I don’t know really where to start with this blog, but I will start by saying that I prefer to be on the water instead of the land and after 3 days ashore due to the strong winds, rough seas and piles of rain I was glad to be back on the boat again. I knew it was going to be a busy day as we would have a backlash of people who were desperate to get out before they went home and we also had an All Day trip going out so people started to arrive early to book a trip. I popped home for 10 minutes to take my son to school and while I was walking home I received a phone call to say that Staple Island was going to be closed due to the rain coming and the rocks were really slippery too. It’s not a call I want to receive but in the back of my head, I was expecting it, so we told our guests who were booked onto Staple Island and the All Day trip and offered them longer on the Inner Farne. Lots of people took this offer then 20 minutes later I received another call telling me that the Inner Farne was now closed and to be honest I don’t blame them as the forecast was saying heavy showers were on its way.

If I was the boss of the islands then I would have shut it too, as the day before we had a months worth of rain in 24 hours and on top of the winds and big seas it was like being back in the middle of winter again. All I could think about was the seabirds as the eggs were starting to hatch and to be born until this weather was unthinkable.

Now, a good few people got really upset about not being able to land on the islands and this is understandable having some of them drove a long way but at the end of the day its the seabirds home not ours and if we don’t look after them then we will have nothing to look at. So this is the reason the islands were closed (14/06/19) and forgive me for posting these pictures but I think I need to show everyone why the islands were closed and of course, it’s not just the Farne Islands but its all of the country too. The rain could not have timed it worse just at a critical stage for all walks wildlife and we even had a young Porpoise found dead on the beach just north of Seahouses.

Okay I’m going to stop talking about the sad stuff now and hopefully, my next blog will be more cheerful.

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