A puffin flies just above a calm sea, wings slightly blurred as it moves.

Wetwheels Yorkshire & Wild Eye spot a puffin flying off the Yorkshire coast.

Accessible sea watching boat tours

Wetwheels Yorkshire

Wild Eye has partnered with Wetwheels Yorkshire, offering inclusive and accessible boat tours for the local community to witness the captivating marine wildlife off the coast of Scarborough.

This collaboration not only opens up the wonders of Yorkshire’s marine environment to all, but also pioneers innovative methods for capturing and sharing marine wildlife footage for conservation and education purposes.

Wetwheels Yorkshire is the local operator for The Wetwheels Foundation (UK Reg Charity 1148600), a leading UK charity offering disabled people, including those with complex needs, safe and accessible trips on fully adapted powerboats, and is leading wildlife tours along Scarborough’s waters. With more than 350 sightings in the last year, Scarborough’s coastline is one of the best places on the English coast to see dolphins and porpoises. These tours offer unique opportunities to spot incredible marine life such as minke whales, bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoises, and grey seals, while ensuring minimal disturbance to the wildlife.

As part of this exciting venture Wild Eye and Wetwheels utilises state-of-the-art equipment, including a high-definition camera, a hydrophone for capturing cetacean sounds, and a Remotely Operated Vehicle to film beneath the waves. This technology allows marine wildlife encounters to be recorded and shared on social media. Wild Eye and Wetwheels collect and showcase the sights and sounds of Scarborough’s marine wildlife, providing educational content and highlighting the importance of marine conservation in this stunning area of the UK.

Conservation and Awareness

This partnership also continues a five-year-long collaboration between Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Wetwheels, with the joint aim of surveying and increasing understanding of cetacean populations in Yorkshire’s waters. Wetwheels’ experienced crew is specially trained to operate safely around marine life, following all necessary licensing and insurance requirements, making them a trusted partner in conservation efforts.

Wetwheels Yorkshire & Wild Eye record and share footage of Scarborough's marine wildlife, such as bottlenose dolphins.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Wetwheels Yorkshire & Wild Eye capture an image of a Grey Seal off the coast of Scarborough.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Wetwheels Yorkshire & Wild Eye capture image of a Bottlenose dolphin and her calf off the coast of Scarborough.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Wetwheels Yorkshire & Wild Eye spot a puffin flying off the Yorkshire coast.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Wetwheels Yorkshire & Wild Eye capture image of bottlenose dolphins off the coast of Scarborough.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Wetwheels Yorkshire offers inclusive and accessible boat tours for the local community.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Gannet skims sea during take off, spotted by Wetwheels Yorkshire & Wild Eye.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Wetwheels Yorkshire & Wild Eye tours offer unique opportunities to spot incredible marine life such as minke whales

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Wetwheels Yorkshire & Wild Eye tours offer unique opportunities to spot incredible marine life such as minke whales.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Wetwheels Yorkshire and Wild Eye tours offer unique opportunities to spot incredible marine life such as minke whales.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Wetwheels Yorkshire and Wild Eye spot a grey seal about to enjoy a meal

© Wetwheels Yorkshire

“By combining Wetwheels Yorkshire’s expertise in accessible marine experiences with Wild Eye’s commitment to conservation, we’re not only opening up the marine environment to a broader audience, but we’re also enhancing our understanding and protection of these incredible species.” – Caroline Hill, Wild Eye Project Manager

“By removing the barriers to participation, through the use of our specially adapted vessel and assistive technology, our disabled participants can share the wonder of our local marine environment like never before.” – Peter Richardson, Skipper of Wetwheels Yorkshire

About Wetwheels Yorkshire

Wetwheels Yorkshire offers a unique opportunity for disabled and disadvantaged people of all ages – including those with multiple, profound and complex impairments – to access the water. Central to our experience is active participation – helping to broaden aspirations, increase confidence and directly impact on health and wellbeing. We continually innovate through new technologies, and improve our experience through the excellence of our teams and feedback from participants. We ensure a sustainable operation through a range of income streams, funding and support. By 2027, we aim to support 12,000 people every year to participate in a Wetwheels experience across the UK, with the widest reach and awareness possible.

A Wetwheels experience challenges self-perceptions, extends horizons and opens up new opportunities. We ensure full wheelchair access to the boat – including a ramp to the steering position and adapted steering controls. All are active participants, rather than simply passengers, with the opportunity to steer the vessel and learn seamanship alongside peers, friends and families. Our own research tells us more than 80 per cent of Wetwheels’ participants have never previously been on the open water – which is something we want to change. Wetwheels is an inspiring organisation where perceived barriers are reassessed, new skills are learned and new-found independence is discovered. Participants are able to have a single experience or return over time.

Find out more at Wetwheels Yorkshire at https://wetwheelsfoundation.org/locations/yorkshire/ (opens in new window)

Community Involvement

A Unique Experience for All

As part of the collaboration, Wetwheels Yorkshire offers up to four bespoke wildlife viewing trips for local community groups with additional access needs, giving people who may have never had the opportunity to explore marine environments a chance to experience the natural wonders of the Yorkshire coastline. For individuals with visual impairments, the integration of the hydrophone technology will offer a remarkable sensory experience, allowing participants to hear the songs of cetaceans such as dolphins and whales, helping further inclusion in marine wildlife exploration.

Wetwheels Yorkshire tours give people who may have never had the opportunity to explore marine environments a chance to experience the natural wonders of the Yorkshire coastline.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Hydrophone technology offers a remarkable sensory experience, allowing participants to hear the songs of cetaceans, such as dolphins and whales.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Wetwheels Yorkshire tours give people who may have never had the opportunity to explore marine environments a chance to experience the natural wonders of the Yorkshire coastline.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Wetwheels Yorkshire tours give people who may have never had the opportunity to explore marine environments a chance to experience the natural wonders of the Yorkshire coastline.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Hydrophone technology offers a remarkable sensory experience, allowing participants to hear the songs of cetaceans, such as dolphins and whales.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire
Wetwheels utilises state-of-the-art equipment, including a high-definition camera, a hydrophone for capturing cetacean sounds, and a Remotely Operated Vehicle to film beneath the waves.

© Wetwheels Yorkshire