Mersey Ferries birdwatching and wildlife cruise is a chance to spot all kinds of species on the river

The River Mersey is home to all kinds of different species and now there’s a chance to see what you can spot on a Mersey Ferries birdwatching and wildlife cruise.

Two Mersey Ferries weekend cruises have been scheduled for summer so far, on Saturday July 19 and Sunday August 3.

The three-hour trips, which head out to Liverpool Bay, are an opportunity to see Atlantic grey seals, porpoises, peregrine falcons, ospreys and various other birds which have all been previously sighted.

Run in collaboration with the RSPB, the birdwatching and wildlife cruises are family-friendly so there are also children’s craft activities onboard and a Wildlife Bingo game featuring a whole array of ‘possibles’ that have popped up on the Mersey before.

And if you’re not 100% sure if you can tell a dolphin from a porpoise, that’s no problem because there’s an RSPB guide with photos to help you identify anything you see.

That means it’s not just a fun activity, especially for kids, everyone’s actually learning something too. 

The upcoming two cruises are the first since the Mersey saw an increase in wildlife last year when record numbers of species were recorded there.

Forty-five different species of fish were found including rays, scorpion fish and types of eel, as well as mammals like otters, dolphins, and harbour porpoises.

A spokesperson for Mersey Ferries says the cruises have been specifically timed to increase the likelihood of sightings:

“We run them mid-morning, departing Seacombe from 10.15am and the Pier Head at 10.30am, because that is outside of what is traditionally feeding time so you have more chance of seeing the birds and wildlife.

“The other main factor is the weather because if it’s too hot or very heavy rain, it’s less likely, but when it’s warm or even light rain you generally see wildlife coming to the surface in the water more.

“By New Brighton you often have massive jellyfish alongside the boat and because we don’t cause them harm, they generally just meander around and float past which is quite exciting to see.

“Grey seals tend to be more visible when the river is a bit quieter, and they’ll pop up on hot days too because they love a sunbathe!”

Obviously you can never be guaranteed a sighting of a particular species, but never knowing what may come and say hello is all part of the adventure.

Because the cruises take pretty much an entire morning, you can bring a lunch or picnic to enjoy on the way, just no alcohol, and if you don’t have binoculars you can always use the zoom on a phone to get a close-up image that the whole family can see. 

Find out more about Mersey Ferries birdwatching and wildlife cruises here.

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