Isles of Scilly glass bottom boat tour
Confining my daughter to one place for 90 minutes can be risky. Sometimes, getting her to sit still for 90 seconds is tricky enough – and on a boat, where there’s no getting off? But there were good reasons to tempt me to book a glass-bottomed boat tour when we were in the Isles of Scilly.
Firstly, that glass bottom of Sea Quest, so she’d have something to entertain her throughout, second, the chance to see seals, and lastly a visit to St Martin’s, the only inhabited island we hadn’t explored on our Calypso tour of three of the Isles of Scilly, while staying at Tregarthen’s Hotel on St Mary’s.
By this point in our family holiday, the sun had come out again, the waves were calm and it was a fabulous blue sky day to head to the uninhabited islands and rocky outcrops dotted across the Scilly Isles.
For another great Isles of Scilly boat trip, check out my review of our Calypso boat tour visiting three islands in one day
There was almost no-one else around, as we cruised towards the Eastern Isles. The occasional sea bird standing on a rock, although sadly we were too late for puffins (which Minnie is convinced are a hybrid mix of penguins and toucans…)
Then we spotted a seal! The excitement was huge (particularly from me). I’ve been on more than a few animal spotting trips where the animals haven’t turned up to be spotted, so I was thrilled to see a seal, lounging on his rock.
What I hadn’t realised was that he (or she) was only the first. Sleek heads bobbing in the water, their black eyes surveying us curiously, popped up again and again.
And on the rocks, colony after colony, slumped in the sun, occasionally lurching their way around into both their fellow rock sharers or into the waves.
A few perched alone, precariously balanced – or so it seemed – on top of a rock. Presumably that cosy blubber meant it’s as comfy as an armchair.
I don’t think I got ever blase at the sight, even after the umpteenth seal, although Minnie’s miniature attention span had wavered and demanded the stash of stickers in my bag. Still, it meant I got to gaze.
The glass bottom, while fun, doesn’t show a great deal unfortunately – the seas are very clear, so you could get a glimpse of the sandy bottom and (in Minnie’s words) ‘big fat seaweed’ forests, as well as a brief glimpse of some little fish as we docked, but this isn’t the Caribbean after all.
Even if St Martin’s glorious bays did a pretty good job at doubling for Caribbean beaches.
After lunch in the Sevenstones Inn with its gorgeous views down onto the bay (and pretty gorgeous sandwiches and glass of rose for me), we headed down to the beach at Lower Town where our boat had docked to dig holes/make sandcastles/paddle (Minnie) or lie in the sun (me).
Then a walk across the island to Higher Town, stopping en route to buy a Cornetto for Minnie and check out the Island Bakery (whose goodies had been all but eaten out by the time we arrived in the afternoon).
At which point we discovered a spectacular second beach closer to the quay. Sadly there wasn’t much time to do more than take a billion photos of its sheer loveliness, let Minnie get all sandy again while people admired her dinosaur towel and hop back aboard to return to the hotel.
Fortunately, that gives me the perfect excuse to go back and explore some more another time!
For more reasons to visit the Isles of Scilly with kids, check out this post
Isles of Scilly glass bottom boat tour: Need to know
The Sea Quest glass bottomed boat trip to the Eastern Isles leaves the harbour of St Mary’s at 10.30am, as well as later departures running from St Martin’s.
The island stop varies each day, depending on weather and tides, but you should be able to find out the day before which island you’re due to visit. You can also head straight back to St Mary’s if you prefer after the seal spotting, rather than getting off to explore.
Adult tickets cost from £18 for one-hour trips, children under 14 cost £13 and trips can only be booked a maximum of seven days in advance to account for the weather.
There are a variety of other itineraries as well to explore the Isles of Scilly, with trips running from April to October.
Read my complete guide to the Isles of Scilly with kids here
PIN FOR LATER: SCILLY GLASS BOTTOM BOAT TOUR
Disclosure: My trip to the Isles of Scilly was courtesy of Tregarthen’s Hotel and Isles of Scilly Travel. The decision to take and pay for the Seaquest trip was my own, as are my opinions and excited attitude to seals.
Images copyright MummyTravels
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Wow, that looks amazing. Your photo’s are really stunning. I love Minnie’s description of puffins lol, very clever 🙂
Thank you! And that did make me smile – she also thinks kangaroos are a kind of huge rabbit… 🙂
Ive only ever been on a glass bottom boat once and it was fantastic we were abroad and the sea was as clear as anything and you could see so many fish. I want to take the kids on one now they well one of them will understand.
