A bit of Pembrokeshire wildness for those of you who are missing the sea - Porthgain in #StormArwen, unedited and untamed. #StormBarra has been less photogenic :-) . We've been fortunate to have no significant damage in this area. We're very conscious of our blessings as we enjoy the wood burner when so many people are still without heating elsewhere in the UK. Take care, guys.
Dog boss enjoying sunset at Whitesands beach
Something for those of you who are missing Whitesands - like us! The beach will be there for us all when lockdown ends but for now Whitesands Camping has a webcam so you can see live footage of the beach here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTme7Rj-A6w
Take care, guys.
Pembrokeshire Beach
Some virtual salty air and spray from Pembrokeshire for those of you who are missing it. One day we'll all come out of lockdown. We're looking forward to it! Take care, guys.
Stormy Seas at Abereiddy Beach Pembrokeshire
A little bit of fresh air for those of you who are missing the sea (taken at Abereiddy before lockdown). Hang in there, guys.
Bull Seal basking in sun on Ramsey Island rock (Pembrokeshire, UK)
Lazy summer jet boating days seem rather distant in the current November gales. Here's something for those of you missing sun, sea and seals. A touch of freedom in these strange times of COVID-19. Take care, guys.
Seal Pup Relaxing on Pembrokeshire Beach (Wales, UK)
Something for those of you missing the sights and sounds of the sea. We had a fabulous walk on the coastal path yesterday (dog boss is still snoozing it off!). This young pup was a huge bonus. S/he has moulted and given the size is likely to be independent. S/he was clearly enjoying the stream, snoozing with head in and out of the water and apparently enjoying the softness of the weed. It's a good sheltered spot so this youngster is enjoying a good start in life. Apologies for the quality of the zoom but seals need more than 2 metres social distancing :-) . Have a good week guys.
Seal Pup on Abercastle Beach, Pembrokeshire (Wales, UK)
We’re well into this year’s pupping season so we’re coming across pups on the mainland beaches as well as on the islands. This little one was causing consternation at Abercastle because people thought he was in trouble. Seal pups do sound rather pitiful when they call (it can sound like a human baby crying) and they’re not particularly mobile, particularly when they’re well fed and portly. This chap’s cries weren’t picked up by the phone over wind noise but s/he was doing a good job looking and sounding pathetic. Some lovely people were even wondering about carrying him / her to the water. Please don’t. Pups need to rest out of the water. They can’t swim very well when they’re small and their lovely white coat gets waterlogged quickly. Pups can get into the water if they wish and their mothers will nag them to get in the water when necessary. They will generally wait for the tide to come in to make it easier. If a human were to put a pup in the water it would risk drowning, particularly in rough conditions.
If you see a pup not moving much and crying, that’s normal – it’s calling for a feed. The mother will be around somewhere and as long as we keep clear, she’ll feed it. Seals generally work around the tides, particularly on beaches. An adult seal isn’t likely to come a long way up a beach away from water (but they can). They know that they’re safest in the water so tend to stay in or near it.
Sadly some pups are abandoned by their mothers but the most common form of death is drowning. You will see lots of pathetic looking ‘baby seals’ around at the moment, crying for food.
They just need space. That can be difficult when they choose to lie right next to the cast path :-) but if we stay quiet, move slowly and don’t block the skyline they’ll stay relaxed and we won’t get in their way or that of their mother.
If you see a seal that is clearly injured, a pup with weeping infected eyes, or emaciated with no sign of a mothe
Dolphin Watching off Ramsey Island (Pembrokeshire, UK)
It's not always sunshine and dolphins in Pembrokeshire but sometimes it is :-) . We just happened to be out at sea and lucky enough to be in the right spot at the right time. The colours were spectacular so we thought we'd share our mini offshore with those of you who are missing the sea.
Pembrokeshire dolphins off Ramsey Island
30 years ago we would see dolphins inshore perhaps once or twice a year if we were lucky. While they are still primarily found in the inky depths of the Celtic Deep (out to sea from Grassholm and the Smalls), they visit us around Ramsey far more often these days. They are always welcome fishing companions even if they do get all the fish :-) .
Tim took this earlier this week while coming back in from fishing. Have a great day guys.
St David's Head (Pembrokeshire, UK)
A fabulous bit of coast path. Have a great weekend everyone.
Whitesands Beach, St Davids (Pembrokeshire, UK)
The dog boss took us to Whitesands to celebrate the lifting of the 5-mile stay local rule. The coast path was stunning and very few walkers meant that social distancing was easy. It's a strange new world but this was a wonderful way to ease into it.
There's something very comforting about these ancient cliffs and rocks, which have been there way before us and will continue long after us. Whitesands changes periodically with big tides and storms but it remains a constant in many people's lives, not to mention holidays from childhood. It's still there folks. There's even a rather nice looking ice cream shack practicing their social distancing :-) .
Ramsey Island's Atlantic Grey Seals
Seals are the stars around Ramsey Island. They have a similar intelligence level to dogs or 2 year old children (presumably without the latter's ability to work iPads). They clearly enjoy playing and are deeply inquisitive, often as interested in watching humans as we are in them. They are long lived (typically they can live into their 30s). Having been lucky enough to watch them for over 30 years it's difficult to believe that they don't also have a sense of humour, sneaking up on divers, ducking just as people want to photograph them and then coming straight back up. They are as fascinating as they are beautiful.
Sorry for sound issues!
