Welcome home everybody!

In this episode Rob and I lead our Sidestrand School group on a walk along the shingle and sand dunes of Blakeney Point, a spit of land on the North Norfolk Coast that is incrementally lost to the sea as it rolls out for 4 miles.

The point is a national nature reserve currently managed by the National Trust, and it gives protection for Blakeney Harbour and the surrounding salt marshes, which in turn provide habitats for a vast array of resident and migratory wildlife. The point is known internationally for spectacular displays of summer breeding Terns and also for its winter breeding colony of grey seals, which make up roughly 30% of the world’s total population, and giving birth this season to almost 5000 pups.

After a mile or so of labouring along the shingle we came across a small group of 8 to 10 adult seals. we didn’t want to get too close and instead decided to watch them through scopes and binoculars, and listen using parabolic and shotgun microphones.

In the end we weren’t able to make good audio recordings of the seals, partly because their calling can be infrequent and muffled by the roaring sea, but also because the thrill of seeing them spawned an almost constant excited chatter amongst our human troop. This didn’t mean the trip wasn’t worthwhile though. The effort of walking on shingle, the fun and challenge of being in a wild environment, and the positivity garnered from getting out of school, hanging out with your friends and experiencing something totally new gave the trip its meaning.


LINKS

NT Blakeney Point - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/norfolk/blakeney-national-nature-reserve
Where to see Seals in Norfolk - https://www.visitnorfolk.co.uk/post/where-to-see-the-seals-in-norfolk