Safari Boats

Set sail on a voyage of fun and adventure aboard Longleat’s Safari Boats.

Two new boats were launched in 2007 by the Marquess and Marchioness of Bath, costing £250,000. The new vessels have continued the tradition of being named after female members of the Thynne family and are known as the ‘Lady Bath’ and the ‘Lady Lenka’ (in honour of Lord and Lady Bath’s daughter).

Sitting high in the water, the boats are not only fully accessible but they also offer a large capacity and comfort.

Longleat’s sea lions were first introduced into Half Mile Lake in the late 1960s and are believed to be the one of the few colonies of California sea lions anywhere in the world to live in freshwater. Keepers supplement their fish diet - each sea lion eats around three-and-a-half kilos of mackerel a day - with salt tablets to mimic a seawater habitat.

The Safari Boat trip will also take you past Gorilla Island, the half-acre home of Nico the Lowland Gorilla.
Nico likes nothing more than to watch the passengers on the boats as they journey past his island. He also enjoys a variety of creature comforts including his own centrally-heated miniature stately home, satellite television and even computer games!

And if you’re really lucky you may catch a glimpse of our resident Hippopotamus – Spot and Sonia – just watch out as they are Longleat‘s most dangerous animal!