Low Tide Cruises

Winter in Poole Harbour is spectacular, as it becomes one of the most important areas in southern Britain over-wintering wetland birds, gathering in their thousands.

Averaging only a meter deep, Poole Harbour can be hard enough to navigate on a high tide, let alone a low tide! However, Birds of Poole Harbour are delighted to announce our series of Low Tide Cruises for winter 2024/25, which will provide stunning views out across the harbour and its mudflats, bringing you closer to some of the harbour’s winter residents.

Vital to waders, the many estuaries and creeks provide feeding areas for species such as Curlew, Black-tailed Godwit, Avocet, Grey Plover and Oystercatcher. With the water drained out of the channels, open-water species such as Red-breasted Merganser, Goldeneye and Great Northern Diver are restricted open bodies of water, making them easier to find, as wildfowl such as Wigeon and Pintail leave the cover of the salt marsh to take advantage of the transient feeding opportunities. We’ll be cruising around the harbour and making our way up the Wareham Channel, providing a running commentary and logging as many of the harbour’s over-wintering wader and wildfowl species along the way.

Additional Information

• Boat trips depart from and return to Poole Quay boarding with Greenslade Pleasure Boats (orange-and-white kiosk) opposite the Lord Nelson pub
• Nearest public car park is Quay Visitors multi-storey car park, Old Orchard, BH15 1SB (please note there is a height limit)
• Toilet facilities, undercover seating and light refreshments are available onboard
• Tickets do no need to be printed as we will use a digital guest-list when boarding
• Dogs are not permitted, with the exception of assistance and guide dogs.
• Important information about accessibility: Please note that, due to the size of the boarding ramp and steps to access the lower deck of the boat, there are unfortunately some limitations for wheelchair users on our boat trips. Please read Greenslade Pleasure Boats full access statement before booking if you, or one of your party, are a wheelchair user. Information about carer's tickets can be found in our FAQs section.

• We will attempt with every effort to arrive back on time, but please note that due the state of the tides, weather or sightings we may arrive back up to half an hour later than originally stated.