The safari was a careful exploration of the margins of the quarry, where the clear water allowed good views of native fish and ones which had been introduced (some large koi, the odd goldfish and apparently there is a big sturgeon somewhere down in the depths). Jack is an excellent friendly, knowledgeable guide; the Quarry staff were also friendly and helpful - I only had to be seen struggling to put on a pair of fins when I was brought out a bigger pair. The swim was relaxed and slow so that nothing was missed: I particularly enjoyed joining a shoal of tiny roach fry for a while and seeing a young pike. Once out of the water, Jack presented a selection of small fish which he had caught earlier and placed in a small aquarium tank, so that we could practice taking photos of them close up. Everyone in our small group had brought underwater cameras of various shapes and sizes (although this is not a requirement) and Jack was very helpful with using these. My very cheap (under £30) camera achieved some reasonable video footage, I think, for a complete novice. In short, a really enjoyable, energising day out, suitable for anyone who is reasonably confident in the water and able to use a snorkel. Well worth the drive from East Anglia! The booking process was straightforward and the communications prior to the trip were useful and informative. My wife and I will definitely be using Naturetrek again.
J.H. Suffolk, Aug 23
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Snorkel Safari & Fish Photography with Jack Perks (Day Trip)
Tour Code: GBR247See British freshwater wildlife as never before, snorkelling in beautifully clear Dosthill Quarry in Tamworth to search for, and photograph, its special underwater wildlife.
£70 (land only)
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Summary
Join TV camera operator Jack Perks for a unique opportunity to see British freshwater fish as never before, snorkelling in beautifully clear Dosthill Quarry, Tamworth, to search for, and photograph, its special wildlife. With Jack’s expert tuition, we will also photograph wild, native fish species in specially designed photography aquariums.
- See a range of British freshwater fish species up close including Three-spined Stickleback, Bream, Bullhead, Ruffe and Rudd in special photography aquariums
- Encounter endangered species including White-clawed Crayfish and Eel
- Snorkel in a beautiful clear quarry in search of species such as Perch and Pike, amongst others
- Expert photography tuition from tour leader Jack Perks
This exciting day will focus on studying our wonderful British freshwater fish species, and the day will start by seeing a range of species in aquariums, under the tuition of expert tour leader Jack Perks. Jack is a professional camera operator with a great passion for our underwater world, and in particular British fish. Jack will have carefully collected a range of species and we will have the rare privilege of studying them up close and learning about the natural history of each species and how to photograph them. There will be a selection of at least six species from Eel, Three-spined and Ninespine Stickleback, Chub, Common and Silver Bream, Perch, Pike, Rudd, Stone Loach (and if very lucky Spined Loach), Bullhead, Ruffe and Tench to name a few and the exact species on the day will depend on what Jack is able to catch. They are caught with pond-dipping nets and shrimp pots and then kept in holding tanks with oxygenators before being safely released at the end of the day. Whether you are wanting to photograph our native fish species or simply to enjoy seeing these species up close, this is sure to be a fascinating and unique opportunity.
After learning more about the biology and ecology of Britain’s freshwater fish we will have the opportunity to snorkel in the calm, beautifully clear marginal areas of the quarry. This will provide the opportunity to see a range of species in their natural environment and Jack will be on hand to point things out and give tips on photography for those who wish. Species we can hope to encounter while snorkelling will include Pike, Perch, Roach, Sturgeon, Carp, Orfe and Tench. We will also hope to find the endangered native White-clawed Crayfish.
After a snorkel session of around 1hr we will dry off and have some lunch and discuss the day so far, and what we have been lucky enough to see. Our fish list is likely to be very impressive!
After lunch there will be the opportunity for more tank photography and one-to-one help and tuition from Jack. For those who wish, it will then be possible for a final snorkel session to see what can be found, with the day ending at around 4pm.
We advise you to bring your own snorkel kit if possible but they can be borrowed from the centre. Wetsuits can be hired for £6 and fins for £5 if you need them. There are changing rooms and toilet facilities. We will be snorkelling in very clear, shallow water and it is not necessary to be an expert swimmer but being comfortable in water is required. Participants can stay in the water as long as they wish, getting out if needs be during a session. Swimming in the quarry is very safe and we will be sticking to the shallows at the edge at all times. We can expect the water to be around 14°C - 16°C. For those who are not members of Dosthill Quarry, there is a £12 entrance fee to be paid on the day.
