Some Not So Grumpy Seals 28/08/2010

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After messing about in the surf yesterday in the Dagger Juice, today I was back in the Nordkapp. The wind was still quite strong so I ferry glide across the southerly flowing ebb tide out to Gwahan, the small rock to the north of Ramsey Island.


As usual on the ebbing tide there are some standing waves at the NE corner of Gwahan which are always great fun to have a play about in.

After a while, instead of breaking out of the tide race I let it carry me southward into Bay Ogof Hen. I was going to explore some of the caves but there are sounds of seals coming from them so I keep my distance.
Whilst contemplating my next move and having a munch on my chocolate covered Kendal Mint Cake (highly recommended), Tim of Venture Jet speeds by.

I decide not to carry on down the west side of Ramsey but paddle around Trwyn Ogof Hen and back into Ramsey Sound where at the entrance of Ogof Hen the decision I have taken proves to be correct as I am joined by two inquisitive seals.

After my encounter with the rather feisty large Bull Seal on the weekend I keep my distance but they are not at all bothered and swim very close to the kayak.

As I was watching the two seals I notice another seal hauled out on a rock in Ogof Hen who again doesn't seem too bothered about me.
I think the seal on the rock is one of this year's pups probably quite a few weeks old, keeping my distance hence the not brilliant picture quality as the camera was zoomed right out I just sit and watch them.

I shoot a short video of a touching moment between maybe the mother and the pup again the quality isn't too good as I am still quite a distance away from them both.

With the incoming tide fast approaching the young seal on the rock I say my goodbyes and paddle southward toward the Bitches which are very exposed due to the large spring tides.


Not sure how fast the tide is flowing I cross Ramsey Sound well before reaching the Bitches. As it happens I lose very little ground on my ferry glide across the Sound with only slight turbulence around Horse Rock.

There is a little chop at St John's Point but it is an easy paddle back to Porthsele, glad that I decided not to paddle around Ramsey as I would have missed out on my encounter with some slightly friendlier seals than last weekend.

Wrong Decision 26/08/2010

With today being the first day of just over a week's holiday with the family, I was keen to get on the water, but with the already strong wind forecast to increase I wasn't sure whether to paddle the Nordkapp or the Dagger Juice.
As soon as I got to the water's edge with the Nordkapp and saw Chris having great fun on his surf ski I knew I had made the wrong decision.
With not too many options because of the wind and tidal direction I paddled out to the jagged rock outcrop of Carreg Gafeilliog where hopefully I could get some shelter in the numerous channels between the rocks.

It was quite like paddling in a maze and after a few wrong turns I was paddling back out from the shelter into the wind again.
There were small standing waves starting to form on the one edge of the rocks so at least I was going to have a bit of a surf even if it was in my sea kayak.

While I was playing in the overfalls the wind increased and it was a bit of a slog paddling back to Porthsele into the wind. No distance covered but at least I am finally here on a holiday although the forecast for the next few days is not too good, British summer hey!

Away With The Birds 22/08/2010

The plan today was to paddle out past St David's Head and out into the main southerly flowing ebb tide to check out the large numbers of birds I had seen earlier through the binoculars.

As I paddled out past the head there were large groups of Gulls perched on the rocks.
There was a lot less swell than yesterday so I decided to stay out in the tide flow and let it take me down the west side of Ramsey.
There were large numbers of birds flying and large rafts of juvenile Guillemots and Razorbills which dived under water if I got within photo taking range! As John, Pencarnan's resident birdwater had told me earlier, there were a lot of Shearwaters flying past on their travels.
It was a very leisurely paddle letting the tide do all the work so I could really appreciate the spectacular views of the west coast of Ramsey and the St David's Head peninsular.

I finally managed to get a decent photo of a juvenile Guillemot and Manx Shearwater which weren't bothered this time by my presence.

Floating along I spotted a very large bird which wasn't a Gannet or a Gull, maybe a Skua but I'm no expert. I also spotted a totally black shearwater which I found out later is called a Sooty Shearwater.

Approaching Llechau-uchaf, one of the two rocks between Ramsey and Carreg Rhoson, as usual there are largish overfalls but today the waves aren't really breaking so it is a pleasant rollercoaster ride over the swell.

As I pass Abermawr, I alter my course and start to paddle in towards Ramsey where the sea starts to calm down again.
Rounding Trwynmynachdy I paddle into Bay Dillyn at the southern end of Ramsey where as I start to near Twyll y Dillyn I encounter the first slight adverse tide of my paddle.
At Twyll y Dillyn I wait for one of the boat trip ribs to come through the small gap where I stop in an eddy for enough time to look back and take a photo at the large cave at Ynys Cantwr.
Passing through Twyll y Dillyn with relative ease I now have the tide back in my favour as I start to paddle Northward back up through Ramsey Sound.

I keep a safe distance from the sleeping seals on the pebbled beach of Abermyharan not wanting to incur the wrath of the Bull Seal I had a run in with yesterday.

I stop for a quick chat with Tim of Venture Jet who still seems to be keeping busy on his highly recommended boat trips, before I paddle across to the mainland in search of Porpoise.
I float in the flooding tide northward watching Porpoise circling around but too far away to get any decent photos. I then take a slight detour to the area around Horse Rock where the water is just starting to liven up.
Paddling back into Porthsele I am greeted, yet again by Bobby enjoying the sea. A paddle of 8.75 nautical miles (10 miles or 16km) with plenty of wildlife and no unwanted attention from the seals!