Misty Magic of Success and Sorrow

At long last, I’ve found a window of spare time to present the final bit of my 365 day trek challenge which saw me tackle a trip down and around Whaligoe Steps for the duration of a year! Each and every day since May 1st, 2023, I ventured around this local hotspot and captured my sightings with my trusty camera.

There’s also some sad tidings within this blog entry as I address a car accident which took place on June 1st, 2024.

To recap quickly, here are some links regarding my trek challenge if you’re in the mood for contemporary fauna and flora of the coastline along the northern Scottish Highlands…

Recap for Whaligoe Steps 365… (Parts 1 to 14) – Whaligoe Eye

Recap Magic for a Second Time! – Whaligoe Eye

April Full of Primrose Promise and So Much More! – Whaligoe Eye

Sunshine Blossoms with Petals of Beautiful Cloud – Whaligoe Eye

From April 29th, 2024 up to and including May 1st, 2024… Thank you for your support and kindness on social media during this whole exercise, it’s meant a lot. To my knowledge, I’m the only person to have ever taken on such an experience. It was such a joy to complete, and to share the sightings with you too.

April 29th, 2024: Cute baby rabbit enjoys some early morning sunshine, plus the winding nature of the fifth flight of Whaligoe Steps.

April 30th, 2024: The sixth and final flight of Whaligoe Steps takes you down onto the Bink (grassy platform), and a radiant glare from an optimistic morning sun.

May 1st, 2024: Slight haze in the air during this trek. Below are a couple of fine examples of the birdlife which is settling in at Whaligoe Steps. Shag (Gulosus aristotelis) on the left, and a razorbill (Alca torda) on the right.

Due to the larger numbers of visitors to this area since the North Coast 500 enterprise, an overflowing residential car park being utilised for campervans, motorbikes and cars, plus the fact there’s only one access lane have seen congestion, property damage and other accidents.

On August 20th, 2021, shortly after I began to sort this blogging website for public consumption, a car accident took place at the end of this lane near the phone box. Traffic leaving and entering via this route have to negotiate a few challenges when times are very busy.

On June 30th, 2019, the amazing local coastguard were called in as a visitor had issues down Whaligoe Steps.

On July 12th, 2022, another car incident unfolded within the confines of the residential car park here in Ulbster.

Sadly, as we await the Highland Council’s implementation for their Government-approved £90,000 for extending and improving the immediate infrastructure, another car accident occurred on June 1st, 2024.

Personally, I’ve not witnessed so many police vehicles in attendance, and can only hope that those involved are finding some sort of positivity in the aftermath.

On March 4th, 2021, the Highland Council announced they’d received a substantial tourism investment from the Government, and were reviewing their spending plans.

August 25th, 2022, the local newspaper tipped me off about their announcement to spend £90,000 on the car parking facilities here. The idea was that the Council had five years in which to tackle this project.

Fingers remained firmly crossed folks.

Regarding the tourist-themed conversation here in Caithness, a fabulous author called Gail Anthea Brown has impressed on many occasions with her intelligent and sensitive narrative on all things North Coast 500, and the general impact on this beautiful location. More About Me & Contact · Gail Anthea Brown

I highly recommend subscribing to her email newsletters. The latest example of this articulate expression arrived in my inbox on May 31st, titled “The Golden Goose – tourism and tension in the north”

So success found in tackling three hundred and sixty five consecutive days of treks down and around Whaligoe Steps, but also the shadow of sorrow for those who have experienced accidents in recent years.

Traffic has been steady and at times overwhelming here in recent weeks, so please be careful and aware of the hazards.

It is a modest residential car park, with one small access point leading off the main road. This infrastructure was NEVER designed for the volume of vehicles negotiating it.

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Sunshine Blossoms with Petals of Beautiful Cloud

Part 26 sharing a fortnight of daily treks down and around Whaligoe Steps, Caithness, which is an additional blog entry to the ongoing ‘Whaligoe Steps 365’ challenge which began on May 1st, 2023.

From Monday, April 15th, up to and including Sunday, April 28th, 2024, this blog entry hopes to share photographs of highlights captured around this remarkable bit of Scottish coastline, and incorporating wee video clips too.

Previous blog entry – April Full of Primrose Promise and So Much More! – Whaligoe Eye (April 1st, 2024 up to and including April 14th, 2024)

A blog entry was published recapping all my fortnightly trekking experiences, it can be viewed here – Recap Magic for a Second Time! – Whaligoe Eye

By the time I publish this blog entry, I’ll have tackled three hundred and sixty four consecutive days of exploring, documenting and experiencing the region directly relating to Whaligoe Steps.

