Les Ecrehous 3 Hour Dolphin, Seal and Reef Exploration RIB Trip with Island RIB Voyages
Our trip to Jersey with Condor Ferries was a wonderful getaway. Jersey has lots of things to offer to its visitors - a number of historical sites (Mont Orgueil Castle, Jersey War Tunnels, Battery Lothringen etc.), beautiful beaches and bays, scenic walking routes, fine dining venues, stunning coastlines and wildlife. One of the high points of our Jersey holiday was a visit to Les Ecrehous, a group of islands and rocks situated around six miles north-east of Jersey (and eight miles from France). The RIB trip was with Island RIB Voyages who are one of the longest established small charter boat companies in Jersey.
Island RIB Voyages offer 2,3 and 4-hour trips to Les Ecrehous. We picked the 3-hour trip which is a Dolphin, Seal and Reef Exploration RIB trip. We had never seen dolphins in their natural habitat and when we learnt that large pods are usually spotted around the Jersey coast, we knew we had to experience this trip. The starting point for the trip was St. Catherine's Breakwater, on Jersey's north coast. We met up with the skipper for our trip, Mario Setubal and the fellow passengers at St Catherine's and after a quick briefing, we were on our way to Les Ecrehous.
As we cruised out to the sea, Mario and his team (the affable, Bobby) briefed us on what we could expect during our trip. Everyone was excited and eager. And as luck would have it, 5 minutes out in the open waters and we sighted a small pod of dolphins. A lot of oohing and aahing accompanied the sighting of these graceful creatures. Mario slowed down the RIB to give us all the chance and time to admire and take photos of the dolphins. For the next half hour or so, we spotted lots of dolphins. There was a pod of around 20 of them who kept surfacing around the RIB, completely unfazed by the human presence. They seemed to be in a playful mood, diving under and around the RIB. What a wonderful experience!
We then moved on to the Les Ecrehous island passing the Les Ecrehous sandbank on the way. En route to the island, we spotted some seals basking on the rocks nearby. The seals were shy compared to the dolphins, so we had to be content watching them from a relatively longer distance.
The Les Ecrehous island triples in size at low tide and although there are a number of houses on the island, no one lives there permanently. Mario dropped us all at the island and we had a little over an hour to walk around and explore the island. The water around the islands was clear and the pebble beaches spotlessly clean. It felt as though we were on a far-flung secluded island, although we were just 10 minutes away from the Jersey coast.
We spotted some other boats near the Les Ecrehous, whose occupants were enjoying a swim in the beautiful reef. There were a few paddle boarders as well. We explored the island and then sat down to enjoy our picnic. The weather was fantastic all through our trip. We had a lovely time.
Around an hour later, Mario came to collect us for the return trip. While we did not spot any dolphins on our way back, Mario made up for it by a thrilling surprise in the end. It was fantastic. Every single person on the RIB had a huge smile on their face. Total fun!
We would do this trip again, without any hesitation, if we go back to Jersey. Island RIB Voyages also offer trips to Les Minquiers, Carteret (France), Chausey and day trips to Sark and Herm. Pre-booking is essential for all these trips. Waterproof jackets and lifejackets are provided by the Island RIB team who are all thorough professionals and take all steps to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable trip.
The 3-hour Ecrehous (Dolphin, Seal and Reef Exploration) RIB trip costs £45.00 for adults and £40.00 for children. Island RIB Voyages also offer special discounts for groups and private charters. For more information and to book your trip now, contact Island RIB Voyages using the details below.
Island RIB Voyages | First Floor, Liberation Station, Esplanade, St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands - JE2 3AS
Telephone | +44 (0)7829 777 090
*Our trip was courtesy of Island RIB Voyages. All opinions, however, as always, remain our own.
Island RIB Voyages offer 2,3 and 4-hour trips to Les Ecrehous. We picked the 3-hour trip which is a Dolphin, Seal and Reef Exploration RIB trip. We had never seen dolphins in their natural habitat and when we learnt that large pods are usually spotted around the Jersey coast, we knew we had to experience this trip. The starting point for the trip was St. Catherine's Breakwater, on Jersey's north coast. We met up with the skipper for our trip, Mario Setubal and the fellow passengers at St Catherine's and after a quick briefing, we were on our way to Les Ecrehous.
As we cruised out to the sea, Mario and his team (the affable, Bobby) briefed us on what we could expect during our trip. Everyone was excited and eager. And as luck would have it, 5 minutes out in the open waters and we sighted a small pod of dolphins. A lot of oohing and aahing accompanied the sighting of these graceful creatures. Mario slowed down the RIB to give us all the chance and time to admire and take photos of the dolphins. For the next half hour or so, we spotted lots of dolphins. There was a pod of around 20 of them who kept surfacing around the RIB, completely unfazed by the human presence. They seemed to be in a playful mood, diving under and around the RIB. What a wonderful experience!
We then moved on to the Les Ecrehous island passing the Les Ecrehous sandbank on the way. En route to the island, we spotted some seals basking on the rocks nearby. The seals were shy compared to the dolphins, so we had to be content watching them from a relatively longer distance.
The Les Ecrehous island triples in size at low tide and although there are a number of houses on the island, no one lives there permanently. Mario dropped us all at the island and we had a little over an hour to walk around and explore the island. The water around the islands was clear and the pebble beaches spotlessly clean. It felt as though we were on a far-flung secluded island, although we were just 10 minutes away from the Jersey coast.
We spotted some other boats near the Les Ecrehous, whose occupants were enjoying a swim in the beautiful reef. There were a few paddle boarders as well. We explored the island and then sat down to enjoy our picnic. The weather was fantastic all through our trip. We had a lovely time.
Around an hour later, Mario came to collect us for the return trip. While we did not spot any dolphins on our way back, Mario made up for it by a thrilling surprise in the end. It was fantastic. Every single person on the RIB had a huge smile on their face. Total fun!
We would do this trip again, without any hesitation, if we go back to Jersey. Island RIB Voyages also offer trips to Les Minquiers, Carteret (France), Chausey and day trips to Sark and Herm. Pre-booking is essential for all these trips. Waterproof jackets and lifejackets are provided by the Island RIB team who are all thorough professionals and take all steps to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable trip.
The 3-hour Ecrehous (Dolphin, Seal and Reef Exploration) RIB trip costs £45.00 for adults and £40.00 for children. Island RIB Voyages also offer special discounts for groups and private charters. For more information and to book your trip now, contact Island RIB Voyages using the details below.
Island RIB Voyages | First Floor, Liberation Station, Esplanade, St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands - JE2 3AS
Telephone | +44 (0)7829 777 090
*Our trip was courtesy of Island RIB Voyages. All opinions, however, as always, remain our own.
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