Life on the water

Round Rathlin Tour

Photos from our Round Rathlin boat tour: all the way around Rathlin Island, its three lighthouses and seabird cliffs, with an hour ashore at Church Bay.

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A big thank you to James Allen (our crew member and guide during the 2026 season) for providing us with most of these beautiful moments and pictures. Please feel free to check him out on Instagram: @orange_in_the_blue

Two seals hauled out side by side.
A seal hauled out on the rocks.
An oystercatcher standing at the shoreline.
An oystercatcher on the rocks, bill and legs bright orange.
A wader picking its way over the seaweed.
Mist over the cliffs on a calm sea.
An oystercatcher foraging among the seaweed.
West Light perched above the cliffs, seabirds nesting below, Rathlin Island.
Mist clinging to the cliffs.
Two gulls at the water's edge.
West Light above a packed seabird colony, Rathlin Island.
A minke whale arching through calm water.
A minke whale's arched back at the surface.
A minke whale's fin breaking the surface off the Rathlin coast.
A minke whale breaking the surface, its body visible below.
A dolphin's tail rising above the water.
A minke whale rolling at the surface close to the boat.
A minke whale's head surfacing right beside the boat, blowhole clearly open.
A minke whale surfacing close to the boat, seabirds feeding all around.
A minke whale's head surfacing right beside the boat.
Two dolphins surfacing together with a splash.
A dolphin's fin breaking the surface, a gull passing overhead.
A minke whale's fin breaking the surface, the rest of it submerged.
A minke whale's back breaking the surface, birds scattered beyond.
A minke whale's fin breaking the surface of calm water.
A minke whale's back arching high as it breaks the surface.
A minke whale's fin breaking the water, cliffs rising behind it.
A dolphin breaking the surface in a burst of spray, its fin and back clear.
A minke whale's arched back breaking the surface close to the boat.
A minke whale's fin breaking the surface, birds skimming past.
A minke whale's fin breaking the surface, Rathlin coast.
A low ripple on the water, likely a minke whale, with the coast in the distance.
A minke whale surfacing at the edge of frame.
A minke whale's back and fin breaking the surface.
A minke whale's head surfacing right beside the boat, water rolling off its back.
A minke whale's head rising through a ring of foam beside the boat.
A dolphin's fin breaking the surface, a gull flying past.
A minke whale's head surfacing right beside the boat, spray at its nose.
A minke whale's snout just breaking the surface beside the boat.
The coastal headland stretching along the horizon.
A bird flying low over the water, hills in the distance.
A seal lying out on the rocks, clear against the dark boulders.
A seal resting on the pink-hued rocks above the waterline.
A seal beside the buoy, looking our way.
A seal's head peeking above the surf.
Seals hauled out on the rocks.
A seal hauled out on the rocks, resting by the seaweed.
Seals hauled out below the cliffs.

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