THE National Trust will host its first guided boat trip onto Strangford Lough on Saturday afternoon, giving local people the opportunity to discover wildlife.
A National Trust warden will be on board the vessel to point out the wildlife and nature conservation interest of the area.
The boat will take visitors through the Strangford Narrows into the Irish Sea for an excellent view of common and grey seals hauled out on the rocks.
This is one of the best times of the year to see seals as the common seals have just started to give birth.
The boat will then head northwards, up the lough, to get a closer look at some of the more isolated islands that are home to noisy colonies of gulls and terns.
Among the other seabirds that are likely to be seen are oystercatchers, gannets, guillemots, eider ducks, cormorants and herons.
There will be two trips running on the day, leaving Portaferry at 1pm and Strangford at 3pm.
A limited number of tickets are available priced at £12 per adult and £6 per child and must be booked in advance by calling Mount Stewart on 028 4278 8387.