2024 has seen a resurgence in ferry travel as holidaymakers opt to travel by water to enjoy holidays around the British Isles and Europe. Discover Ferries, the ferry industry body, reported that there were more than 12.5 million passenger crossings for business and pleasure in the last three months, with 23.5 million passenger ferry crossings in 2024 so far.
More people are choosing to travel to France by ferry, with 8.2 million UK passengers visiting the world’s favourite holiday destination by sea so far this year, 8% more than last year. Growing interest in rail and sea travel has also supported continued investment in sustainable ferry transport.
Thanks to the cool, nutrient-rich waters around the UK, ferry travel is one of the best ways to spot whales, dolphins and porpoises in the wild. This year, large numbers of fin whales, the second largest animal in the world, have been sighted from ferries travelling through the Bay of Biscay affording passengers prime opportunity to glimpse these shy creatures in nature.
Isles of Scilly Travel’s sailing from Penzance to St Mary’s once again proved to be one of the best ferry routes for marine life spotting, with the highest number of Risso dolphin sightings recorded this year. Marine conservation charity ORCA works closely with ferry operators to run wildlife surveys on ships and organise deck watches and deliver environmental talks for passengers on selected routes.
Abby Penlington, Director of Discover Ferries said: “Ferry passengers can experience fantastic encounters with nature, but many people are surprised by the number of marine mammals they can see so close to British shores. From minke whales and even humpbacks in the waters around the Scottish Hebrides, to the seal colony visible when the ships dock in Calais and the seals and dolphins in the Thames, there are so many opportunities to spot marine life from ferry decks.”
Penlington added: “However, to truly appeal to travellers, sustainability must be combined with an improved experience. Lowering emissions and building a sustainable future for ferry travel continues to be a priority for the industry and operators are investing in new ships, which are not only greener but have best-in-class facilities to offer an even better sailing experience for passengers. New ships coming into service are generating bookings by themselves and introducing new passengers to the joy of ferry travel.”
In the past three years, ten new ships have launched into service. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers has also launched three new hybrid electric ferries, which carry passengers through central London on journeys with zero emissions.
Brittany Ferries has started trialling use of bio-LNG on its Spanish and Cherbourg routes to further cut CO2 emissions and will welcome two new LNG-electric hybrid ships into service in early 2025.
For domestic travel and lifeline services, Caledonian MacBrayne is bringing six new dual-fuel vessels into service in Scotland’s western islands in 2025 and in 2026 Isles of Scilly Travel will launch a ferry featuring increased comfort with anti-roll fins, a shortened journey time and improved facilities for passengers with reduced mobility. Two electric ferries will come into service on the Solent, with Red Funnel launching its first electric high-speed ferry in 2025 and Wightlink welcoming its first fully-electric ferry in 2026-2027.
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