AK Wildlife Cruises Falmouth

COVID-19 Risk Assessment – Updated 29/06/20

The following guidelines outline the procedure that AK Wildlife Cruises will take whilst in the premises of Falmouth Premier Marina and on board ‘Free Spirit’ for when we resume our wildlife cruises from 4th July. We will follow government advice as closely as possible to ensure the safety of everybody at the marina; residents, berth holders, staff, our passengers, and ourselves.

• Everybody will be asked on booking to confirm that they are completely symptom-free. If they are exhibiting even the mildest of symptoms, they will be told to stay home.

• The number of passengers on board will be limited to around half capacity maximum depending on the number of different household groups we have on board. For example, we could take 3 couples (total 6) or 2 families of 4 (total 8). We require a minimum of just two people to run a trip if anyone is concerned about sharing the boat with others.

• A 2-meter gap will be left between all individuals from different households at all times where possible from when they enter the marina premises to when they depart.

• Hand sanitiser is available outside the marina reception from an automatic dispenser and will be recommended for use to our passengers prior to them entering the pontoon. Passengers will be asked not to block or crowd the gate entrance to the pontoon as the marina becomes busier with berth holders coming and going from their boats.

• Should we encounter anybody on the pontoon whilst accompanying our passengers to or from Free Spirit, we will stand aside at an appropriate distance down one of the side ‘fingers’ to allow them to pass.

• We will insist on all passengers wearing a face mask or other suitable face covering whilst in the marina premises.

• We will ask all passengers to sign an indemnity document before departing our berth to protect ourselves against any liability in the event that anybody should claim that they caught the virus whilst in our company.

• No passengers will be allowed inside the saloon unless they need to use the facilities, and they will be assigned specific seats on boarding Free Spirit.

• All surfaces on our boat will be wiped down and disinfected after each trip.

• We will always inform marina staff of the number of people joining us prior to each trip so they are aware of any outside bodies entering the marina premises.

We are hoping that with the compliance and cooperation of our passengers, and support from marina staff, we will be able to safely resume our wildlife watching and research cruises. 🛥🐬🐠🌊🐋

With your support, in 2019 we recorded over 8500 animals from 6 different cetacean species which is fantastic, and this data will be used to help monitor and protect the animals in our waters. 🐬🌊🐋💙

🛥🌊🐋 7 Hour Cruises 2020: 🐋🌊🛥

13th July, 18th July*, 4th Aug, 15th Aug*, 12th Sept, 26th Sept*, 3rd Oct

If you would like to arrange your own all day cruise on a different day, please get in touch as we only require a minimum of 5 people to go ahead! Dates with (*) indicate trips organised with MARINElife, a marine conservation charity, and will have a MARINElife officer on board as an additional guide. Prior booking is essential, please see our ‘Trip Info’ page for more information.

We do our utmost to support all the conservation groups we work closely and help promote their conservation initiatives. We record all the wildlife we see on every trip and share our cetacean sightings data freely with Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the Sea Watch Foundation. By booking a trip with us and allowing us to go out to sea, you allow us to collect this valuable data which can be used to help monitor and protect the animals in our waters.

Humpback whales are returning in the month of April, if you like to find out more, contact us to book a trip.

Sit back and enjoy a couple of stunning wildlife videos we have recorded, you can find more photos and videos of our regular sightings on our media pages.