Join us on one of our daily boat trips when you visit North Norfolk and see the Seals and Birds in their natural environment at Blakeney Point. Beans Seal Trips have been a family run business for over 50 years and are a very popular and safe way to enjoy a close up view of the wildlife - without disturbing it. We run every day throughout the season (1st April until 31st October) as well as regularly throughout the winter. We can only operate with the tide so departure times change daily.

One of our four purpose-built ferries will take you safely from Morston or Blakeney Quay to see the seals and birds. All our boats are licensed by the Maritime Coastguard Agency and carry full life saving equipment. The fully trained and knowledgeable crew can provide you with lots of local information. We operate totally within Blakeney Harbour and therefore do not venture out to the open sea. The trip itself lasts for about an hour, excluding time spent on Blakeney Point.

DEPARTURES

Normal departures are from Morston Quay. Extra trips may be arranged, Tides and Weather permitting so always check when booking.

COST: Adults £8.00, Children (under 14) £4.00

BOOKING
To avoid disappointment we strongly recommend you Telephone to reserve your seats, please Phone:
01263 740505 (Graham Bean)
OR 01263 740038 (John Bean).

You will receive details of departure point, time and where to collect your tickets when you book. All our boats are orange and white and leave from the landing stage marked “BEANS BOATS PLEASE WAIT HERE”. Usually one of our crew wearing an orange top is on the quay to show you to your departure point.

After a short boat ride we arrive at the seals. They are usually basking on the sandbanks at the far end of Blakeney Point. We guarantee you will always see some seals - the question is: How Many?? The colony is made up of Common & Grey seals and numbers around 500. Common seals have their young between June and August, the Greys between November and January. Both suckle their pups for about three weeks during which time they grow very quickly, putting on between 1kg and 1.6kgs a day due to the very rich and fatty milk they feed on.

The seals are generally quite inquisitive and often pop up and swim around the boats for a look at us! We can also usually sail very close to the basking seals on the beach which gives a great opportunity for photographs and also ample time for questions. The grey seals are the larger of the two species - they have large speckles on their coats and longer pointed heads with parallel nostrils. The common seals have a more rounded face with ‘v’ shaped nostrils.

On many of our trips, after seeing the seals, we will then land you onto Blakeney Point if you wish. The duration of your stay will depend on tide and weather conditions but is usually between half an hour and an hour. The National Trust took over the Point in 1912 and it is now an international breeding ground for many migrant birds during both summer and winter. During your visit you may like to take a stroll up to the Old Lifeboat House. This is now used as a base for the Wardens during the summer and also as an Information Centre. Or you may like to head for one of the hides which are located at prime sites – from these you can take a closer look at the breeding birds. Alternatively, just take it easy and relax near one of the many secluded sand dunes. The beach is also a safe spot for children to have a splash about along the shoreline.

Seals generally spend up to 90% of their lives out of the water basking on the sandbanks. The females usually outlive the males: 35 years is about the maximum for them and 25 years for the males. Although very clumsy and cumbersome on land, once in the water, seals can be very agile, reaching speeds of up to 20mph. They can also submerge for up to 30 minutes if necessary and in certain waters have been recorded diving to a depth of 600ft (300 metres). Generally though, it’s a quick 3 - 5 minute dive for fish which the seals locate in the water not only by sight but also by feeling vibrations through their whiskers.

Blakeney Point is also famous for its bird life. Its most popular summer visitors are the terns - mainly Common, Sandwich and Little Terns and, quite often, also Arctic Terns. Many of them begin to arrive from West Africa during mid-April and breed into the season. They make a small scrape in the shingle where they lay their eggs. After hatching, the chicks can be seen running along the shoreline near the seals. You will be able to get a good view of them from the boat as well as of the other various shorebirds: Oyster Catcher, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, and Dunlin to name but a few. During the winter months, you will see large numbers of duck and geese including Mallard, Widgeon, Teal, Pintail, Pinkfooted Geese. Greylag and Brent Geese usually arrive from October onwards.