Above is a clip of an oystercatcher, a seabird that has been challenging for me to photograph since beginning the whaligoeeye.co.uk website. So fleeting when perched on rocks, they hop around, poke the landscape in search of food, but nevertheless seem so restless and camera-shy.

April 15th, 2024: Birds were the highlight during this fortnight, as different species began settling on the ledges and in the North Sea. Below, I captured some razorbill swimming around just off the coastline, plus a fulmar is pleasantly relaxed on a rocky ledge and enjoying some sunshine.

April 16th, 2024: With tides shimmering and the weather certainly calming down, there’s been more nautical activity out to sea. Also below, a pied wagtail (Motacilla alba) skips on the pavement at the top of Whaligoe Steps enjoying some sunny spells.

April 17th, 2024: One of the resident rabbits bathed in the glow of some morning sun, while in another part of this coastal community a pair of fulmars communicate with each other.

April 18th, 2024: After another April shower, primrose and fulmar added their presence to a hopeful and rustic landscape.

April 19th, 2024: Shag (Gulosus aristotelis) gather nesting materials, razorbill (Alca torda) looks out to sea and a dramatic sky of cloud smothers hints of sunnier weather.

April 20th, 2024: The Whaligoe Steps waterfall…

April 21st, 2024: A clip looking out from the Bink (grassy platform at the base of the six flights of zig-zagging stone steps). The North Sea which hosts Beatrice wind farm, located just over eight miles from the mainland coastline.

April 22nd, 2024: Signs that spring have truly landed on Earth. Below, is a sighting of a baby bunny.

In the evening of April 22nd, the moon caught my eye.

April 23rd, 2024: A young seagull checks out the view as marsh buttercups blossom.

Like the night before, moon and clouds danced in the dark skies above Whaligoe steps.

April 24th, 2024: Seabirds put on a show during this particular morning trek.

Black guillemot (Cepphus grylle) beside a rusty relic, eider duck (Somateria mollissima) – female is brown, male with black and white plumage – out and about on the silky sea. Finally in this feathered gallery is the distinctive oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus).

April 25th, 2024: Slightly blinded by the glare of the sun, I was perched on a large rock on the pebble shore looking out across the shimmering sea… Keep watching, there’s a surprise on the horizon.

April 26th, 2024: Temperatures were a little low during this daily trek challenge, despite it being late April. Yet almost despite the chilled ambience, the sun relented. Below is another lovely sky photograph and one of my favourite dandelion sightings.

On this specific Friday morning trek, while I stood on the shoreline perusing the landscape I took the moment to film a panning clip of the shallow cave ending it with a distant shot of the Bink.

April 27th, 2024: Primrose and sunshine during a breezy Saturday morning.

April 28th, 2024: Waves were well-paced on the sea this Sunday morning, plus abundant seabirds still arriving and settling on the rocky ledges.

Beautiful cloud too…

One more blog entry to summarise and complete this epic challenge will be forthcoming, a whole three hundred and sixty five or more days of walking down or/and around Whaligoe Steps.

Changing of the seasons has been most insightful, the physicality of walking up and down the steps has been quite an experience, witnessing the natural highlights and those storms which battered the United Kingdom were ferocious at times.

Above is a close-up of hailstones from the morning of April 25th. Funny how the sunshine has been so present between April showers, yet the temperatures plunged to such low degrees that hail made an appearance.

Thank you as always for your time and support, your kindness and for being You.

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Whaligoe Steps 365 (Part 13)

Since May 1st, 2023, I have been tackling a trek to Whaligoe Steps each and every day for six months thus far, on my personal challenge to witness and document the changing of the seasons and to understand better what it’s like living so close to an engineering feat set in a cliff on the coastline of Scotland.

My aim is to finally share with you, all three hundred and sixty five days of natural wonders and beauty which can be found in this rustic location.

This blog entry covers Monday, October 16th up to Sunday, October 29th, 2023…

Everything from a weather system called ‘Storm Babet’ to some beautiful sunrises and dramatic skies took place during this fortnight, as I went down and around Whaligoe Steps in Caithness. Not far from here is the most northerly tip of the U.K. mainland, and with the coldest sea on the planet as your neighbour, you can count on some interesting and breath-taking views from day to day.

