Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch Visitor Centre

The Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch Visitor Centre opened in January 2019. It is located in the middle of Peel’s main shopping street.

Address: 31 Michael Street, Peel, IM5 1HD.  Office telephone 01624 610 131

Opening hours: Winter 2022: Tuesday-Saturday 10-4. Hours may be subject to change and can be viewed on our Facebook page or by phoning the office. Admission is free. 

Discover the whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks that inhabit the waters of the Isle of Man. Chat to our team of marine mammal scientists to find out what Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch are doing to monitor and conserve these unique species. Tea and coffee is available for a donation.

  • Learn about our local species, recent sightings and how to spot them
  • Find out how dolphins and whales communicate and hunt, and how they evolved
  • View our collection of bones and skulls, from tiny porpoise teeth to a huge Minke whale rib bone
  • Listen to whale song and dolphin clicks and whistles at our audio station
  • Play interactive quizzes on our media tablet
  • Join in with our young scientist’s area full of activities, games, and craft equipment
  • Discover how marine mammals are under threat and what you can do to help
  • Browse our extensive library of marine mammal literature and scientific papers and make copies for your own research
  • Buy some unique merchandise ranging from pocket money gifts to T-shirts
  • Borrow some litter pickers to help keep Peel clean

Children’s craft and educational sessions are organised throughout the year, see our events page for upcoming dates.

Group visits can take place inside or outside of regular hours and all groups must be booked in advance with our Education Manager, Jen. We welcome visits from school classes, youth groups, people with disabilities and indeed any other interest group. We ask for a contribution towards our work.

How to find us

From Peel seafront, walk up any of the little streets and you will find the old town. We are located along the main shopping street, past Co-op and Shoprite. Our shopfront is painted blue. We are opposite the Insurance company and next door to the micro-pub. Check out this interactive map to see what else our little city has to offer. If you get lost in Peel just stop to ask any of the friendly locals.

Parking

The MWDW Centre is situated on Michael Street, Peel, which you cannot park on. There is, however, a large car park in the town centre and ample parking all along the promenade. All parking in Peel is free.

Public transport:

Frequent buses operate from the Town Hall, just a 2 minute walk away.

Accessibility:

We are situated at street level and there is one small step in the entrance way. Entrance is wide enough for wheelchair users. Toilet is at the back of the room and down another step. There are no baby changing facilities, but washroom door can be closed to create floor space for this purpose.