HAVE Have you been scratching around for things to do on a day out? The suggestion of a day trip to the seaside would not seem likely to encourage today’s little perishers into abandoning their electronic gizmos. But we made just such an offer to the grandchildren – and it went down a treat.
Mind you, it was a day out with a difference. Beloved and I took the three boys – aged nine, 11 and 13 – to Nausicaa, the magnificent sea life centre in the French Channel port of Boulogne. It was deemed cool.
This fascinating place, providing glimpses into seas and their inhabitants all around the world, attracts more than half-a-million visitors a year and is one of the top tourist and cultural attractions in France. And it’s so easy to get to. LD Lines’ new fast ferry service gets you from Dover to Boulogne in an hour – then you’re within walking distance.
Nausicaa – with its superb technology, displays and effects – houses thousands of creatures from the sea and shore. From the first glimpse of a cylindrical aquarium with a graceful jellyfish through to a tropical lagoon and cruising, fearsome-looking sharks, the boys wanted to see it all.
The centre also has its educational aspects, but we didn’t need to highlight that because the children were soaking up some of it anyway. One electronic gizmo that hadn’t been discarded was recording the wonders as we went around – in pictures and sound.
A considerable amount of research is done here. There are breeding and nursery projects, as well as demonstrations featuring environmental concerns, including conservation of fish stocks and the need to treat the world’s oceans and its creatures with respect. In addition to the excellent permanent exhibitions, various themed displays are set up from time to time and they are always fascinating.
We have been many times, but this visit was just to let the boys enjoy the magic – and we enjoyed their delight.
The highlight? The sea lions won flippers down. These beautiful animals have fixed meal times and that’s when, under the guidance of their handlers, they put on a superb display of agility and acrobatics, clearly playing to the audience in the best traditions of show business. They love the applause, and they applaud back, knowing that fishy treats are coming their way. Difficult to follow that, but the touch tank came close. It’s a huge open tank in which fish such as skate, sole and cod swim around contentedly, allowing themselves to be stroked or tickled by admirers.
We seemed to have been exploring for hours and the inevitable pangs of hunger indicated a change of direction. As well as souvenir and bookshops, the centre has a buffet bar and there is a quality restaurant, though it’s not cheap. Across the road there are several restaurants and brasseries, most with children’s menus.
It’s only a short walk into Boulogne town centre and there you are spoiled for choice of places to eat. Not surprisingly, this being one of France’s prime fishing ports, fish is a speciality.
The old town, overlooking the harbour, also has great restaurants and, if you have more time, wonderful places to explore.
Alongside Nausicaa there are some decent sandy beaches, with scope for anything from sand-yachting to sun-bathing. There are also excellent beaches just outside Boulogne on the coast road towards Wimereux, but you need more than a day to do justice to this coast.
We went to Boulogne on the Norman Arrow, LD Lines’ high-speed catamaran. It’s a big vessel, which can carry freight, coaches, cars and foot passengers. There are bars, snack facilities and a shop with duty-paid savings on various items. For an extra charge you can get priority boarding and access to the priority lounge.
There is some parking at Boulogne port if you want to abandon the car and walk the short distance to Nausicaa, and there is also parking at the centre. Underground you have to pay, but on the prom it’s free – if you can find a space.
A grand day out.

Fact fileLD Lines provides four return sailings daily on its Dover-Boulogne ferry service, with a crossing time of one hour. The Norman Arrow has capacity for 1200 passengers and up to 417 cars.
Short break fares start at £28 for a car and four passengers. On selected sailings, foot passenger fares start at £18 return. One way fares for a car and four passengers start at £30.
Premium Lounge upgrades start at £7 per person each way.
For more information and to book go to http://www.ldlines.com/ or phone 0844 576 8836.
Get to know more about Nausicaa on www.nausicaa.fr
Boulogne information available from the Office de Tourisme on http://www.tourisme-boulognesurmer.com/ or by phone on 00 333 21 10 88 10.