You won’t need to have special camera kit, or a camera at all, to enjoy the day, just an interest to see and study our native fish!
Day Trip Location
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Dates & Prices
2025
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We are delighted to offer a series of Naturetrek Day Trips which visit a wonderful selection of reserves and habitats across the UK, each guided by one of our expert naturalist tour leaders, many of whom are leading our Day Trips on their own ‘local patch’! Meeting at around 9am, and exploring largely on foot until around 5pm (though note that specific Day Trip timings do vary slightly by location and season), these trips are designed to spend a full day out in the fresh air, in search of a wide range of special British wildlife.
Whether you would like to explore a new area in the company of a local, expert naturalist tour leader, try a guided wildlife day out for the very first time, or perhaps you simply wish to spend the day learning more about your own local wildlife, you will find yourself most welcome on one of our Naturetrek Day Trips. We also offer days out specifically aimed at beginner birders and amateur wildlife photographers, and some trips even extend after sunset to allow us to take you on a guided tour of the night skies above. Whatever the trip focus – be it birds, botany, fungi, photography, butterflies, dragonflies, geology or a mix of just about everything – your leader will take you to the very best places to search for wildlife, and will share their knowledge generously along the way.
Our Day Trips have been fully risk assessed, and all activities are carried out in line with UK government and industry Covid-19 guidance. Most Day Trips from 17th May 2021 onwards will have a maximum number of 7 people, with a handful, such as cruises with a slightly higher number. We have also been certified as 'Good to Go'; the domestic tourism industry standard mark for Covid-19 protocols. Your safety is paramount, and we will be complying fully with UK government guidance throughout all of our Day Trips.
How to Book
The price for all our standard Naturetrek Day Trips is £50 per person and payment is by debit card only. You can book online, or you are very welcome to book over the phone by calling us on 01962 733051. Some Day Trips operate seasonally, and we are continuing to add additional departure dates for our fully booked Day Trips, so if you would like to be added to our wait list for any of these trips please just email info@naturetrek.co.uk or register your interest via the tour page.
Joining Instructions for Day Trips
[params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => https://i.assetzen.net/i/SrjQ75yotFrO/w:500/h:500/q:70.jpg [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => Day Trips [note] => 33 [parent] => stdClass Object ( [id] => 165 [parent_id] => 1 [level] => 1 [path] => tour-focus [title] => Tour Focus [alias] => tour-focus [description] => [params] => stdClass Object ( [category_layout] => [image_az] => [image_alt] => ) [metakey] => [note] => ) ) )If you, or someone that you have been in close contact with, has displayed symptoms of Covid-19 in the 14 days prior to the Day Trip, or if you receive an alert from NHS Track and Trace, you MUST NOT JOIN the Day Trip. Please let us know in the Naturetrek office as soon as possible and we will be happy to refund you in full.
- Upon booking we will email you with a designated meeting point and confirmed timings, along with contact details for your tour leader.
- During some Day Trips we will each use our own vehicle to move the short distances in between sites (group transport is not provided).
- Please do not bring your dog, or other pets, as they may disturb the wildlife!
- Please bring your own lunch.
- Please bring plenty of water, snacks, hand sanitiser, tissues, your own face covering (this will not be compulsory whilst we are out in the fresh air and wide open spaces throughout during the day but may be required to enter toilets, visitor centres, etc.) along with anything else that you might need for the day. You will need to be able to carry everything yourself. Suitable footwear (walking shoes or walking boots) will be essential, along with sensible layers and waterproofs plus sun hat and sun cream or woolly hat and gloves etc., depending on the weather forecast.
- Wherever possible, we will try to arrange comfort breaks during the day. On some of our more remote Day Trips this isn’t always possible, and on those occasions you will need to be prepared for the odd ‘bush stop’! If this is likely, we will alert you in the joining instructions beforehand. Please be stringent with hygiene when using public facilities.
