One of the places I had wanted to visit for many years was the Donna Nook Seal Sanctuary in North Lincolnshire, but there is only a short window of time each year to view this spectacular colony of grey seals. This year I had made up my mind to go and it was well worth the wait to see these creatures basking in mud flats with not a care in the world.
After an hour and half car journey from the south of the county, travelling along single track roads that felt like we were driving to the end of the earth we arrived at the Sanctuary. I’d purposely picked to visit on a week day thinking it would not be as busy but the car park was full. Everyone was getting their winter coats, wellington boots, hats, scarves and gloves on as the wind was bitterly cold and fine drizzle had started. Before we set off we had a hot chocolate at the mobile café to warm ourselves up.
We walked through the entrance and there in front of us was vast expanse of mud flats stretching for as far as the eye could see. The sky was stormy, the tide was out and in the distance we could see the waves crashing down, the sky melted into the sea and a rainbow had begun to appear in the distance.
As our gazed turned down from the sky to the land beneath and dotted all over were hundreds of seals, just lazing around on banks; in water filled creeks; snuggled up in a hole in the ground; tucked up against the wooden picket fence and pups huddled up suckling on their mum. It was an amazing sight. Some of the bulls were charging at each other and making loud barking noises, raising up onto their front flippers against other males, in what appeared to be a display of terroritory protection. They certainly were not phased by humans watching and taking photographs of them and carried on with their business.
On the other hand the pups seemed very intrigued by us and appeared to be acting up to the camera. One particular white pup, well he would have been white apart from some mud on him. He had perfectly rounded black soulful eyes, a grey noise and a cute smile. He was more than happy to wave his front flipper at us, roll onto his back, cover his eyes up with his flippers and then take them off as a child would do when it is playing hide a seek! It was funny to watch and photograph.
Although the seals look cute, cuddly and harmless they are protected by a wooden fence as they will bite and have sharp claws, bulls can be aggressive and mothers may abandon their pups if they smell a human or a dog so it is important upmost care is taken when visiting.
As well as a reserve for seals it is also a bird watches paradise with an abundance of species to spot. Neither the seals nor the birds flinched as two low flying planes zoomed overhead making us jump and duck at the same time.
A group of school children were eagerly firing questions at their tutors as they pointed out to the seals. The children aged around seven to eight years old all had their clipboards with their pens tied onto it with a piece of string, so as not to loose it. Their sheets of paper were blowing all over as they struggled to keep it flat and dry from the wind and the rain. What a great school trip for them though I thought and wished we had been on trips like that when I was at school.
The bulls and cows (male and female seals) started to decend on 22 October this year at RAF Donna Nook Bombing with the first pups being spotted on 29 October. By the time we visited on 22 November there were 339 bulls, 1047 cows and 953 pups already present, not that I counted them all, the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust update their website each week with new births. Typically over 1300 pups are born here each year. Females can live up to 35 years and males to 25 years. Two thirds of their time is spent in the sea hunting and feeding.
The Nature Reserve is managed by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust by dedicated volunteers and staff of RAF Donna Nook. It is reserves like this that have helped the grey seal population treble in British waters since 1960 to a population of 120,000.
Facilities are very limited at the Sanctuary with a small car park, a mobile café serving hot and cold drinks and minimal food. Toilet facilities are located approximately a mile away and there isn’t any shelter from the sometimes harsh elements. There are a couple of wooden huts which serve as information centres and sell gift products on behalf of the Sanctuary and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.
The viewing walkway itself is wide and concreted, making it wheelchair friendly and the wooden picket fence separating the public from the seals is approximately three-four foot high so it is no too imposing.
Information:
Location: North Somercotes, North Lincolnshire
Admission: Free. Donations accepted.
Parking: Free
Toilets: Located at a separate site approximately 1 mile away
Facilities: Mobile café on site. Small information huts selling gifts
Click here to visit the Lincolnshire Trust's website for more information
