Poole harbour is one of the worlds largest natural harbours and lies above the largest onshore oilfield in Europe.
It is an area of outstanding natural beauty
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Poole Harbour

The harbour has eight islands the largest being Brownsea Island some 500 acres which is owned by the National Trust.

The first scout camp was set-up by Lord Baden-Powell  on Brownsea Island in 1907.  The island is also home to the Red Squirrel and much of the island is a nature reserve.

View of the Purbecks from Brownsea Island

Within the harbour are three nature reserves and some parts are very shallow and home to a large number of birds.
These include Oystercatchers, Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Cormorants, Sparrowhawk and Redshank.

The harbour is very busy and is used for  recreational sailing, water sports, cross channel ferries, cargo vessels and by local fishing vessels.

Regular ferry to the Channel Islands

A chain ferry crosses the harbour mouth to transfer vehicles and pedestrians between the Sandbanks peninsular and the Studlands area.

 
Boats in the harbour

During world war II the harbour was used as a training ground for amphibious warfare.

Recently a new sheltered haven for mooring recreational sailing craft has been created alongside the Quay and a new apartment and shopping complex is being built on the former site of Poole Pottery.