Wildlife sightings

Over the years I have seen numerous species of bird, animals and other wildlife at quite close quarters whilst out paddling in my kayak.  In common with many other sea kayakers I thought that paddling in a sea kayak was the ultimate green vehicle.  The one form of marine vehicle, which was going to cause the least amount of disturbance to wildlife, either along the shore or on the water.

On reflection though I am not so sure we are as environmentally as friendly as we think we are.  I remember the indignation I felt when a wildlife watch boat off Shetland approach us and told us we were disturbing the birds.  I then watched the boat approach much closer to the cliffs than we had been with no visible impact on the thousands of birds, which were in the area.
On another occasion I recall paddling off the south coast of Skye.  There were numerous seals hauled out on the rocks and although we paddled out from the rocks there was some disturbance with a number of the seas entering the water.  One of the small boats which operated out of Elgol passed reasonably close to us before approaching the rocks so that the passengers could get a better view of the seals.  Surprisingly although the boat was closer than us the seals weren't at all concerned.
Thinking of other meaningful interactions with wildlife of various shapes and sizes many of the closest encounters have been whilst have been sitting still in my kayak.  Puffins swimming close by, seals approaching the bow my my kayak, whales surfacing nearby, the list could go on.
So why didn't these larger boats with engines disturb the wildlife?  One theory is that we are not a fixed shape, our paddles are rotating and at times the sunlight catches the blades.  We are a moving image and perhaps the wildlife concerned becomes confused whereas a boat is a fixed shape and so the animals become accustomed to the shape and less agitated.
Of course this might be complete rubbish but I think that it is worth considering the impact we have on wildlife, our environmental credentials may not be as robust as we think they are.  With the winter approaching be particularly thoughtful about those small wading birds who have traveled thousands of miles to find a regular food supply along our shoreline and then we paddle along, passing close to where they are roosting, causing them to take flight and wasting some of their hard earned energy resources.
Seeing wildlife in all its forms is one of the most memorable aspects of sea kayaking but lets slow down, give a bit more space and reduce the anxiety to those animals which call our seas and shoreline home.

Paddling in Shetland.  There were literally thousands of gannets plus numerous other species such as Puffins and Great Skua's.  We didn't need to approach the cliffs as we slowed down the birds came closer of their own accord.

This was a memorable day heading south along the west side of the Sleat Peninsula in Skye, for several miles we were accompanied by dolphins.  We didn't follow them or chase after them, they just decided to be with us.

Basking Shark off Wiay.  Sitting and watching this magnificent creature swim alongside and underneath the kayaks was a very special experience.

 Whilst launching after lunch two whales appeared alongside us.  We sat for 30 minutes watching an amazing display and then as if they had had enough fun they just disappeared.  One of the reasons why kayaking off the west coast of Greenland is so memorable.

 This beautiful bird just swam past whilst waiting for some others in the group to launch.

It is always worth experimenting by pointing the camera down.  This was just a lucky shot but there were so many sea lions in the area it was worth trying a few underwater shots even if I couldn't see what the camera was pointing at.

Top 5 Sea Kayak Trips

Whilst sitting around a camp fire on a remote beach or in the classroom on a 4 Star Assessment a question which regularly comes up is "What are the the 5 best sea kayak trips that you have ever done"?  Just take a minute to think about what are the best 5 days that you have spent in a sea kayak, factors to take into account might include companions, scenery, wildlife, weather etc.  What is interesting is that if you repeat the process in a couple of days time you will probably come up with some different paddles.

So I thought, what are my 5 most memorable sea kayaking day trips at the present time?  I present them below in no particular order.

There is something special about kayaking through the heart of the world's great cities. London and Paris have both been memorable paddles but looking back towards New York from the Statue of Liberty is second to none.

Heading through the Ecrehous reef.  Located approximately half way between Jersey and the coast of Normandy and visit to this delightful ref is a must for any sea kayaker who is visiting Jersey.  There will be a number of paddles arranged here during the Jersey Symposium in May

The west coast of Scotland is justifiably popular with sea kayakers and the paddle at from Elgol into the heart of the Cuillin Mountains has to be one of the finest one day paddles that there is.  This was a beautiful day a few years ago, the day trip at last years Scottish Sea Kayak Symposium included a quick visit to the neighbouring island of Soay.

Disko Bay on the west coast of Greenland has many of the basic ingredients of classic sea kayaking, isolation, dramatic scenery, memorable wildlife etc.  what makes it so special though is kayak through ice whilst there are historic and cultural links between the region and the kayaks we paddle.

This small island is Er Lannic in Morbihan, southern Brittany.  Where else is it possible to paddle in tidal streams which reach nearly 10 knots whilst less than a hundred metres away it is possible to explore semi submerged stone circles, several thousand years old?

Spar Cave - Skye

I can't quite believe that after 15 years of visiting Skye to go sea kayaking and paddling in this specific area on numerous occasions, it wasn't until May this year that I actually stopped off at Spar Cave and managed to explore its inner recesses.  It was a fascinating place to visiting and well worth the effort.

