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Britain is packed with opportunit­ies to see world-beating wildlife — as Sir David attenborou­gh’s new BBC series Wild isles will show. ‘nature in these islands rivals anything else i’ve seen elsewhere,’ he says.

ORCAS HUNTING SEALS

BBC cameras caught orcas killing seals off Shetland. These Scottish islands are Britain’s best whalewatch­ing spot. Boat safaris from the island of Burra can result in seeing hundreds of these killer whales: shetland sea adventures. com/ whale-watching. Or join a Shetland wildlife safari to see many different types of whales, seals and a cliff where 18,000 gannets nest: wildlifewo­rldwide.com/ group-tours/the- shetland-islands STAY: Busta House Hotel stands on Shetland’s shoreline ( bustahouse.com) — double room from £142pn.

RAMPAGING WILD BOAR

BRITAIN’S fastest-growing population of these hairy, tusked mammals is in the Forest of Dean, Gloucester­shire. Growing as big as baby elephants and running at 30mph, boars must be treated with respect. Experts lead evening walks to see these secretive mammals hunt rodents, snakes and birds. STAY: The Tudor Farmhouse Hotel ( tudorfarmh­ousehotel.co.uk) offers boar-spotting safaris. Double room from £129pn.

PUFFINS BATTLING GULLS

BBC filmmakers show loveable puffins running back to feed their chicks while gulls try to steal the

fish from their beaks. Boat trips to the Farne Islands off Northumber­land are the best way to guarantee seeing thousands of puffins this spring: farne-islands.com STAY: The Olde Ship ( theoldeshi­p. co.uk) is right next to boat trips on Seahouses harboursid­e, double room from £110 pn.

GREY SEALS

WILD Isles crews spent weeks filming grey seals giving birth on wide tidal sands at Blakeney Point in north Norfolk. It’s easy to visit with a boat safari: sealtrips.co.uk STAY: The Blakeney Hotel ( blakeney-hotel. co.uk) — double room from £150pn.

EAGLES CATCHING GEESE

ONE of Wild Isles’s highlights is footage of sea eagles catching migrating geese at the Isle of Islay off Scotland’s west coast. Tours explore the same area, offering sightings of dolphins, sharks, otters, deer and seals: islay-seaadventu­res. STAY: The harboursid­e Islay Hotel ( theislayho­tel.com) has double rooms from £132pn.

KINGFISHER­S FINDING FISH

THE BBC caught kingfisher­s darting into the River Stour in Dorset to catch fish almost as big as them. Visit stourvalle­yway.co.uk

STAY: Bridge House Hotel ( the bridgehous­ehotel.co.uk) — double room from £71pn.

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