Christmas Whale

On Christmas Eve a 40ft Sperm Whale washed up on the Old Hunstanton Beach. Unfortunately it was already dead and starting to decompose. In fact it may have been dead in the water some time as a corpse was spotted by the RAF target ranges on the other side of the Wash. The authorities plan to leave it to the tide to wash away the body.  Apparently this is the first time in 60 years that a Whale has washed up here.
The picture was taken by a friend on Christmas Eve.
J.J.

shark washed up at Hive beach, Boxing Day

Picture and story from Wessex FM site - glad we did not see this one on the water...

rough dorset sea, 23 Dec 2012

Well, I can't deny it, I've failed dismally. The day is soon going to come when I've gone two months without a swim and I am ashamed and horrified by myself. I have REALLY tried; I went to the beach twice last week with two different willing companions and both times the waves were crashing and swirling in a frenzied muddy mess and a gale was blowing along the beach. Both times we retired gratefully to The Hive for hot chocolate. I blame KH and the failed November swim for this.

I'm sorry, but this isn't the end. Given the right conditions I'll be back in and so, I think, will KH, who I believe joined in the Boxing Day plunge at West Bay. Congrats to SW for stirling effort all along the South coast.

Watch this space and a happy new year to all our swimming friends!

MG



 

Hove, 22nd December 2011, 9am

An early morning mid-winter solstice swim (apparently its a 'leap solstice' this year).  The sea was grey and dull looking but it was calm and there was some blue sky with sunlight breaking through. Amazingly I still have not resorted to boots or gloves, guess its still much less cold than this time last year. A short but euphoric swim.

Hove, Sat 18th December 2011, 12 noon

Stormy weather has kept us out of the sea for weeks. When it's been calm enough for me to swim in Brighton I have either been in school or it's been dark. Night swimming in December not that inviting (I did try twice but chickened out!). And wild Dorset has been out of the question. Waking up to a calm-ish, sunny-ish sunday in Brighton was just too good an opportunity to miss. A quick run then straight to beach. Gently wavy grey water, lots of bobbing gulls, tides of dead starfish brought in by the storms but not a single person.

 
Even the promenade was quiet as it was half covered in beach shingle - a sign of how rough it's been.

 
I have learnt to change and get in quick - less thinking time the better. It was cold but not freezing. I was worried it would be hard after such a long break but I dived in after less than 30 seconds of cormoranting and was away. So good to be in the salty water again. I could feel the old euphoria almost instantly.

I kept it short, I have gone a bit soft these past dry few weeks. After five minutes I was starting to cool down so swam back and clambered over the shingle. So happy to be able to swim again!