It was a rather cloudy morning when I arrived on Ilfracombe pier. I collected my ticket and was soon boarding the Oldenburg, where I was warmly greeted by Captain Jason and other members of the crew, I then headed out onto the deck to meet my fellow passengers. Throughout the crossing there were sightings of Gannet and small numbers of Guillemot. Arriving at the landing bay on Lundy we were greeted by fourteen Grey Seal, some resting on the rocks and beach, others swimming around.
The clouds were clearing, giving a lovely sunny day on the Island. I decided to spend some time sitting quietly at the top of the jetty, watching the interactions of the seals. At times several individuals were swimming around together and there was much splashing and some calling. I later noticed that there were two pups amongst the boulders on the beach next to the slipway. Walking up to village I was surprised by the number of Swallows that were still flying around the fields and buildings. After eating my packed lunch and having a cup of coffee, I walked along to the castle and then back down to the bay. The tide had gone out, so more of the Grey Seals were now lying on the rocks.
On the journey back there were again regular sightings of Gannet and larger groups of Guillemot. A couple of passengers reported briefly seeing one dolphin near the bow of the boat. On arriving back in Ilfracombe, I thanked Jason and the crew for another good trip and wished them well for the last couple weeks of the season.
MARINElife/Lundy WLO Judith Tatem
Weather: cloudy outward journey, sunny on return. Sea state 3, Wind force 2 – 3
Summary of sightings:
Marine mammals
Dolphin Sp. (1 seen by passengers on return journey)
Grey Seal 20
Seabirds
Herring Gull
Gannet
Guillemot
Razorbill
Wildlife seen on Lundy
Swallow
Rock Pipit
Stonechat
Goldfinch
Starling
House Sparrow
Carrion Crow
Raven
Robin
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Painted Lady
Red Admiral