They are great, aren’t they, especially when there’s so much to see – my daughter was pretty fascinated just watching the waves and seaweed for quite a while, so I definitely think it’s great for kids.
Wow it looks beautiful there! We’re currently looking where to go for our first abroad holiday as a family with the toddler and baby. That dinosaur towel is awesome!
They are such gorgeous islands, and the beaches are amazing – everyone loves that towel too! Hope you have a great first trip abroad, where are you thinking of going?
Wow what an incredible experience, I would love this. I am also a little bit in love with the little dino outfit x
It was amazing seeing so many seals – and the dino is very cute!
oh how wonderful to see the seals in their habitat. My lot would have loved to see that.
It was fabulous – they were so much fun to watch
lol had to laugh at your excited attitude to seals! The view from the Sevenstones Inn is absolutely stunning. Love the dino beach towel! Sounds like a fab place to visit x
I was unashamedly carried away 😀
This looks like such a beautiful place, the water looks so clear. What a fun experience to have, I’d love to go on a glass bottomed boat myself.
So much fun – I do love boat trips but this just gives a bit extra too.
How fantastic to see the seals during your boat ride – wonderful getting a chance to see them in their natural habitat. I would love to take my kids at some point to the Isles of Scilly.
The islands are so wonderful, definitely a great place with kids.
What a great trip to have been able to explore with Mini, it’s fab that you got to see so much local wildlife. I’m sure Mini loved spotting the seals for a while but she obviously knows all too well the power of a snickers bar. Mini’s dinosaur towel is fab, I bet she enjoyed running along the beach as a little dinosaur. Thanks for linking up with Country Kids.
I do love getting to see animals in their natural habitat so the seals were wonderful – and she adores that towel (nicknamed steggy the stegosaurus!)
Glad you had fun and seeing fish from the bottom was more than we did! Love that towel btw! Got to love those seals…
Very much – thanks for the advice. And only a few fish when by the quay but the seals made up for it 🙂
I nodded knowingly throughout your first paragraph. Sitting still is not Tin Box Tot’s cup of tea either. All those seals! How exciting!! And I love the towel – do they do it in adult sizes? 🙂
I did actually experimentally time her once. I don’t think she did made three seconds without wriggling. Alas no adult sizes for the towel – kids get all the good stuff 🙂
Oh this looks such a gorgeous place. We have been on a glass bottomed boat around Mahon harbour in Menorca. Kaz
It really is – your boat trip sounds lovely as well, Menorca is somewhere I’d love to go back to (not having been since I was a child myself!). I’ll add that to the list if we make it.
Looks fabulous, my ladies love the seaside, I actually don’t think we’ve been on a small boat like that with them, we go on the ferry lots but not quite the same experience and certainly no glass bottom!!
Definitely more fun than a ferry! There were some other kids on another trip we did and I think that made it even more of an adventure.
sounds like a fab trip, I agree on the keeping them still for more than 90 seconds, but well done on surviving the boat trip. Great that you saw so many seals, nice to see animals in their own habitats.
Looks a beautiful place to visit with lovely golden sands.
The towel is very cute. #countrykids
I was amazed how many seals there were – and definitely good to have lots of different distractions for the trip.
Gorgeous photos. I’d have been excited to see seals too, I’ve only done a boat trip once but I was quite disappointed not to see any! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks – I think I’m so used to trips where you might see an animal if you’re very lucky that I hadn’t expected quite so many!
We’ve got an Isles of Scilly post this week too 🙂 We didn’t go on a glass bottomed boat though, might have to give that a go next time. #MondayEscapes
Will have to check that out! Rather enjoying reliving last summer on the linky – the boat tour was fab too 🙂
I LOVE the idea of this! I was captivated by the seals in the Hebrides so I’d really enjoy seeing them. I totally get your over excitement. #MondayEscapes
Oh, I can imagine it would be beautiful there too – just amazing to see them all.
This looks such a fabulous trip – Minnie looks adorable in her little Gruffalo towel! I love the idea of a glass bottomed boat and being able to see all that wildlife. Think I would have squealed at a sea lion too! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes
It was such a fantastic holiday – the islands really are magical, and seals too!
The only time I went on a glass bottom boat was in Sri Lanka and the glass was so dirty – we couldn’t see anything thru it! Would love to see your posts in the Practical Mondays Link Up:)
Oh no! Not the plan… will check out the linky too, although I suspect I’m more of an impractical mum…