A CONSERVATION charity is once again taking people to get up close and personal with seabirds this summer.

The RSPB’s puffin and gannet cruises at Bempton Cliffs on the Yorkshire coast are now in their 29th year.

Trips will set out from Bridlington harbour every weekend until August 5, with staff and volunteers from the RSPB East Riding Local Group on board to point out what’s happening and help identify the seabirds.

Cruise co-ordinator, Kim Smales, is thrilled that the cruises will be heading out once again: “Now in their 29th year, these mini-adventures are definitely one of the highlights for visitors to this stretch of Yorkshire’s heritage coast, that has Bempton Cliffs at its heart,” she said.

“The skipper gently coaxes the boat as close as possible to the cliffs so you’re almost rubbing shoulders with the seabirds.”

Bempton Cliffs is home at this time of year to hundreds of thousands of seabirds. As well as gannets and puffins, species including razorbills, guillemots, fulmars and kittiwakes can be seen from the boat and porpoises have been known to pop up unexpectedly.

For the first time, tickets for these voyages can be booked online.

Kim said: “Teaming up with Eventbrite and using their tried-and-tested website has made getting a ticket much more convenient. It couldn’t be easier to make sure of a place on board now– just sit back on your sofa and log on.”

To book, go to eventbrite.co.uk and search “Puffin Cruise”.