Oct. 16th, 2023: Sightings of both the grey seal inspecting the coastline, and rabbits on top of Whaligoe Steps sunbathing in the glow of another sunrise greeted me this Monday I ventured outdoors…

Oct. 17th, 2023: I was up promptly to catch what I felt would be a wonderful sunrise, and was not alone. Visitors tackling their own journey also captured the sunrise on this particular Tuesday morning.

Oct. 18th, 2023: What a difference a day makes. After sharing a peaceful morning with strangers and discussing all manner of fascinating topics to a backdrop of a stunning sunrise, the following morning as you can see below, cast a cold and grey shadow over the North Sea and Whaligoe Steps.

Beatrice, the off-shore wind farm would have trembled if it too knew what was to come over the next few days…

Photographs of the shallow cave, and the unrest wielded by the tides of the North Sea.

Oct. 19th, 2023: Storm Babet, a weather system which showcased true ferocity in strong winds and remarkable waves.

An actual photograph taken of a North Sea wave climbing up a cliff which is around two hundred and fifty feet tall!!

In the aftermath of these few days of Storm Babet, the landscape has been physically changed in a few locations. The base of the Salt House has a little difference, as does the base of the landfall tucked away in the corner; plus on the pebble shores – bare rock can be seen which was once covered in shingle and small stones.

Oct. 20th, 2023: Storm Babet continued into the following day…

Trying to stand still in ferocious winds to take accurate and precise photographs is something I haven’t experienced to this degree before. Below you can see the top of the waterfall, but winds blew the water upwards into the air.

Dramatic liquid monsters carved shapes in the waves as the roar of wild energy filled the skies. It quite literally took my breath away and will be an experience I won’t forget for a long, long time.

I must reiterate that my thoughts for those who lost their lives during this devastating storm are in my mind. The impact of this weather system on some has been something I cannot fully imagine. Sincere condolences to those who have been severely effected.

Oct. 21st, 2023: Marked by some as ‘day 3’ of Storm Babet, the North Sea continued to growl and toss ‘n’ turn…

Here’s a link to my blog showing my experience over these days of the weather system – Storm Babet Vs. Whaligoe Steps – Whaligoe Eye

Oct. 22nd, 2023: What a relief to feel some sunshine as a battered sunrise found ways to ease fingers between clouds, and to tease open those dark grey skies and share some blue and gold…

Oct. 23rd, 2023: A beautiful and calm trek in which a proper assessment of landscape-related damage could be deciphered. Below you have a photograph of a relieved pebble shoreline.

Also, a tranquil sunrise bathes a background for some curly silhouettes to gently sway in the coastal breeze.

Oct. 24th, 2023: Striking colours shimmered on the surface of the sea. The waterfall was generous as it gifted the North Sea plenty of abundant rain water.

Oct. 25th, 2023: Gloomy yet exhilarating with prominent winds. The waterfall continued to flow but created new shapes due to the presence of the gusts.

Oct. 26th, 2023: Hypnotic beam of sunshine caught my eye during this particular Thursday trek down and around Whaligoe Steps. Getting a bird’s eye view of the off-shore wind farm known as Beatrice.

In the evening I noted the moon, so below you get to see it too.

Oct. 27th, 2023: Such fun was had when nature conspired with a hint of frivolity. Foam parties thanks to the build up of rough seas for several days.

Foam globules littered the lower two flights of Whaligoe Steps and standing beside the boat winch meant being a potential recipient to floating foamy companions! The name ‘foam-nado‘ was circulated on this day…

Oct. 28th, 2023: The autumn can be an unpredictable season, but one thing you can rely on is some rain and a drop in temperature. Silhouettes and wet ground were abundant companions.

Oct. 29th, 2023: Foam parties were the theme to unfold during this Sunday trek. To be honest, I hadn’t witnessed this much foam accumulating on the pebble shore like this on prior visits.

Waves were rife as my friend balanced on a rock only to be greeted by a foamy compliment.

As always, I look forward to sharing the next fortnight all going well.

This first six months have been amazing, full of new-to-me sightings and experiences. If things work out, I look forward to sharing the next six months with you and sharing a whole year of life down and around Whaligoe Steps with you.

The previous episode documenting my Whaligoe Steps 365 challenge can be viewed here – Whaligoe Steps 365 (Part 12) – Whaligoe Eye

Thank you for your continued support and interest, it means a lot. Take care and know I’m sending you positive wishes only always.

