours of work," according to the release.

All of that will prepare the cruise for its second round of sea trials later this year, ahead of its debut out of South Florida in January 2024.

The Icon of the Seas will set sail from Miami on 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations all year round, where passengers can visit popular tropical destinations like the Bahamas, Mexico, St. Maarten and Honduras, as well as Royal Caribbean's private island, CocoCay.

At a press panel earlier this year, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley described the ship as “literally the best-performing new product launch we’ve ever had," according to CNN.

Royal Caribbean will be ousting themselves from the top spot. It's Wonder of the Seas is currently the world’s largest cruise ship.

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Crew of Carnival Cruise Line's Mardi Gras rescues couple from sailboat at sea

Crew members aboard Carnival Cruise Line's Port Canaveral, Florida-based Mardi Gras played an unexpected role this week. They rescued a couple stranded at sea.

Carnival said its Mardi Gras crew received a call from the U.S. Coast Guard to help rescue a man and a woman from a sailboat early Monday.

The couple was stranded about 20 miles from Castle Island, Bahamas, and Mardi Gras was less than 9 miles from them when the ship’s officers received a call from the Coast Guard.

As the Mardi Gras approached the sailboat, the crew lowered a lifeboat to make the rescue just after 1 a.m. Monday.

Once on board the Mardi Gras, the man was admitted to the ship's medical center , Carnival said, adding that both of them "are being assisted and supported by the ship’s team."

Carnival said it was unable to provide additional details about the couple's identity or the man's medical condition. A photo provided by Carnival showed the man coming aboard the ship in a wheelchair.

Carnival Venezia: New cruise ship offers Italian-style cruising

The Mardi Gras left Port Canaveral on Saturday on an eight-day Caribbean sailing. The ship is continuing its planned itinerary, with a stop Tuesday in Aruba. It is scheduled to return to Port Canaveral next Sunday.

Mardi Gras carries more than 6,000 passengers and more than 1,700 crew members. It is Carnival's second-largest ship, and one of three Carnival ships now based at Port Canaveral, along with the Freedom and the Liberty.

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at  [email protected] , on Twitter at  @bydaveberman  and on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54