St Ives Boats - Dolly P

29/06/2026

Join us on St Ives' best-loved adventure. With considerably more 5-star reviews on Google and TripAdvisor than any other boat tour operator, Dolly P is the number one choice for an unforgettable wildlife experience.

Our crew of marine zoologists, marine medics, and former RNLI lifeboat crew members will take you to some of the most stunning locations on a 1- or 2-hour trip in search of incredible wildlife. We prioritise respect and care for the animals at all times, while giving you the chance to learn about their behaviour and remarkable abilities as you witness them in one of the UK's most beautiful coastal locations.

31/05/2026

There's a silent crisis under the waves.

Despite the ongoing efforts of Cornish fishers to reduce bycatch, thousands of dolphins, seals, sharks, and seabirds are accidentally caught in fishing nets and gear every year across the UK.

This isn't about lack of care! For those in the fishing industry, this is a distressing and unwanted part of an already difficult job.

But for our seas, this is an emergency. Progress by the UK Government on the issue has been too slow, and unnecessary deaths remain too high.

We’re joining with others to call for Government action. A new report by Wildlife and Countryside Link is set to reveal the true scale of bycatch in UK waters and we need your MP to attend a launch event and learn more.

If they don't understand the problem - they won't tackle it.

Head to our website and search CRISIS to learn more and for a link to email your MP, or comment CRISIS below and we'll send you the link.

30/05/2026

We've thought many times over the years it would be great to have some little fluffy seals to sell on the boat but we've been concerned about storage and quality and of course the environmental impact of transporting goods around the world given the areas they're made in.

We finally found a solution that was apparently a sustainable product and were able to make a quite small order to check them out.

Yes we fell for it, here is what we were offered Vs what arrived. 🙈

Yes feel free to laugh at us, we're laughing too! 😂

No we're not going to sell them but will be happily giving them away to little passengers in the coming weeks. (Please take them)

27/05/2026

Final call for internship applications!

If you’re passionate about marine conservation, animal care, education, or gaining hands-on experience in a unique environment, this could be your chance to join the team here at the Sanctuary 💙

Applications close: FRIDAY 12th JUNE - https://bit.ly/4nNJ2Ey

26/05/2026

Did you know that seals are NOT protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981? 🦭

This is the primary legislation designed to protect wildlife in the UK — yet seals are still left without protection from disturbance.

What’s even more frustrating is that respected bodies including the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee have both recommended that seals should be protected under this legislation.

Successive Governments have failed to act on those recommendations.

It’s time for the UK Government to listen to the experts and fully protect our seals from disturbance.

Every year, seals are disturbed by people getting too close on beaches, cliffs and in the water — especially during pupping season when disturbance can have devastating consequences.

❗ We urge the Government to act now and place seals under this important protective blanket.

👉 Please support the Give Seals Space campaign by signing and sharing the petition:
https://www.change.org/p/give-seals-space

Your signature is an opportunity to support the recommendations experts have already made — and help give seals the protection they deserve. 🩵🦭

24/05/2026

Today we saw one of the strangest things, Fata Morgana.

As we were out of the bay and offshore we had seen a RN Aircraft Carrier at sea, not a common sight for us but we've seen them before. Then we started to notice other weird and large shapes. They would appear and disappear, change in sharpness and shape, if they were ships they would be hundreds of metres tall. We were looking at a mirage.

A Fata Morgana is a complex form of mirage visible in a narrow band right above the horizon. The term Fata Morgana is the Italian translation of Morgan le Fay of Arthurian legend. These mirages are often seen in the Italian Strait of Messina, and were described as fairy castles in the air or false land conjured by her magic.

It was surreal seeing these huge "structures" and weird atmospheric changes and we and our passengers were just stunned at times. We're sure that it was a visual distortion of the carrier and others of container ships all of which by this point were many miles away.

What a day, we loved it! (The seals were super cool too).

01/03/2026

Looking for work in St Ives this summer?

We have an opportunity at our office on Smeatons Pier starting in around 3 weeks time until the end of October. We don't actually work that many days but with the weather those days can be unpredictable.

A good hourly rate is offered, the role is primarily managing the check ins and conducting a safety briefing.

You will need to be available every day, our average is 4 days a week worked across the season, in primetime that might all 7 days and in quieter times one or two days.

Drop us a message if you're interested.

01/03/2026