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Storm Babet Vs. Whaligoe Steps

Known by some as ‘Storm Babet’, to others as a ‘weather system’; strong winds and relentless showers bombarded parts of the United Kingdom to varying degrees.

Here at Whaligoe Steps from Thursday, October 19th, 2023 and continuing through to Saturday night (Oct. 21st), the North Sea expressed remarkable turmoil in dramatic waves and a roar so loud as the coastline was battered.

The wave below ran up to the very top of a two hundred and fifty foot cliff face…

The video clip above was filmed at around 13:20 British Standard Time on Thursday afternoon… The microphone was being abused by the harsh weather, so remember to mute your speakers.

It was difficult to stand up and film this clip due to the ferocity of the weather during the first day of Storm Babet being active, but you can see the extreme swelling of the tides and the North Sea and you can get a real ambience of this thankfully irregular weather experience.

On Saturday (October 21st, 2023) afternoon, I tentatively ventured down Whaligoe Steps which was a partial waterfall and the rain was prolific – Video clip above.

The photographs below were taken during Friday, October 20th…

The waterfall was behaving in an unusual way, defiant of gravity and what the eyes normally witness… It went up the way instead of down!

Now for something I filmed this Sunday (October 22nd, 2023) morning during my daily trek down and around Whaligoe Steps… A clip from the pebble shoreline with a notably diminished wind factor and raging storm in the rear view mirror!

Nature’s very own foam party!

During my daily trek this Sunday and assessing the damage and change in landscape after the weather system had ravaged the coastline for three days, here are some photographic highlights of what I witnessed.

Foam was abundant on the pebble shore and I was pleased to see Star out and about…

My thoughts go out to all those who are confronting the fallout from this severe natural weather condition. I’ve personally never experienced the ferocity of wind which I encountered when I ventured out over these past few days, and I’m another statistic looking at property damage as a result of the devastating weather system.

Until my next blog entry documenting my ‘Whaligoe Steps 365’ challenge, I’m sending you positive wishes as always. Thank you for your continued support, generosity of time and for being You.

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30 Days Wild ’22 (June 1st – June 10th)

Tortoise shell butterfly, June 9th, 2022…

Since 2015, The Wildlife Trusts | The Wildlife Trusts have been promoting nature appreciation with a programme running over thirty days in the month of June. My first time attempting some nature-based education and fun began last year but sadly I didn’t get to complete the entire event for various reasons.

This blog aims to share the fun of the first ten days of June, 2022, for 30 Days Wild here around Whaligoe Steps on the north easterly coastline of Scotland. The plan is to share the following twenty days over two more blogs. Wish me luck!

DAY 1: WILD BREAKFAST

Top of Whaligoe Steps, June 1st, 2022…

DAY 2: FAMILY OF SHAGS (PHALACROCORAX ARISTOTELIS)

June 2nd, 2022…

DAY 3: SEAWEED & ALGAE IDENTIFICATION

DAY 4: SENSORY WALK

DAY 5: BAREFOOT IN NATURE

Bare feet in the north sea. (Crikey, it was cold!)

DAY 6: WILDFLOWER IDENTIFICATION

DAY 7: BIRDWATCHING

DAY 8: WORLD OCEAN DAY

DAY 9: SOWING WILDLIFE TRUST WILDFLOWER SEEDS!

DAY 10: BUTTERFLY WATCH

Thank you as always for dropping by during these busy times we live in, and I hope you found some of these images to be enjoyable. There are twenty days to go, so the idea is to split those up into two more blogs each covering ten days of capture and content. Keep your fingers crossed.

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Take care and stay cosy!

Pebble Shore Baby (Part 2)

Nearest pebble shoreline, photo taken on 28/12/2021

To recap and continue my tale of the grey seal pup encounter, I was blessed with thirteen days of dropping by and capturing video clips and photographs of an ever-evolving baby grey seal. It was left quite naturally as it turns out, on the nearest of the three indents which can sometimes be accessed once down the Whaligoe Steps.

Part of the physical changes witnessed included some evident moulting. I took a photo of a makeshift base which the baby seal inhabited for long durations. There were clumps of fur rolling in the breeze or littering the pebbles. It felt a little coarse if small amounts were held in the hand, but if you were fortunate enough to clench a large amount of baby seal fur, it felt a lot softer.

