Ben Nurse has a fondness for the all-round wildlife experience at Northumberland’ s Farne Islands
Grey seals, sunny day
COMPETITION
Fun in the Farnes
Ben Nurse has a fondness for the all-round wildlife experience at Northumberland’ s Farne Islands
Briefing: Choosing a favourite UK dive site was a hard decision. The North Norfolk coast has plenty of wonderful dive sites where I’ ve spent many weeks diving the rare chalk reefs or wrecks, where some colourful dive sites put a Red Sea coral reef to shame. However I don’ t think the Farne Islands, Northumberland can’ t be beaten.
The dive: From the moment you leave Seahouses harbour on your boat, you are met by wildlife. It could be the small but fun Atlantic puffins bobbing at the surface before diving down for sand eels as the boat approaches; or the majestic Arctic terns as they skim the waves. If you are lucky, you might even be treated to dolphins or, more recently, orca sightings. The Farne Islands have everything a wildlife nerd loves let alone the beauty of the Northumberland coastline with its yellow sand dunes and historic castles.
As you approach the islands, you can smell and hear the sheer volume of wild sea birds that nest on the cliffs. In places, the boats can get right against the rocks, and there you are towered over by cliffs full of breeding terns. Then as you turn a cove, you are met by low- lying rocks, and that’ s where the fun really begins. The howls of grey seals get all divers excited, and the excitement is reciprocated by the seals, waiting for divers to get in the water.
I have always found that if you stay shallow and make slow movements, the seals will soon start circling, picking an opportunity to come in and try nibble a fin when they think you are not looking. They are full of mischief and aren’ t afraid
Puffin about to take off
PHOTO: BEN NURSE to approach. On one dive alone, I had a seal try to steal my fin for five minutes straight while I was swimming in open water. Every time I looked at the guilty seal, it let go and gave the side eye as if to say:“ What? That wasn’ t me!” I’ ve been in situations where I’ ve had five seals trying to‘ steal’ diving gear while my diving buddy had another four. They were never doing anything dangerous, just playing.
Debrief: The Farne Islands provide kelp forests to swim through, all the better for finding lobster, crabs, anemones and maybe even a sleeping seal hiding away in the kelp. There are nudibranchs on the kelp fronds for those who want a challenge of finding the smaller species. Dives at Farne Islands are never the same, but always produce a smile.
The author, Ben Nurse
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