Wildlife Worldwide expands UK breaks for 2023

Specialist operator Wildlife Worldwide is introducing a series of new holidays to its UK and Ireland programme for 2023.

Since Covid, the company has seen a surge of interest in UK trips from first-time wildlife-watchers.

The new guided, small group trips provide adventure without the need to venture too far from home.

New holidays include a tour to Devon, focusing on rewilding and beavers, trips to the Hebrides and Shiants for cetaceans and sea birds, and a trip to Ireland’s little-visited Saltee Islands.

New for 2023

Wild Devon in Summer
This new small group tour explores Devon for  the wildlife watching. The focus is seeking out the enigmatic beaver. Also included is a boat trip along the South Devon coastline, in search of pods of common dolphin, porpoises and many seabirds Price: from £975pp based on 2 sharing, including 3 nights’ accommodation, most meals, guiding and transfers. Depart 3 July 2023.

Shiant’s Spectacular Puffins
The Shiants – a wild archipelago off the coast of Lewis – boast an abundance of birdlife with a remarkable 300,000 sea birds. Of these, there are 240,000 puffins that make their nests among the cliffs. On this new short break to the islands, guests stay aboard the MV Monadhliath, a former fishing vessel transformed for wildlife cruising.Price: from £1,895pp based on 2 sharing, including 4 nights’ accommodation on board MV Monadhliath, most meals, guided activities, transfers and photography tuition. Depart 19 June 2023.

Great Saltee Seabird Photography
This new photography-focused trip takes guests to Great Saltee, perhaps the most famed bird sanctuary off the Emerald Isle.  The island is home to thousands of breeding pairs of northern gannet, Atlantic puffin, common guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes, as well as choughs, oystercatchers, and skylarks. Price: from £2,195pp based on 2 sharing, including 6 nights’ accommodation, most meals, transfers, photographic tuition and daily boat excursions to the Saltee Islands. Depart 21 May 2023.

Whales & Dolphins of the Outer Hebrides
The Minch, the strait of water separating the Outer Hebrides from the Scottish mainland, is one of the finest places in the UK for cetacean spotting. On this new six-day trip, guests will make use of a private charter to search out species both in the waters and in the skies. The trip has been timed for the end of summer when the plankton levels are at their highest and the cetaceans most active. The group can hope to not only see many minke whales and a variety of species of dolphins, but also with luck, orca, humpback and fin whale too. During the trip there are shore excursions, both on the islands and the mainland, with a highlight being a hike to Stoer Lighthouse, Price: from £2,295pp based on 2 sharing, including 5 nights’ accommodation on board MV Monadhliath, most meals, guided activities and transfers. Depart 14 August 2023.