Seal watching sometime in August

An extremely belated post, sometime at the end of August for family reasons I went on a little boat trip to see the seals that hang out on the spit at Blakeney. It was one of those things you never do unless when you actually live somewhere until guests arrive . You have to book and arrive on time due to the tide. Ours was the last trip of the morning before it turned.
I have had the occasional seal swim around me especially at Titchwell. But here there were SO many and lots of babies as well. Some of them were still preggers and absolutely enormous. A few shuffled into the water and swam around the boat it's amazing watching something which is so awkward on land become instantly graceful.
On the way out through Blakeney harbour I also spotted the perfect house boat..

JJ

Monday 6th August 2012, various times, Hive

12.30pm

The first time MG and I have been to Hive since the terrible rockfall of a last month. The area of beach we usually swim at is closed off while they investigate the stability of the cliffs. It makes the beach feel very different, sad and even more beautiful. Our thoughts are with the young woman who died and her family.

The sea was rough with some decent waves so we jumped in before we could think about the cold or the swell too much (well, nearly, MG did a classic sprint in to the water which was suspended at ankle depth and replaced by a worried frown, the waves looking bigger face to face). The water was milky, pale blue. Clear enough to see knees but not feet. Big waves were great fun after a few weeks of flat calm... Although I forgot how hard it is to swim in rougher seas - and how much water you end up swallowing when trying to talk.

Getting out was a bit traumatic, the waves were not too bad but just as I was about to launch up onto the beach with an incoming roller I saw a compass jellyfish one foot in front of me. Shouting a warning to MG then swerving to avoid meant I mis-timed my landing completely and was caught in the middle of the wave and tumbled up the beach, washing machine fashion. At least I avoided the jellyfish, kept my trunks and goggles on and hopefully escaped pebble ear. Luckily MG made a more dignified landing.

SW

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7.00pm

Return to Hive, R to follow...

Walberswick, Suffolk 28th-30th July

Luckily since I'm still hobbling the campsite was quite close to the water just the other side of the sand dune.

JJ

Swyre, Friday 27 July 2012, 5pm

Every swim is good... but this one was breathtakingly so. A twenty minute walk through fields and reed-beds brought us to a nearly deserted beach. Glorious views, perfect weather. The water was clear, calm and clean (and free of jellyfish). After a cooling swim the shingle was hot and smooth. Couldn't be better. No wonder this is KH's favourite beach.

SW

Portland, wed 25th July 2012, 3pm

Church Ope Cove, more ideal swimming in clear, warm water...

SW

Yesterday, 24th July 2012

We are all horrified to hear of the landslide at Freshwater yesterday, and our thoughts are very much with the family of Charlotte Blackman, as well as those who were injured.

The Swimmer as Hero

Scolt Head Island 24th July

Arriving at the little harbour of Burnham Overy Staithe I felt the extreme bad temper caused by an injured ankle and too much time spent indoors melting away. Hobbling down to the marshy creek close to the ice cream van there are people basking in the sunshine despite the slightly fettered smell and kids covered head to toe in marsh mud climbing and sliding up and down the banks. We walk up the creek half in the water half on the muddy flats in the vague direction of the sea. People gradually thin out and we can only see other groups of ones twos tramping out in the same direction. As the tide is going out you could definitely swim or canoe out to the island. Once on the island (really it looks like a massive sand dune) there is some further walking/hobbling to the sea. Which is incredibly warm and clear not that deep but we float around and then bake on our own sand bank like seals. This is how summer is supposed to be! Because it is in every weekend supplements best beach guide recently+ school holidays there were quite a lot of people but it still felt empty and isolated. The added bonus of swimming in the creek I think makes it one of my favourite swims.
JJ