A new venture will see amphibious dock tours return to Liverpool docklands next week – 11 years after the Wacker Quacker Yellow Duckmarine sank in Salthouse Dock. Tony McDonough reports

Splash Tours will launch its amphibious tours of Liverpool and its docks next week.

Its pink and blue amphibious vehicle will welcome the first passengers on board at the Royal Albert Dock on Friday, August 2. Visitors will be taken on a 60-minute tour of the city via land and water.

From the vehicle they will be able to see Liverpool’s most famous landmarks including the Royal Liver Building, Liverpool Cathedral, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, and St George’s Hall.

They will then enter the water with a splash, showcasing the sights of Royal Albert Dock, Salthouse Dock, Canning Dock and Wapping Dock.

Ed Lumley, co-founder of Splash Tours Liverpool, said: “I have been in love with Liverpool from a young age and it’s been a dream for nearly 10 years to bring our amphibious tours to this great city.

“We’re hoping that the Splash Tours vehicle will be a much-loved feature of Liverpool’s world-leading visitor economy for many years.”

This will be the first land and water tour in the city since the demise of the ill-fated Yellow Duckmarines. On one Saturday afternoon in March 2013 the Wacker Quacker craft started to sink into Salthouse Dock.

An investigation by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency later cleared three of the four vehicles to resume the tours but, in June, disaster struck when 30 passengers had to be rescued from the dock when another craft began to sink.

Yellow Duckmarine tours had used repurposed World War Two amphibious vehicles. However, Splash Tours Liverpool will be using a newly-manufactured vehicle. It is the result of seven years of design and development and months of in-depth testing.

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Sean Morrison, estate manager at Royal Albert Dock, added: “It’s wonderful to add Splash Tours Liverpool to the growing list of vibrant attractions available at the dock.

“In a city steeped with history, we’re delighted to be part of a unique experience that allows visitors to immerse themselves in Liverpool and provides an exciting opportunity to see the iconic waterfront like never before.”

Splash Tours Liverpool is operated by the Lumley family, headed up by father Graham Lumley, his son Ed and daughter Amelia, who have run a similar operation in Windsor successfully since 2013.

Under its manufacturing arm, Seahorse Amphibious, it is the only company in Europe to manufacture and operate its own amphibious vehicles, with a combined experience of 40 years.