The waters along the stunning coastline are home to seals, dolphins and a wide array of sea creatures, while vast areas of unspoilt countryside are home to ospreys, red squirrels and much more. If you’re looking for something a little more unusual is what you’re looking for, lemurs, meerkats and other exotic animals and birds can be found in the county’s zoos. Here is a flavour of what Northumberland has to offer…
1. Atlantic grey seals on the Farne Islands
The Farne Islands are home to thousands of grey seals (also known as Atlantic seals), and each autumn hundreds of pups are born here. Take a boat trip from Seahouses to see the seals on the Farnes. Photo: Jane Coltman
2. Puffins, Farne Islands
The puffin is one of the country's favourite birds and there are few better places to see them up close than on the Farne Islands. This rare bird offers endless photo opportunities in the height of the breeding season. With its beautiful markings, strikingly coloured bill and almost comic gait it is a bird that has endeared itself to millions. Puffins head off in August, so make sure you see them before they leave. Take one of the boat trips from Seahouses.
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/farne-islands Photo: Jane Coltman
3. Northumberland Country Zoo, Eshottheugh, Felton
Snow leopards are the latest to be added to the family-run animal collection at Northumberland Country Zoo, which has 17 acres for visitors to explore with over 50 species of animals to see, including lynx, wallaby and ring-tailed lemurs. https://www.northumberlandzoo.co.uk/ Photo: RZSS
4. Dolphins off the Northumberland coast
You might be lucky enough to spot dolphins at any point along the Northumberland coast. They can often be seen up close from the trips to the Farne Islands out of Seahouses as they playfully swim alongside the boats. Berwick has become a real hotspot for seeing them in recent years as they gather around the mouth of the River Tweed. Seasonal boat trips operate from Berwick quayside to offer the opportunity of a close-up view. Photo: Kate Durie/Tamsin Bowron