The Calf of Man Boat Trip leaves from Port St Mary, although similar trips run from Port Erin on the west of the island. The Calf of Man is approximately 600 acres, 2.5 kmsq island off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man, separated by a narrow stretch of water called the Sound. The boat trip takes in much of the Calf of Man and Wart Bank Martine Nature Reserve (MNR) which is just one of the 10 MNRs on the Isle of Man.
Boat trips have a couple of options, with the regular boat trip taking just over 2 hours or you can add a spell onshore to explore the Calf of Man by foot. The boat trips operate throughout the season in good weather and it depends on the tides as to where you depart when we travelled the tide was on its way out and we departed from the Port St Mary outer harbour.
The boat trip takes just over 2 hours and you get to see some great scenery on the trip, from the Port St Mary rocky coastline, the stunning 100m high coastal cliffs of Spanis Head to the many lighthouses. The boat trip will spot wildlife and then head over to it which gives plenty of time to get some great photos.
Check our Coast Radar video below that shows footage of the seals, sorry for the shaking but the boat does go up and down a lot. I have also tried to show the view of the coast leaving Port St Mary.
Calf of Man Trip Video
The Isle of Man is a great location to spend a week and for more information on beaches, things to, and places to eat check out our Isle of Man pages.
Don’t forget to take your binoculars and camera.