The CUTE Factor

Just some of the reasons why the grey seal pups are so cute. 

Seal Trip

On Saturday 10th November we had our 2nd Seal Photography Trip and it was a beautiful day. The light was perfect for photography and I was praying it would stay that way.

After a few hours on the Island the gang boarded the boat for our tour around the Farnes before heading home.

As we were slowly cruising around taking every opportunity to get that special picture we stumbled across a Long-tailed Duck.

Long-tailed Duck you say, but it's not very often we see these lovely birds around the Islands as we tend to see them more at Ross Sands and up to Holy Island than we do here, so for me and my guests it was nice to see.

After a few shots we started to head towards the Inner Farne when I got a call to say that the Dolphins were back again.

Yes I know...we got them again and yes your probably sick of my blogs about these beautiful creatures, but hey I don't care, they are truly amazing and we don't see them that often here so I think they deserve to be blogged about.  Anyway it's not about me, it was about my guests and they deserved to see them in there full glory, and boy did they.

The group was about 40 to 50 and they were spread from Seahouses harbour entrance all the way up to Bamburgh Castle. The reason I know this was because my friend was close to the harbour and he had about 20 with him and we had about 30 but as they left him we seemed to get more.

They were putting on a bit of a show to, as they jumping high out of the water. The only thing wrong was that I had the wrong lense, it would have been nice to have a wide angle but hey you can't have it all.

After about half an hour the dolphins disappeared so we steamed back to the harbour with smiles on our faces after a very enjoyable day. 

A big thank you to everyone to joined me today and I look forward to our next one.

 



 

 

 

 

Dolphin Week

Sunday 4th November was just a great evening with the Dolphins and to be honest I thought I would never see them again but this week I have seen them on 3 separate occasions and I must say you can never get tired of them.

On Friday I was on my way out with divers when I received a call from Graham (A Ranger on the Farnes) saying that there was Dolphins on my port side of the boat. As I turned the boat towards the shore there was about 25 of them playing with another boat.

As we got closer you could tell they were in a playful mood. They were jumping out of the water and bow riding the other boat waves.

The boat turned and headed towards the harbour and it was our turn. I slowly moved in and adjusted the speed of the boat gently so that they would come and play with the boat. Oh boy were they having fun playing with the boat.

As I was watching them I noticed a couple with the same markings as the other day. This could not be the same pod but then one came out of the water and I noticed the same marks on the back beside the dorsal fin. There was also 4 youngsters which was the same as the other day.

I have also heard some rumours that the dolphins are from The Tay as they disappeared from there about 3 weeks ago. They tend to go up to the Black Isle in the Murry Firth but they have been known to come down this way first before they head up north.

Hopefully I will find out soon, when I send some of my pictures of  to be identified. Anyway here are a few pictures just now.  

Dolphin Encounter

Sunday 4th November was just a stunning day, with flat calm seas and beautiful sunshine.

I was out with divers for the day and seal diving was top of the agenda. Having found the best place to dive, I dropped them in, then all of a sudden the seals disappeared. At first I thought I had scared them away, but then I realized, they were all under the water playing with the divers.

When the divers returned to the boat they were buzzing, so I suggested diving a wreck for the next dive, but as you can imagine, a seal dive was requested again. 

After a great days diving we headed back to the harbour as they had a long journey home to London.

I moored the boat, washed the cups and got her ready for the next day and with my camera bag on my back I climbed up the ladders and walked towards my van, when Kevin the harbour assistant told me he had just seen some Dolphins outside the harbour.

My first reaction was oh S*** my camera battery is dead but I just thought I can't miss this opportunity. I opened my bag, grabbed my charger and ran to the harbour office and plugged in the charger. The orange light came on to tell me it was charging and a smile came across my face until Kevin said "Andrew they are heading south now"

Oh S*** was some of the words I used, I had to go. I grabbed my lifeless battery, climbed down the ladder, started the engines and off I went.

I was hardly out of the harbour when we saw the dolphins break the surface. They were behind me, beside me, in front of me, they were everywhere.

I noticed a few swimming south and thought the rest would follow so that's the way I went. I picked up my camera and started to take pictures but about 10 pictures in the battery totally dead. Brainwave.. I have my phone. I tried to take a picture but it was to hard so I turned it to movie mode and tried that. Grand it was working, but then Beep Beep my phone was going to die now. Great....More choice words came out of my mouth.

In the end I decided to just enjoy the moment as much a possible.

As I was looking around I noticed my brother Toby had brought the other boat out to have a look. His wife Sally and the kids were even with him and I noticed Peter was there to.

Grand I thought, Peter will get some pictures and boy did he. After about half and hour we turned to come home and I was grinning from ear to ear.

So here we go, a few pictures I got before my camera went dead and a rubbish video but hopefully I will have some better ones to show you later.

 I will post Peter's pictures later and I will and a few more videos after I edit them. The picture below is from Peter's phone so that's why it does not look as crisp. Still good though.

  

   

Little Auk

Over the past few day's we have had a good few Little Auks passing the Farnes.

I have to say I do love these little birds and they are half the size of Puffins. When some of our guests have seen them they just go ahhh, and for some reason they are right, as they are cute little things. You have to take your hat of to them as they breed on Islands in the high Artic and it makes you think how they survive.

I tried to get a picture of them in flight today but I had no chance, as these little birds can not half motor and with them being so small it makes it even harder, so in the end I gave up. We also had one in the harbour the other morning and that is a first for me.

I have to say the Farnes is a great place and one of the best places in the UK to see these little gems. The Rangers recorded over 4000 yesterday flying north but I think the Farnes holds the record for Little Auks passing in one day at something like 28,000. Now that's alot of birds in one day and I bet they had to go and buy new clickers by the end of it.

Never mind I'm waffleling now here are a few pictures I got the other day.

Just Seals

Not alot to say about this blog but here are some pictures I took the other day from one of our trips. Tomorrow it's all about those Little Auks.