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Dublin: History and Wildlife Boat Tour with Live Commentary
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From €50 per person
Dublin Bay is a UNESCO Biosphere, and most people who live here will tell you they’ve never properly seen it. This small-group RIB tour takes you out onto the water along the south Dublin coastline in a way that changes the picture completely.
After a safety briefing on the dock, you pull on all-weather oceanic clothing, clip on a life jacket, and grab a pair of binoculars - all provided. Then you’re out on Dublin Bay aboard the Billy Goat, a RIB powered by a 300hp Suzuki engine. The route takes in Dun Laoghaire Harbour, the Martello Towers, the Forty Foot bathing spot at Sandycove, and Dalkey Island. Grey seals are regulars along this stretch of coast, seabird colonies nest on the rocky islands, and dolphins make an occasional appearance. Keep the binoculars ready.
The live commentary runs throughout the trip and ties it all together - the coastal mansions of south Dublin, the military history of the towers, the legends attached to Dalkey Island. It’s part wildlife safari, part coastal cruise, part history lesson, and all of it happens with the wind in your face and the city skyline behind you.
Small group sizes keep the experience personal rather than crowded, which matters on a boat.
Layer up under the gear they give you. The all-weather oceanic jacket and trousers are proper kit, but they work best when there’s a warm base layer underneath. Even in summer, Dublin Bay at speed on a RIB is cooler than you’d expect - a fleece or a warm mid-layer makes a real difference to how much you enjoy the ride.
Dalkey Island is worth your full attention. It’s only a few minutes offshore from the village of Dalkey but it feels genuinely remote from the water. The 8th-century church ruins, the Martello tower, the wild goats on the hillside - the commentary brings all of it to life. If you find yourself wanting to land on the island after the trip, there are seasonal boat transfers from Coliemore Harbour in Dalkey village.
The Forty Foot is a Dublin institution. The open-air sea bathing place at Sandycove has been in use since the 1700s and is mentioned in the opening pages of James Joyce’s Ulysses. Seeing it from the water with a local guide explaining its place in Dublin life is a very different thing to reading about it in a guidebook.
Dolphins on this stretch of coast aren’t a guarantee, but they’re not a rarity either. Grey seals are the more reliable sighting - they’re a near-constant presence along the south Dublin coastline. If dolphins do show up, the skipper will usually slow down and give you time to watch.
Dun Laoghaire Harbour is worth an hour before or after the tour. The Victorian granite piers are magnificent, the People’s Park is one of the nicest public spaces in Dublin, and there are good cafes and restaurants all around the harbour. If you’re taking a DART from the city, Dun Laoghaire station puts you right in the middle of it all.