Monday 3 October 2011

Of Dolphins and Seals!






What a weekend - the sun blazed down and we headed off in Mermaid. We encountered the most amazing things and so for once I will keep my words short and beg forgiveness instead for this picture heavy post. St Anthony Lighthouse looking over glistening blue seas.






Tucked away coves reachable mainly by boat and therefore very quiet.






And then suddenly we were surrounded by three leaping dolphins! The squealing from people around us as they leapt and dived was just incredible. I tried to photograph them but they were everywhere. So beautiful as they played and arced through the air. I have never seen them like this before and almost fell out of the boat as I twisted around to spot them.






Such appalling photos but it was all I could get and I didn't want to miss seeing them. We were there for ages, sailing boats and yachts and our local water ferries; people all smiling at the sea and the dolphins and each other. Beautiful moments which will stay with Mr Davey, the children and me for always.






We eventually left them to play and carried on our way, the waters so blue and our hearts just full of how very lucky we are to have seen such wonderful creatures that close - so close that at one point I could have almost touched one of them as it surfaced right by our boat. Little did we know what was to come.






We wound our way along the shore deciding to opt for a completely secluded cove away from any other people. This meant going much further along the shore than we have before, passing tiny beaches tucked under tall cliffs of trees and bushes typical of our coastline.






Finally we found the perfect cove with rocks either side to hide it from passing boats and seas of jade and green to lure us in. Surrounded at the back by high cliffs, this little spot gleamed in the sun and looked so peaceful.






Pretty seaweeds of all types were collected by the girls to make a mermaid picture on the pebbly sand.






And then it happened, we realised that over the other side of the cove was this: not a rock as we had thought but a seal...






With this!







Bobbing out in the water next to our boat was Daddy seal and the three of them just ignored us as they played in the water with baby flapping along the shore.







Mum and Dad spent the bulk of the time in the sea with the mother coming in to feed baby every so often.






We felt so priviliged to witness this and watched as the baby worked its way from one teat to another as the mother stroked it - yes, I kid you not, she stroked her baby with her flipper.






In between feeds the baby played in the shallow waters as the other two lazed on their backs close by, diving every now and then and lumbering ashore for another quick feed.






So very, very beautiful.






We kept very quiet and stayed on our side. The seals didn't seem remotely bothered, but even so we shall not be returning to this particular cove until they will have left it,; after all we have plenty to choose from and their safety is paramount.






I don;t think any of us could quite believe what we had seen that day.






Isabella took it all in her stride once the initial shock of flying dolphins and baby seals was over with!






We quietly loaded Mermaid once more and set off for home, but no sign of our playmates on the way back.






Just jade and azure water






and pretty boats also sailing home in the late afternoon haze.



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What a day! How was yours? x

21 comments:

  1. What an amazing day out you had. From the summer sizzling weather for October to the frolicking dolphins and the cute baby seal with mum and dad. I don't think you could quite top that day out at all!

    Awww my heart melted when you said that mummy seal was stroking her baby with her flippers. That is just such a touching image.

    Those photo's look as if you were abroad. Just amazing.


    MBB x

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  2. Pipany, I am stuck for words here which makes a change. Isn't nature amazing? Surreal and so very real too.

    How wonderful to have shared this moment with your beautiful children. It puts everything into perspective, doesn't it?

    Blissful. Motherhood is the same for all species.

    Our day was magical too in a sixteenth-century kitchen garden...

    Warmest wishes (in every sense of the word because it is sweltering here!),

    Stephanie

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  3. What an amzing trip. I'm not surprised that there were lots of squeaks! I would be too.
    CKx

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  4. Well what could match that? Thanks for sharing, just beautiful.

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  5. Oh Pip, what an amazing experience, I can't believe those seals let you get so close.... your pictures are so special - especially of mummy and baby. I do very much love looking at all your sea adventure pictures - very envious as always. And what a weekend for it weather wise! It has been gorgeous here too - stayed lovely and sunny today too so have had a little retail therapy trip to Bath today :) Supposed to be hail, rain and thunder later in the week though! x

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  6. Hi Pipany,

    Such a beautiful post! To have Dolphins and seals in the UK..... didn't know there are Dolphins in the North Sea too. I can imagine you must have been delighted seeing them. We would have been too. It's such an amazing sight! Hope you will get some more of those beautiful sun filled days before the autumn sets in.

    Lieve groet,

    Madelief x

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  7. Wow! What a magical day ... I'm sure you'll all cherish it :D

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  8. Wow, Pip! What an amazing day - thank you so much for sharing it with us. :-)

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  9. What an amazing and awesome trip out Pipany - dolphins and seals, stuff made of dreams - just utterly beautiful.

    Nina xx

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  10. What an amazing outing! Such beautiful pictures, too, to make it unforgettable. We had a walk on the beach at Padstow the weekend before last - a bit of a Cornwall fix for us, but rather tame in comparison to yours!

    Pomona x

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  11. You lucky things, anyone would think you were on the Galapagos Islands not in this country. What a fantastic experience for you all, and lovely photos to look back on too. Sweltering hot London just isn't the same !!

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  12. Wow, what absolutely amazing encounters! You lucky spuds, I can tell just how much you enjoyed it.

    What wonderful memories. I lovel all the photos, they really capture your adventures.
    Have a lovely week.
    Stephx

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  13. Oh yes, what a day!! I lost myself in your beautiful pictures and I am sure that it is a day that will live in your memory forever, - a marvelous experience for the children....

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  14. How marvelous for your family to have sailed to that particular shore, allowing you all to quietly be awed by that other young family.

    I am so glad that you had the camera with you!

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  15. Such beautiful photos!
    Thank you for your comment on my blog. It's encouraging to know things do get better! Thank you x

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  16. What amazing photos, Pipany, and what a wonderful day out with your family, seeing the seal family. You live in such a lovely place, and you are so talented at capturing it with your beautiful photos for us to enjoy.
    Have a great week.
    Helen x

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  17. Great to see The Mermaid has had another outing in the glorious sunshine Pip.

    How fantastic to see the dolphins and the lovely family of seals in their cove. What an absolute privilege.

    Thank you so much for sharing these images with us.

    Jeanne
    x

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  18. Wonderful story and photos! I'm here from The Cottage Garden--when I spied 'Cornwall' I had to stop by. I love Rosemond Pilcher's books and she was always writing about Cornwall and I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to visit. I will have to satisfy my desire by reading your blog!

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  19. These photos are breathtaking. I felt I was there. Thank you!!

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  20. What a fantastic day, I read this with a huge smile. So very special. Lizzie

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