Category Archives: Sealand

Fire crews respond to a boat fire at Newcastle Marina along Stewart Ave. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

FIRE

Jul 14, 2022 | 5:37 PM

NANAIMO Two boats have caught fire at the Newcastle Marina, sinking one and badly damaging another, while one person was left severely burned.

Fire Rescue crews were alerted to the situation in the 1200 block of Stewart Ave., just after 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 14 and a big plume of black smoke was quickly visible from the area. Both boats were fully involved in fire when crews arrived.

Dave Sweeney and his wife were at nearby Sealand Pho restaurant and called 911.

We were just sitting on the deck, heard a boom and a huff of black smoke. I phoned 911 and the aftermath is what you see. Im thinking a propane tank maybe, but it was kind of a soft boom, normally propane is one hell of a big bang so I really dont know.

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'Heard a boom:' boats catch fire at Nanaimo marina, one person severely injured - Nanaimo News NOW

What do a Navy SEAL, a Polynesian dancer, a comedienne and an amateur mycologist have in common?

According to the founder and creative mind behind Writ Large, Alya Howe, they all have a story to tell.

Its about a personal discovery, an empowerment moment, Howe said.

Conducting her 30th (give or take) storytelling event over approximately the past 10 years up and down the Roaring Fork Valley, Howe explained that its a long process, which leads the participants down a path toward confidence. The sessions also often provide the storytellers with a new perspective. They each practice over an eight-week period. They create outlines, conduct Zoom rehearsals and finish with live rehearsals before the night of the actual show.

No one imagines how much work it actually is, but the more work you put into it, the better the self-discovery, Howe said. It also gives us an opportunity to look back at a story that maybe we have told and decide whether we feel the same way about it.

The theme for this newest iteration of Writ Large, happening at The Collective in Snowmass Base Village on July 17, is titled Collective Perspectives, and, in addition to the clever use of the name and the tie-in with the program venue, Howe said its a nod to the larger communal experience of sharing what we know about ourselves with one another.

Everyone comes from a really different walk of life, she said.

For example, the previously mentioned Navy SEAL, Errol Doebler, is an author and instructs business leaders around the world. He served as a Surface Warfare Officer and Navy SEAL and spent time working with the FBI where he was awarded the FBIs second highest award, the Shield of Bravery. Doebler is one of the few people in the world with the distinction of serving as a Surface Warfare Officer, SEAL and as an FBI Special Agent and FBI SWAT operator.

Hamilton Pevec, the mycologist, lives with his wife and two children in Carbondale, after spending most of the last 15 years in India and Nepal. He spent the first part of his career as a filmmaker, focusing on documentary subjects.He was tired of making movies for other people and decided to make movies about fungi, because he is a passionate naturalist and amateur mycologist.Since launching Hamiltons Mushrooms, he has become involved in creating a standard for American laboratory testing within the mycospace, has begun a fungi-based fire mitigation method in collaboration with the Aspen Fire Department and is producing a documentary series on mushrooms and their various relationships with people, place and ecology.

Sarah Sanders lives in Snowmass. She is an event producer, new comedian and lover of the outdoors and her dog Lego. Over the last few years, she has seen the magic in the storytelling events and has participated in Writ Large workshops and performances. She is a believer in connection, community and sharing real stories to hopefully inspire others that healing is possible in many different facets.

Other participants include valley resident and self-described avid people person Julie Gillespie; fine artist, musician and dancer Gabriela E. Mejia; alternative healing advisor Stacy Oliver; and Courtney Sanders, founder of The Bipolar Divine.

Each story lasts about 15 minutes and ranges from the humorous to the powerful, but all carry equal weight.

These stories are deeply personal; theyre something that is actually happening, or has happened, which adds a level of vulnerability to the whole thing, Howe said.

And having an audience there makes a big difference.

When we meet one another, we tend to be on our way to somewhere else; we dont give ourselves 100% over to the moment. When we attend one of these storytelling events, weve chosen to pause and listen and lean into a moment in someone elses life. It is so healing, she said. Especially in these polarizing times, we need to hear what other people have to say, we need to listen to each other, we need to find common ground.

Excerpt from:

Everyone has a story: Writ Large returns to The Collective Snowmass - The Aspen Times

Matt Hartford and his Total Seal/CIP1 Pro Stock team are excited for the return of Pro Stock to all three races of the Western Swing for what promises to be a busy and action-packed three weekends.

The last time we raced in Denver was 2019, and we narrowly lost to [Greg] Anderson in the finals, said Hartford. We feel that we have a great chance to close the deal this time around as we love racing on the mountain. The Bandimere facility and family are a class act.