Photograph of baby seal fur during the thirteen days it lived on the pebble shore

Via social media, someone asked whether I was feeding it or perhaps pondering over any interaction with the pebble shore baby. For those who are curious, I let Mother Nature take its proverbial course and only monitored the grey seal pup. I maintained a safe distance and I found myself quietly observing most of the time, except if I slipped or stepped in mud or water. On those occasions I might have let out a spontaneous grumble!

Baby seal enjoying a rock pool

According to what I have learned, baby seals can forage and eat anything from crustaceans, small fish and I saw a mention of seabirds! I only witnessed the little fellow playing with various sorts of immediate seaweed during its stay here at Whaligoe Steps. But don’t trust my research, there are many articles and books on the subject. The RSPB have this online article for example: Seal Pups in the UK | See The Baby Seals This Winter – The RSPB

Baby grey seal exploring rock pools along the rim of the north sea

A book which I am proud to say has been ordered thanks to two recommendations I received, is called “An Amazing Adventure: The Story of a Grey Seal Pup” by Ken Crossan. I might well add a reaction via social media once I get a copy and have digested the content, but all recommendations were of a positive note.

Baby grey seal pup on the move here at Whaligoe Steps during December, 2021

Within the thirteen days I had the privilege of monitoring the baby seal, I witnessed the coat turn from a clean white to eventually a grey shade. The head was the first evident physical change although tufts of the fur were sticking up and there was moulting occurring on its torso. It was a rapid physical transition with subtle changes being evident on each visit I made.

Baby seal at Whaligoe Steps during December, 2021

I will share an anecdote with you. On the 21st of December, before the baby seal departed its temporary base here, I was keeping an eye on life at Whaligoe Steps as usual. There was a visit from a couple who seemed to be in a whimsical and adventurous mood. We mumbled pleasantries in passing and that was it.

My instincts were alerted by their body language, so being of a protective mood at the time, I waited a little longer than I had initially anticipated.

With a wee glance from the bink area, I noticed the couple had made their way right passed the camouflaged pebble shore baby! I recall making a mental note to myself how utterly efficient the camouflage of the baby seal was.

Those visitors consumed by the view of a tempting north sea, were not a great distance from where the pup was situated. Yet as the female burst into song and made howling noises out loud, relishing the subtle echo which emanated from the location, the two of them were completely oblivious that a baby seal was taking in their performance!

I watched nervously as it moved its head pondering on what the noise was all about and who on earth these two visitors were. Thankfully, the noise was the only disturbance I believe they made.

Clip of the grey seal pup finding the body of a dead young puffin for the first time

After thirteen days of ascending and descending the Whaligoe Steps checking on the baby seal and other general activities, I found myself juggling bittersweet emotions when on the last visit I noticed the grey seal pup had gone. I was thrilled that it had survived and ventured finally into the cold waters of the north sea, but simultaneously I felt like a wild unspoken bond between different species of mammal was at an abrupt end.

If you would permit a moment of sentimentality, I really deeply miss the fellow. I made a sighting on the day after it had moved on (24th of December, 2021). Was it one of the other grey seals, or was it the pup gradually getting further and further out to sea?

Grey seal sighting on 24/12/2021

Thank you for your continued support on the various online locations you can find “Whaligoe Eye”, and for those who took the plunge and subscribed to this website. I am working on the second ‘newsletter’ which will include the name of the winner of my first ever giveaway, plus information about this thirteen day experience with the grey seal pup, and will include a couple of other bits ‘n’ bobs.

One of the last photographs I took before it left the pebble shore for the north sea

If you enjoyed this blog post, then feel free to subscribe via this website using the online form, or if you prefer you can find “Whaligoe Eye” on FACEBOOK: Whaligoe Eye – Home | Facebook

“Whaligoe Eye” can be found on TWITTER: Whaligoe Eye (@WhaligoeEye) / Twitter or my own TWITTER account: Gary (@floodland08) / Twitter

I also upload video clips to YOUTUBE: Whaligoe Eye – YouTube

The next blog post I have in the wings, is simply a summary and recap of what “Whaligoe Eye” has developed in to thus far.

Remember, “Whaligoe Eye” made its debut during the middle of August, 2021, due to the lack of any movement by the local Highland Council addressing how dangerous life had become living here, and for those visiting Whaligoe Steps too. For example, a near miss as a resident was exiting the front door of their home, a wall knocked down, consistent congestion and a car park with no facilities, and inadequate spacing, etc.

