Summer's here and the shoreline is teeming with life. Now's the time to hit the coast and spot some charismatic creatures - from puffins and seals to minke whales. Click through to see our choices of the best wildlife spots around...

 
Coquet Island, Northumberland

Tiny Coquet Island, complete with its own lighthouse, is a little-known treasure of the Northumberland coast. More than 30,000 pairs of seabirds, including puffins and terns, nest there each year. Keep an eye out for the hundreds of resident seals, too. For the best view of the action, take a boat trip from Amble quayside - they depart daily during summer and times vary depending on the tide; adults, £6, children, £3.

For further info, call Puffin Cruises skipper Dave Grey on 01665 711795.

 
Falmouth, Cornwall

June is the ideal time to witness one of the giants of the ocean - the basking shark - and the Devon and Cornwall coast has premier spots for sightings. These gentle creatures can weigh up to seven tonnes and are often more than ten metres long, but fear not - their preferred diet is plankton and other tiny creatures. They move slowly through the water, with their mouths agape, and linger at the surface, so it's possible to spot their dorsal fins and distinctive silhouette. Various companies offer boat trips from Falmouth, including Orca Sea Safaris (from £40 per person).

For further info, call 01326 214928 or visit orcasea-faris.co.uk.

 
Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall

One of the most exciting ways to search out starfish is to scuba dive or snorkel. Manacles Reef, off the eastern Lizard Peninsula coast, is a safe bet or finding common, cushion and spiny starfish, which range in colour from red and orange to green and brown. The reefs are also home to soft corals and sponges.

For further info, call Porthkerris Divers on 01326 280620 or visit www.porthkerris.com. Dives cost from £25 for qualified divers. Learn-to-dive courses also available.

 
Bempton Cliffs, East Yorkshire

The UK's largest mainland gannetry is at the RSPB's reserve, Bempton Cliffs, near Bridlington. Summer is the best time to watch these birds, which are large and white with black wingtips, and a cross expression, as this is when they gather to breed. Their fishing technique is to fly high and circle before plunging into the sea. Entry, £3.50 per car.

For further info, call 01262 851179 or visit www.rspb.org.uk.

 
New Quay, Cardigan Bay, Ceredigion

The sight of dolphins leaping above the waves is hard to beat in terms of wildlife watching. Cardigan Bay is one of the best places for spotting the bottlenose dolphin - look out for its short beak, which makes it easily identifiable. They're known to follow inquisitively alongside boats and to enjoy surfing in their wake. The Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre, based in the pretty coastal town of New Quay, organises boat trips from £16 for adults and £10 for children.

For further info, call 01545 560032 or visit cbmwc.org.

 
Penzance, Cornwall

The ocean sunfish is a very odd creature. It grows in excess of two metres, is round with thick skin and lies flat on the surface of the water. Often associated with tropical regions, it is a frequent visitor to British waters during summer, especially between Penzance and St Ives. Try a boat trip with Marine Discovery; adults, from £16, children, £12.

For further info, call 01736 874907 or visit www.marinediscovery.co.uk.

 
Blakeney Point, Norfolk

There's always a buzz of excitement from the crowd gathered here, waiting for the tide to rise so the open-sided boats can depart from Morston Quay. The destination is Blakeney Point, where hundreds of common and grey seals can be seen lounging on sandbanks. Bishop's Boats offers trips daily; adults, £8, children, £4.

For further info, call 0800 074 0754 or visit norfolksealtrips.co.uk.

 
St Ouen's Bay, Jersey

The growth of Jersey's marsh harrier population since the mid 1990s, when they were in serious decline, is a real success story. Today you can often see more than a dozen of these striking birds (marked out by their long tails and shallow ‘V' wing formation) airborne at once. The top location is the St Ouen's Bay area on the west coast.

For further info and guided tours, call Mike Stentiford on 01534 861114.

 
Isle of Mull, Argyll and Bute

To see whales, the superstars of the ocean, in British waters is an unforgettable experience. Taking a boat trip from Mull is a good way of arranging an encounter, as the western Scottish coast is one of the few places where they are regularly seen. Minke whales are relatively small, at around seven metres in length, and can be recognised by the white bands on their flippers and their slow, arcing progress through the water. Sightings are most common in summer. Full-day trips with a professional guide and shorter, family-friendly trips are available.

For further info, call 01688 302916 or visit sealifesurveys.com.

 
Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire

To witness the creation of childhood memories in action, just watch the kids dashing down to Robin Hood's Bay, armed with their fishing nets. The rockpools here are home to four types of crab - edible, shore, velvet swimming and the cheeky hermit crabs, which, having no shell of their own, live in other empty ones. Keeping them company are sea anemones, sea urchins and the eel-like butterfish.

For further info, visit www.robin-hoods-bay.co.uk.