Seal Encounters at the Farnes

[Allan Carr]

Reading Jules' report about the lack of seal encounters at the Farnes this year got me thinking about where we have had the best dives with seals.

My wife and I were up with our usual group of geriatrics the Wednesday/Thursday/Friday before the YD gig. The Wednesday, we had a great dive with a seal on the north side of the Knivestone. It swam up behind us and wrapped its flippers around my leg. This was unusual because they normally just seem to nibble your fins. It also did this to me wife and then went on to wrap its fins around my wife's cylinder. I just about filled my mask through laughing so much. It stayed with us and played for about 20 minutes.

Another common trick is to hang upside down above divers.

What is surprising is that the encounters don't normally take place in areas where there are a lot of seals. I don't know if the seals are territorial and those in some areas are more playful than others or whether they move around the area a lot and it is just some individuals who are the adventurous ones.

The best areas we have found up there are

1. North side of the Knivestone
2. The Hopper (SE side of Longstone)
3. Blue Caps

Although there are several other areas which have lots of seals, encounters there seem far less common.

In terms of the diving this year, Wednesday was OK but couldn't get out on our favourite sites because they were too rough, Thursday was absolutely flat calm with an oily sea - but thick mist so no diving possible. Friday, a heavy SE swell had come up out of nowhere so dive sites were a bit restricted but we had a couple of reasonable dives. This swell sounds as if it lasted into Saturday as weel.

[Sipadan]

i found you get much more attention if you dive solo

[Allan Carr]

I have had plenty of encounters diving as a pair and even a threesome. One thing I have noticed though is that seals seem to have a definite preference for blue fins!

[Mark Davies]

I think Jules and the others on their boat were just unlucky. We were diving on the same day around Blue Caps and had plenty of encounters - the beauties were nipping at my fins all day.

I find it's best to find a reasonably open but long gully and sit at one end of it. They seem to enjoy swimming through them and when they find you on the bottom sitting still seem to get curious and come to look. Once you've got their interest they keep coming back and will even start to follow you about.

Colourful fins really do help, too.

[Seal diver]

As some of you know I have specialised in diving with grey seals along the NE coast over the last 5yrs +.
I have been very fortunate to have worked with the BBC filming seals off the Farnes and have dived with seals at other less dived sites along the coast (e.g Coquet Island - Amble).

For those divers wanting very close proximity dives with seals then there are a variety of techniques that can help considerably.

Firstly, NEVER try to entice seals closer with ANY form of FOOD (broken urchins etc..) IT IS DANGEROUS and alters their behaviour - PLEASE.

The Farnes is probably the most reliable spot in Britain for close seal encounters and the sites listed by Alan are indeed quite reliable, depending on the sea state and tides. There are several other sites that I have been diving this season that show great promise.

As many of you will know from NOW until the end of December is the best time to dive with the seals.
Whilst many of the divers are packing kit for winter the seal diving is just starting to get really good! Obviously the weather becomes a little bit more challenging and less predictable but I dive there all year round and the skipper I use is excellent. (William Shiel - Glad Tidings Boats)

In light of this any groups / clubs (sadly not individuals on this occassion!) - min number 8 people max 14 divers wishing to participate in diving during OCT/NOV/DEC with the sole purpose of getting very close to seals should contact me via e-mail: bburville@hotmail.com
Groups/Clubs will be totally responsible for their own dive planning /safety and will need a nominated dive marshall.

The nominated dive marshall for the group will have no responsibility for my (or my buddies) diving.

All monies will be paid direct to the skipper.
All bookings will be directly with the skipper.
All dive locations and dive briefs will agreed and conducted between the nominated dive marshall, the skipper & myself.
I will give specific briefs on the seals likely to be encountered and how best to get close to them.
For divers who do not see seals underwater I will (when conditions permit) take them in for short dives in an effort to ensure they do see seals!

If some of you wonder how close you can get to these beautiful creatures.....




Open wide!...(don't worry she's just playing ..it's my hand!)

[Jules]

trip report in production now.... we saw loads this weekend... no special techniques required except patience and not frightening them off.

[divingniknaks]

Originally Posted by Seal diver

How can you not love a look like that, fantastic.

.

[Ian B]

If you haven't dived with seals yet then you've got to do it. Our club had a trip to Pembrokeshire this June and had a good day with seals off the Smalls. This is a link to a video that one of our club members took of my son.



Hope you enjoy it.

[dave archer]

Originally Posted by Ian B

If you haven't dived with seals yet then you've got to do it. Our club had a trip to Pembrokeshire this June and had a good day with seals off the Smalls. This is a link to a video that one of our club members took of my son.



Hope you enjoy it.

Excellent, that is one friendly seal

[photek1000]

Had the pleasure of diving with a very friendly seal up in the Farnes this summer.

The videos below were captured on compact stills camera, so the quality isn't the greatest but I like them as a record of a great dive.

We were diving as a trio and the seal stayed with us from about 5minutes in until the end of the dive playing on the surface whilst we waited for the boat.

Video 1

Video 2