Carnlough BayBoat Tours

Carnlough Bay Boat Tours runs short sea excursions from the limestone harbour at Carnlough, on the Antrim coast. Skipper Davy Smyth, a third-generation local fisherman, takes small groups out aboard Curiosity, a converted ship's lifeboat. The standard trip is a thirty-minute run across the bay to the Black Rock, with longer sailings north to Garron Point and Ringfad, and an occasional four-hour charter out to the Maidens, a pair of rocky islets with a working lighthouse, tides and weather permitting. Passengers regularly see seals, porpoises, dolphins and seabirds, and Smyth adds commentary on the area's fishing heritage. Boarding is from the harbour steps at 58 Harbour Road, the same steps that appear in a Game of Thrones scene. Booking is through the operator's website, and sailings run seasonally and by arrangement, subject to sea conditions.