After the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals, the show moves to Sonoma wine country and back to sea level, where the Total Seal Camaro will transform into the Rottler Pro Stock Camaro. Rottler Manufacturing will take over as primary sponsorship for the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals and the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals.

Rottler and Total Seal Piston Rings are such a great fit together, said Hartford. We discuss honing with customers daily, and Rottler is certainly at the top of our list for achieving the best bore geometry and surface finish. We also have been utilizing Rottler Honing Equipment for well over a decade at Total Seal. The ease of use, accuracy of machining, and technical support are second to none. It is an honor to have Rottler as the Primary sponsor for the two West Coast races.

On Wednesday, July 27, between the Sonoma and Seattle events, the team will have the transporter and race car on display at Rottlers headquarters in Kent, Wash., for an open house. From 10 a.m. 2 p.m., customers and fans will get a behind-the-scenes look at a Pro Stock operation as well as the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility of Rottler.

We are proud to be part of the action with Matt and the Total Seal team both on the track and off the track, stated David Bianchi, VP of Sales and Marketing. Total Seal manufactures the finest piston rings in the world, and we are thrilled to be partners with them. The entire team at Rottler is excited about the races and thankful for the opportunity!

At 1 p.m. on Friday, July 29, and 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 30, racers and fans are invited to join the trackside Tech Talk in Hartfords Pro Stock pits. This is a free seminar for all. Lake Speed Jr. of Total Seal and Ed Kiebler from Rottler will discuss the ever-changing landscape of piston ring technology, honing technology, and a vast array of topics of cylinder sealing efficiency. Attendees will be able to listen to the seminar while watching a Pro Stock team get ready for qualifying.

Rounding out the extracurricular activities for the weekend is the addition of two U.S. veterans to the team on Friday. They were selected through a local veterans social media challenge.

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Rottler will join Mart Hartford as a primary sponsor in Sonoma and Seattle - NHRA.com

While Amazon Prime Day deals may be the big thing subscribers are excited about this month, the new series The Terminal List has also made a splash ever since it hit the streamer. The Chris Pratt-led starrer can be viewed with an Amazon Prime Video subscription, and has already become a #1 hit. That is, at least with its author, and the fans.

A lot has already been written about Chris Pratts new Amazon original series, but one of the big points the show and those involved have tried to make is that the The Terminal List is grounded and realistic in its action. While critics havent seemingly found this to be endearing, landing the show in splat territory, the Rotten Tomatoes score from the audience is a whole lot healthier, coming in at 94%. According to former Navy SEAL and author Jack Carr, this has to do with the current political climate and how that is even impacting things like our entertainment. He said:

It falls right in line with everything that I understand about the current culture and climate in America right now. It seems to have triggered quite a few of these critics.

Regardless of how the critics feel about The Terminal List, Jack Carr also told THR in the same interview that hes taken one major positive out of the feedback the show has gotten, which is based on the book of the same name Carr published back in 2018. Its the fans who love it and it has been the fans whom the author says the entire project was conceived for anyway.

The 95 percent viewer rating, audience rating, makes it all worth it. We didnt make it for the critics. We made it for those in the arena. We made it for the soldier, sailor, airman and Marine that went downrange to Iraq and Afghanistan, so they could sit on the couch and say, Hey, these guys put in the work. They put in the effort to make something special and make a show that speaks to them. And that 95 percent rating lets me know that we at least got close

Since the show hit the schedule, star Chris Pratt --who doesn't actually go by Chris Pratt -- has also been supportive of the fan response, re-sharing posts from co-stars like Alexis Louder about the fan response going over so well.

He also separately shared another post from co-star Taylor Kitsch.

Pratts not just sharing the love on Instagram Stories; he also shared a message with the fans to his own page detailing how hes had a successful two years on the streaming service with The Terminal List and last years big movie The Tomorrow War, which also was a #1 hit on the streamer and received positive feedback from fans. Hes also spoken candidly about the Navy SEAL-based series specifically making sure there was no Hollywood BS.

Ahead of the release of the new Amazon show, Chris Pratt also spoke recently about online backlash hes received after he felt his ideals were misconstrued online, so there's been plenty of negative Internet momentum to go around. Meanwhile, The Terminal List remains buzzy on Amazon Prime weeks after its release, with some fans comparing it to the network's other high-octane content like Jack Ryan or Jack Reacher. We'll keep you updated if the series continues into Season 2, but it is worth noting Jack Carr wrote more books based around Pratt's character, James Reece.