- We ask you to respect minimum social distancing AT ALL TIMES (currently 2m where possible between households at the time of writing, but could be updated at any time). To help ensure this, we ask group members and tour leaders not to share optics, field guides or any other equipment.
- Finally, please do share your photos and favourite wildlife sightings with us … we love seeing them! Tweet @naturetrektours, Instagram @naturetrek_wildlife_holidays or find us on facebook.com/naturetrekwildlifeholidays
Should the dates we offer not suit you, or should you wish to have a private, tailored Day Trip, we will be delighted to arrange this for you. Please just call Georgie Head on 01962 733051, or fill out our quick enquiry form and we will get back to you. For inspiration for a Tailormade UK break, please see our Tailormade UK holidays.
Tailormade Day Trips
Reviews:
'The Naturetrek £50 days out have been a lifesaver this year. What better way than to spend a day in the open with four other like minded people in the company of a brilliant guide who can tell you all about the geology, flors and fauna of the area. I’ve been on three of these days with more booked for the future. The days are full, meeting at 9.00am and not finishing until 5.00pm, maybe slightly earlier in the darker winter months, with about 45 minutes for our picnic lunch but never have I ever looked at my watch and wished the time would pass more quickly. Quite the opposite in fact, the time passed so quickly I was amazed when we found ourselves back at the car park. Value for money? Yes, definitely. Thank you Naturetrek.'
VB – The Naze and Walton Backwaters (Essex)
‘The Upper Teesdale Day Trip was brilliant and Andy Bunten was an exceptional guide. So very knowledgeable and an expert spotter, but equally important he had great communication skills so that no-one felt remotely patronised or afraid to ask the most basic of questions. The organisation of the day was impeccably planned too. This was my first Naturetrek outing but I have friends who regularly use you and have spoken of your trips in glowing terms. So I will certainly look at your website and I will hope to travel with you at some point in the future.’
KS – Teesdale‘We had a lovely day on Monday; Matt was terrific - particularly with us being beginners at bird watching! The other attendees were very interesting and one in particular was extremely knowledgeable. So we learned a lot - just got to remember it now! We are looking at the other day trips available to see if we can do another one.’
Ashdown Forest‘I wanted to write to thank you for organising your new Day Trips. It’s an excellent idea and something to give hope to many people, who are keen to get out and about, and to experience the beauty of nature closer to home. Our trip to the Ashdown Forest on Friday was excellent. The weather was kind to us, a lovely sunny, English summer day, but it was our guide, Matt Eade, who made it special. Quite how Matt managed to arrange Goshawk, two Honey-buzzards, Hobby, Treecreeper, and a whole host of other species was remarkable.
Spotted Flycatcher is the personal favourite of my husband Simon – and Matt knew where to find two of them. Simon was over the moon!It was a top day. Matt was informative, very knowledgeable, engaging, encouraging, always happy to help, provide insights and share his knowledge and experiences. He paced the walk just right, thoughtful about short breaks where needed. I worked for 8 years as a Tour Director around Europe and I know how exceptionally hard it can be to keep everyone happy!’
Ashdown Forest‘The trip exceeded our already high expectations. Andy Bunten was kind, humorous, thoughtful and his knowledge of the wildlife truly exceptional. It was a real pleasure and privilege to be in his company.’
KE – Teesdale‘So nice to be on a Naturetrek trip again and had a thoroughly enjoyable day with Russ and our other companions. Everyone just got on even though we had not met before. Looking forward to our next day trip!’
LD – Smardale‘We had a great day, thank you. Matthew Capper was an excellent guide, giving us a wealth of information about the ecology, conservation and social history of the area as well as the wildlife, and having an amazing ability to detect birdlife out of nowhere. The Lammergeier before we'd even left the meeting point was of course spectacular, but it was Matthew's commitment to searching for the birds and Mountain Hares which impressed me even more. We also appreciated his patience and good humour, and his determination to make sure that all 5 of us got to see everything. These day trips are a brilliant idea. We are really looking forward to our next Naturetrek Day in a couple of weeks.’
AB – Peak District
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
EnquireWhy Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
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