Wild Eye: The new partnership bringing people closer to Yorkshire's incredible wildlife

Offering inclusive and accessible boat tours for the community to witness the captivating marine wildlife off the coast of Scarborough this collaboration not only opens the wonders of Yorkshire’s marine environment to everyone but also pioneers innovative methods to capture and share marine wildlife footage for conservation and education.

Wetwheels, a leading charity providing safe and accessible powerboat trips for disabled people, including those with complex needs, organises wildlife tours along Scarborough’s waters.

With more than 400 sightings in the last year, Scarborough’s coastline is one of the best places to see dolphins and porpoises. These tours offer unique opportunities to spot minke whales, bottlenose dolphins, harbour porpoises, and grey seals, while ensuring minimal disturbance to the wildlife.

Through the partnership, Wild Eye and Wetwheels Yorkshire utilise state-of-the-art equipment, including a high-definition camera, hydrophone for capturing cetacean sounds, and a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to film beneath the waves. This technology enables the recording and sharing of marine wildlife encounters on platforms like social media.

As part of the collaboration, in 2024 Wetwheels Yorkshire offered bespoke wildlife viewing trips for local community groups with additional access needs, giving people who may have never had the opportunity to explore marine environments a chance to experience the natural wonders of the Yorkshire coastline.

This partnership also continues a five-year-long collaboration between Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Wetwheels Yorkshire, with the aim of surveying and increasing understanding of cetacean populations in Yorkshire’s waters. Caroline Hill, Wild Eye Project Manager at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Our goal with Wild Eye is to make the rich marine life of Yorkshire accessible to everyone, and this partnership with Wetwheels Yorkshire aligns perfectly with that mission.”

Peter Richardson, Skipper of Wetwheels Yorkshire said, "By removing the barriers to participation, through the use of our specially adapted vessel and assistive technology, our disabled participants can share the wonder of our local marine environment like never before."

Wild Eye is delivered in partnership with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, a regional environmental charity, Invisible Dust, a UK-based art-science organisation and North Yorkshire Council. The Wild Eye project received £1.4m from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

For information about Wild Eye, visit www.wildeye.org.uk.