Operators of a wildlife boat tour in Inverness have revealed they took the decision to close last October after being overwhelmed by bookings from Central Belt residents eager to flout lockdown rules to go dolphin-spotting.
The Dolphin Spirit managers have opened up on their last year of decimated takings while they are inviting local families aboard this Easter to embrace the wonders of the great outdoors ahead of their reopening.
It is preparing to make its maiden voyage of 2021 next month after being left marooned at Inverness harbour during much of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In October, the business was forced to shut due to the tiered restrictions, saying that – despite laws in place against it – people continued to travel from the Central Belt for dolphin-spotting outings.
Six months on, operators of the Highland attraction are celebrating their impending return to the shores of the inner Moray Firth by offering discounted wildlife trips aboard the Dolphin Spirit to local families.
The initiative is being staged in the run up to their grand reopening on April 26.
Director Yvette Hogan said: “When everything went into the tier system we just had to shut because, although we were in the lower tier, even in mid-October people were still travelling from the Central Belt.
“You are putting yourself at risk if you keep running so we shut.”
Great experience for kids
Mrs Hogan said she is eager to give youngsters the opportunity to explore what the Highlands has to offer next month.
She said: “We are delighted to be opening up again.
“I’m all about kids and I just think it is a really good opportunity to get the kids out on the water locally, out in the fresh air and have a great experience.
“The kids have had a really tough year and it’s important they have something to look forward to in the Easter holidays – besides chocolate.”
The half-price trips will run three days each week from Tuesday to Thursday during the school’s upcoming Easter holidays.
The boat will run every two hours from 10am until 4pm.
Around £8,000 worth of bookings were cancelled following the start of the first lockdown, leaving the operators in the dark as to when they could reopen for business.
In July, they were forced to turn people away due to a reduction in capacity.
Mrs Hogan said the “last year was really tough going” but is looking forward to returning to business as usual.
She said: “It’s been a difficult year. Last year was really tough going. We were starting on March 17 and that never happened.
“We had a really good 16-week period but towards the end of it, you could see it shutting down again and then when we shut we couldn’t reopen again.
“We were busy from the moment we opened in July to the minute we closed. We couldn’t have been busier.”
Overwhelmed by response
With just weeks to go until their grand opening of 2021, phones have been ringing off the hook as dozens of bookings pour in daily.
Mrs Hogan said: “We have been so overwhelmed by the response.
“On Thursday evening, I was on a Marine Tourism webinar for three hours with the Scottish Marine Life and the bookings are just going up and up.
“We had 52 bookings before we went in and that’s unheard of. We can only take 30 at a time on the boat.
“With every booking we got, another two came in.
“It’s absolutely fantastic. I have a great team, we have kept in touch over winter and they are just raring to go as well.”