The local infrastructure is not currently deemed a priority and as a consequence when busy, there is legitimate cause for concern regarding not only further property damage, but significant hindrance regarding emergency vehicle access amongst other health and safety concerns.

Peek-a-boo!

As the New Year looms prominently (at the time of assembling this blog post), I wish you all a contented and safe 2022.

Thanks again for everything, take care and be safe.

Pebble Shore Baby (Part 1)

Pebble shore – Sept. 28th, 2021

Here in the Highlands of Scotland we are blessed with some majestic views, vibrant wildlife, and a hardened lifestyle dwelling within Mother Nature’s ever-changing frame. This website was a springboard to bring attention to the precarious and evidently inadequate infrastructure at Whaligoe Steps, which at the time of this blog entry still exists sadly. But as the months roll by, this humble website has become something more.

I am constantly humbled by not only the feedback from individuals who visit the website, but also the steep learning curve of learning. With an abundance of wildlife on my doorstep so to speak, I am consistently digesting new-to-me information about the various species which consider the environment their home.

Check out the “Nature” section of this website if you get a spare moment: Nature – Whaligoe Eye

Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)

In previous blog posts, I have been bouncing with joy over the many sightings of grey seals. Since the start of August, one seal was spotted. Then two seals. Finally my over-zealous excitement burst with the most heart-warming enthusiasm when a third seal was sighted in the waters of the north sea here.

During the many regular treks down Whaligoe Steps it became apparent that one of the grey seals was huge! Unnervingly so as it happens. Whispers amongst those who knew of this were suspecting a pregnancy. After some rapid research, the time of year being October of 2021, it all felt like something special was going to unfold.

Pair of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus)

On the 10th of December, I found myself melancholy at the state of the nearest pebble shore at Whaligoe Steps. The previous nights had seen storms of significant power batter the coastline, and with such weather arrived a collection of plastic-related pollution, plus some heavy timber. One item caught my eye. It looked to be a white plastic bag or flimsy container which moved. There was a breeze, so it was totally plausible.

One of my first photos of the pebble shore baby

On closer inspection, I discovered the white object was in fact a living, breathing grey seal pup! As I share this with you, I cannot articulate sufficiently what this meant to me. My instinctive panic to what may befall such a beautiful example of Mother Nature if visitors from afar were to unintentionally harm or alarm it, or in cases I have seen via articles on seal clubbing or abuse to such native coastline wildlife which was intentional and thoughtless, took hold of my thoughts.

Grey seal pup working out how to manoeuvre over and around the immediate landscape

Due to the significant levels of visitors which travel here these days, and despite the crisp cold air of December where once upon a time local people would not see anyone, there are still people who frequent this area. I became almost maternal in my protective ways, and those residents who knew of its existence also adopted an unspoken veil of secrecy regarding the arrival of this pebble shore baby.

My first video clip, filmed on the 14th of December, 2021

I checked out the RSPCA website and even tried to phone them as I was caught up in my woes for the safety of such a wild, yet young grey seal: Seal Pup Found Alone | RSPCA

Apparently after further reading, the Mum nurtures and brings up the newly born pup for about a month before setting it free on a nearby beach or shoreline. The seal pup will then be at the mercy of its own instincts and the environment in which it evolves for about two weeks or so. During this time the seal pup is learning about the relationship with the sea, food and protein, and everything else you can imagine when a living species enters its habitat.

The pup exploring a nearby rock pool

There were days when the seal pup would do very little in the way of movement as it conserved energy. It gave off a serene ambience whilst absorbing all around with those beautiful large dark orbs. In the video clips above you may note how the fur is beginning to change. Within the thirteen days I was gifted the opportunity of monitoring and observing it, the physical changes which transpired were remarkable.

Chomping on some seaweed

I mentioned the plastic pollution that washed up around the same time the grey seal pup made its grand entrance on the pebble shore. The photograph below was taken during an impressive clearance of the larger and potentially more hazardous items which were briefly in close proximity to the pup.

I cleared away the plastic pollution which I was concerned might harm the pup

I will share with you some more of my personal experience with this adorable example of the wildlife which graces the shores here in the United Kingdom. Be patient with me as I need to forage amongst my documented footage and photographs to find out which ones are the finest, and then treat them so they are appropriate to be uploaded. Part 2 will be posted in the next day or so as I juggle the Festive period and all that comes with such traditions.

Showing off a carpet of fur as it moulted profusely

Many thanks for dropping by, it is appreciated.

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Take care and be safe.