It was one of the paddles at this years very successful Scottish Sea Kayak Symposium and it was whilst crossing over to Boreraig for lunch that I think I finally decided to help run another Symposium in Jersey in 2014.

Actually finding the inlet wasn't straight forward and a gentle swell meant that landing was more entertaining than some of us had hoped for.

Looking towards the Cave.  Apparently when Sir Walter Scott visited the cave in 1814 he had to climb over the wall, which is just visible at the top of the green slope.  On the right hand side can be seen the gap, which it is now possible to walk through.  This supposedly, appeared as a result of a passing boat firing a cannon.

There are two cave entrances, it is the left hand one which is the one that is of interest.

Initially the floor of the cave is very muddy but this turns into a steep slope covered in calcium carbonate, which is quite spectacular and has surprisingly good friction, for climbing up.  Many of the spectacular rock formations, both stalagmites and stalactites, where taken by Victorian trophy hunters.

Some of the smaller rock formations have managed to survive intact.

After the excitement of Spar Cave we crossed to the north shore of Loch Eishort to have lunch at Boreraig.  Allowing plenty of time to explore the ruins and to find the ammonites.
  Unfortunately one of the group also decided to dislocate their finger, which resulted in rather more excitement than we had planned for at the end of the day, but that's another story.

Your 5 Best Paddles

One thing which we often talk about when out sea kayaking is what are the best 5 day trips that you have ever done.  I think that every time I consider which are my favourites I come up with slightly different ones although there are often a couple of the old favourites.
So when you are having lunch on a rock somewhere, sitting around the camp fire on a remote island or just having a pint in your favourite pub why not give it some thought and see what you come up with.  What's great about this is that there are no rules apart from the fact that the paddles have to be on the tidal waters.

Here are my favourite 5 for today:

 Selecting a paddle from my local waters is always difficult but the Ecrehous always have to be in there.  I first paddled out there in August 1974 and have been going back ever since.  The landscape is always changing as the height of the tide varies.  A warm summers day is a favourite but its also memorable being out there in the middle of the winter when you have the reef to yourself.

 A late evening paddle down to the Statue of Liberty, returning to Manhattan as darkness sets in is superb.  To see the city skyline at night from the water is one of the worlds greatest views.

 If there is one destination that all sea kayakers should aspire to visit it is Greenland.  The combination of mountainous scenery, ice bergs and wildlife combine to create somewhere really special.  On this day in northern Disko Bay all three came together in superb weather.

 We had been paddling for nearly 4 weeks and couldn't quite believe that we were actually going to paddle around Nordkapp, it had seemed so distant when we had left Tromso.  But we woke one morning to calm seas and blue skies so seized the opportunity to paddle around this famous headland.  The next morning there was a gale blowing, so it was a case of being in the right place at the right time.  Although this was in 1986 and I can still remember the experience as if it was only a couple of months ago. 

Scotland should really be in and this was a great day heading towards Coruisk.  Nicky and myself had driven from Gordon and Morag's house in thick fog, it suddenly cleared as we dropped down the hill into Elgol.  The Small Isles to the south and the Cuillins to the north were completely cloud free.  Lunch in Coruisk was more like a picnic in the Med.  We were also able to wander around Soay without being eaten alive by midges.  One of those days when you know you will always return to Scotland.

So that's my five for today but I think that I have already got it wrong.  What about Polyaegos and Milos, Sark or just the south west corner of Jersey.  This can lead to endless hours of discussion amongst sea kayakers.

Coruisk and Soay Again!

Approaching the head of Loch Scavaig, at the end of the crossing from Elgol. The clouds certainly helped to create a dramatic backdrop.

After landing on the north coast of Soay we walked across the island to explore the small village. There had been a few changes since my last visit 3 years ago when we were able to look in the old school house. Today it was locked and appeared to have been neglected for some time.

Heading out past the remains of the basking shark fishing industry. We didn't have enough time to explore the ruins, but it is a good excuse for a return visit.

No visit to Skye would be complete without the obligatory paddle to Loch Coruisk. Living in Jersey where our highest point is about 150 metres above sea level it is always inspiring to kayak into the heart of the most dramatic mountain range in Britain. Gordon Brown goes as far as to say that it is in his opinion "the best one day paddle in the world." I have to defend the Ecrehous, as they are my favourite paddle, but Loch Coruisk comes a very close second.
As we left Elgol the mountains were obscured by low cloud and rain but as we approached the clouds parted to reveal the true grandeur of the mountain scenery. We walked up to the freshwater loch, although there wasn't time to carry the kayaks up today.
After a quick lunch we headed towards Soay, to look at the industrial archaeology and if possible walk across the island to the village. We used what little tidal flow there was to our advantage, in Soay Sound the stream is always running west.
We walked across the island to the old village and as we sat in the sunshine it was hard to imagine the scene on the 20th June 1953 when the 27 evacuees left the island on the SS Hebrides for a new life on Mull.
Unfortunately it was all to soon time to leave, as we paddled out of the north coast harbour a light westerly breeze had sprung up and it significantly eased our journey back to Elgol, surfing along on the small wind generated waves.
A great day out, one of the great paddles in the British Isles.