Jurassic Coast Kayak Safari

The Dorset Wildlife Trust have launched a new Jurassic Coast Kayak Safari using glass-bottomed kayaks at Kimmeridge Bay.

Led by qualified BCU kayak instructors from Secondwind Watersports, the trips use clear-bottomed kayaks and purpose-made ‘goggle-viewers’ to open a window into the underwater world, revealing the secrets of the seabed, such as snakelocks anemone gardens, seaweed forests and rocky reef inhabitants

When I read about this on the Dorset Wildlife Trust Facebook page a few weeks ago, I really wanted to have a go so as a late birthday present I booked to go along with my twin sister. Tours have to be pre-booked and paid for and you have to call 24 hours in advance to make sure the trip is going ahead as they are weather dependent.

On arrival at Kimmeridge the friendly staff go through a little bit of health & safety paperwork before a 45 minute presentation from Marc, one of the Marine Wardens. His enthusiasm for what lies beneath the waters in Kimmeridge Bay is infectious and made the talk genuinely interesting - we were certainly looking forward to seeing all sorts of wonderful creatures!

After the presentation it was time to squeeze into the wetsuits & life jackets (all equipment is provided in the £25.00 fee) before another quick H&S chat from the kayak instructor. (Yes, I know I really don't manage to pull off a good look in a wetsuit!)

Gemma & I started off in a double kayak as there were only 4 glass-bottomed ones & 5 of us, but we were happy to use the special viewing 'goggles' also provided and it gave us the opportunity to take some reasonable pictures: 

We set off across the bay, stopping off at various bouys which mark the underwater nature trail so we could see the Japanese seaweed Marc had mentioned and try and find some of the fish & crabs (without much joy to be honest!)

After around 1/2 hour we paddled over to the ledges and changed round so that we were now in the glass-bottomed kayaks. The clear waters of Kimmeridge are perfect and you could clearly see everything that was going on in the shallow waters. It must have looked a bit odd from the shore as everyone looks as though they're not paying any attention to where they're going (and it was easy to drift quite a distance without realising it had happened) but our instructor made sure we never strayed very far.

The 1 hour session out on the water flew by very quickly and to be honest,  although we really didn't see very much wildlife - a few small fish and loads of seaweed I think we all agree it was a fab trip and I would certainly go back and do it again. It was also a fantastic way of seeing the Jurassic Coast from the water - definitely the best way to see our amazing coastline!

Kayak Safaris run every Tuesday from 12th July until 6th September 2011 at a cost of £25 per person for a 2-hour session, including a presentation by a DWT marine specialist and 1 hour on the water. Minimum age 12 years and under 18s must be accompanied by a parent. Suitable for beginners. Wetsuits and safety equipment provided. Booking is essential - phone 01929 481044 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it