EYE-light of the year
I kept my eye on the weather all week and I was hoping and praying for good weather. Everyday I was checking Wind Guru to see what the sea state was going to be like, and after a few days it looked good to go. A quick text message to Alan Hewitt to give the thumbs up, I sat back [...]
Survey Work
On Wednesday and Thursday last week, I was doing some survey work for the Government. They did a survey a few years ago but they wanted to go back to the same places to see if anything had changed. It sounds like it was really interesting but after the first few drops with the video camera it becomes a little boring. [...]
Summer/Winter Wildlife Tour.
It was our 2nd Winter Wildlife Tour today and what a day it was. You would never think it was November with the weather the way it was. The seas were calm and the sun was glistening of the water and with a little breeze coming from the south I knew we were going to be in for a cracking [...]
Seal Fight
Even though the seals love playing with divers and they can stroke them, scratch them and cuddle them, they are wild animals and they will attack you. We have over 1000 pups now and they are just so cute but when it gets to this time of the year you get a chance to see some bloody fights. Bulls are so big [...]
Little Auk
The Little Auk has arrived at the Farne Islands over the last few weeks and number are starting to build slowly. These small seabirds are beautiful but sometimes hard to spot in the waves, but once you get your eye in your sorted. It always helps when you get one resting in the calm water and it does not want [...]
Sunny Sunday
I woke to beautiful sunshine on Sunday morning and I could not wait to get out to sea. After leaving the harbour for our first trip we arrived at Scarcar Island to see lots of Shags, Turnstones and Purple Sandpipers. The Purple Sandpipers looked stunning in the sunlight so I had to get a picture. Some Oystercatchers with Purple Sanpipers [...]
1st Winter Wildlife Tour 2011/12
I watched the forecast with anticipation this week as we had our first Winter Wildlife Tour on Saturday and I was praying for good weather. God must have heard me as the weather was great. We had a little wind from the north but nothing to worry about. With all the guests on board we left the harbour about 10.30am and [...]
Summer Plumage Great Northern Diver
Friday was just a beautiful day and it started with an amazing sunrise. As I left the harbour you could tell it was going to be a good sunrise so I decided to steam up to the Inner Farne to try and get it coming up over the Island. I did and it was a beauty. I was chuffed to [...]
Branded Seal.
I was out on a trip with some customers on the 4th October, and when I arrived at the Longstone Island to see the seals, I noticed a seal climbing out onto the rocks, on it's back it looked like it had been in a fight as it was all cut. As I looked through my bins, I could see [...]
Great Northern Diver
I went down the harbour at 6am this morning, as I had to move the boat out into the bay as the tides are really big at the moment and it was low water at 9.20am. If I did not go out into the bay I would not be able to pick my customers up until 12pm, and as they [...]