Seals!

Fantastic morning out with the family this week with Chichester Harbour water Tours [clicky] on one of their seal watching trips..

I've seen the seals many times on my various ambles round the harbour, but this is without a doubt the closest I've been to them..

..but not too close - most impressed with the instructions from the boat skipper on the day to 'keep it quiet', 'don't move too fast', but most of all to 'enjoy the views of these Grey (they have the longer noses) and Harbour seals'..

..most impressive herd (??).. colony..  I counted 36+ minimum, all sizes, and some still out swimming..

..they pull themselves out on to the sandbanks along the edge of Thorney on low tides - apparently to digest the 7-15 kilos of fish a day they eat - they hunt on the high tides..

Very much recommended..  and fascinating to go further into Oar Rythe than I've been before - skipper reckoned he had a metre or two under the keel at dead low water...

Log:

Distance: 10.9 (cumulative total in the mileage tab at the top)
Wind (Speed; Direction):  n/a
Sail Plan: n/a
Speed (Max/average in knots): 8 / 6.5