Set out across the peaceful waters of Chichester Harbour to enjoy a glimpse of our much-loved seals.
Aboard Solar Heritage, our eco-friendly, solar-powered boat, you can glide almost silently through the harbour and enjoy the unforgettable experience of watching harbour seals and grey seals in their natural habitat.
Every trip is carefully planned with our wildlife expert to offer the best possible viewing conditions, whilst reducing any disturbance for these important creatures. A knowledgeable seal expert will also join you on board, sharing fascinating insights into the seals’ lives and answering questions along the way.
With open sides, superb panoramic views and a large, stable deck, Solar Heritage gives you the freedom to move around once the trip is underway so you can take in the seals, wildlife and beautiful harbour landscapes from every angle.
As a wildlife-aware organisation with WiSe accreditation, we’ll help you enjoy this special encounter responsibly while ensuring the seals have the space and protection they need.
Information about our Seal Safari boat trips
Chichester Harbour is home to the largest seal population in the Solent. As the only rookery in the Eastern English Channel our Seals are considered regionally unique and very important.
The seals in Chichester Harbour visit as the area offers an ideal habitat – it’s fairly quiet with a good deal of mud and sand to rest on. There’s also plenty of food including fish and crustaceans.
The time seals spend resting on the mudflats is essential to their health; they can’t digest food whilst in the water, and the “haul out” is when seals get their sleep, socialise and feed their pups.
- Seal Safaris run from Itchenor during the warmer months (April until October). We do not run Seal Safaris during the school summer holidays and first two weeks of September when our boat is in Emsworth.
- Please dress very warmly with layers as it always feels cooler on the water.
- Numbers are capped for our seal trips so as to ensure everyone is able to get a good view.
What to look for on a Seal Safari
Each seal’s coat is uniquely marked, it’s very own pattern of spots and blotches. Their colourings can vary too – from tan to grey, black and brown. Female seals are generally smaller than males and have a longer lifespan. The seals in Chichester Harbour can be seen anywhere – they’ve even been known to swim into the marinas and take a nap on the swimming platforms of moored boats!
We know that visitors like to see the seals but, if they are continually disturbed, they may choose to leave the Harbour altogether so taking part in a Seal Safari boat trip is a good way to spot these important mammals whilst reducing the disturbance on wildlife. By respecting their space, we hope that the seals will stay in Chichester Harbour for years to come.