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The Terminal List Author Responds To All The Negative Reviews Of Chris Pratt's New Amazon Series - CinemaBlend

It's easy to feel like you're wasting perfectly good space when you don't fill up your container to the very top, but when canning, it is important to strike a delicate balance. According to Utah State University, maintaining the space between the food and can lid is necessary to create the vacuum seal essential for preservation. If the food is too low or too high in the can, things could go wrong. It is especially important not to overfill the can and to leave sufficient space to create the vacuum seal; if not, the food could expand out of the can and allow bacteria to enter, which could cause those who consume it serious health problems (via CDC).

Another, more well-known, side effect of not properly sealing canned goods is the risk of explosion. If you've seen the classic 1942 film "Holiday Inn," you'll remember the scene where the protagonist, Jim, played by Bing Crosby, brings a friend some peach preserves. But, because of his bad canning job, they explode, and Jim and his friend are forced to duck for cover (via NY Times). This is a real canning problem. If there is not enough space left in the can, the lid will not seal and, yes, your canned goods might very well explode (via Shelf Life Advice)

Canning is a great way to preserve your foods and have a pantry full of delicious fruits and veggies all year long, but for the sake of your health and safety leave the recommended amount of space in the can. We don't want you to have explosive results.

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Why You Really Do Need To Leave Extra Room When Canning Food - Tasting Table

NMRH/Stuff

Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter crew picked up an injured tramper in Speargrass Valley, Nelson Lakes National Park.

A tramper with a fractured ankle was winched out of a remote, snowy valley after setting off a personal locator beacon.

Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter (NMRH) pilot Brendan Hiatt said the crew responded to a personal locator beacon activation on Saturday.

The alert led them to a party of five trampers in the Speargrass Valley, about 5 kilometres from Speargrass Hut in the remote Nelson Lakes National Park.

The helicopter couldnt land in the valley, so an NMRH medic attended the injured tramper, before the tramper was winched to safety and flown to Nelson Hospital, Hiatt said.

READ MORE:* Tramper rescued from Richmond Ranges, car rolls in Nelson* Tramper rescued at 1700m after finding a pocket of cellphone coverage to call for help* Back-to-back mountainbiker rescues for rescue helicopter

Later on Saturday, the NMRH crew picked up a man from a rural Ngatimoti property. The man had sustained injuries after his quad bike rolled over.

The crew also picked up a man in Motueka, who had suffered a medical event during a martial arts class, Hiatt said.

Meanwhile, animal-related reports kept police busy across Nelson-Tasman over the weekend.

On Friday evening, police were alerted to a car versus cow incident on Tkaka Hill Rd, on the Golden Bay side, about 7.50pm. The car's wing mirror had clipped the cow, a police spokesperson said.

The driver was uninjured, but there was no word on the cow, they said.

Around the same time on Friday, police received reports of a seal on State Highway 6, near the NPD fuelling station at Hira, the spokesperson said.

On Saturday morning, at 6.47am, police were alerted to an adult seal, and a dead baby seal on Wakapuaka Rd.

The baby seal was collected by a road worker, and the adult seal was not seen again, the spokesperson said.

The rest is here:

Injured tramper and animals on the roads occupy emergency services - Stuff

It doesn't matter where you travel to in Wales, mobile speed cameras are in every city and town looking to catch drivers breaking the legal speed limit. GoSafe has a number of marked vans and motorcycles spread throughout the city used to capture speeding offences and other road traffic violations.

They are staffed by fully trained police staff or police officers, who monitor the speed of vehicles passing the vans. Once they form the opinion that the vehicle is exceeding the speed limit, they use equipment to record it, resulting in prosecution. A device called a Speedscope can be trained on vehicles up to 1,000 metres away, although most work is carried out far closer, GoSafe says.

The time, date, speed, distance, site coding and whether the vehicle is travelling towards or away from the checkpoint is recorded on the image to produce to the offending driver. Get stories like this straight to your inbox with our newsletters. Mobile speed cameras are in the following locations in Wales in July 2022:

Blaenau Gwent

A467/Aberbeeg Road/Near Warm Turn Aberbeeg

A4046/Station Road/Waunllwyd

Bournville Road/Blaina

A467/Abertillery Road/Blaina

New Road/Nantyglo

Chapel Road/Nantyglo

A4047/Beaufort Hill and King Street/Brynmawr

B4478/Letchworth Road to Eureka Place

A4046/Ebbw Vale (near Tesco)

Queens Villas/Beaufort Road/Ebbw Vale

A4046/College Road/Ebbw Vale

Merthyr Tydfil

Forest Road/Treharris

A4054/Cardiff Road/Merthyr Vale

A470/Aberfan

Plymouth Street/Merthyr Tydfil

A4102/Swansea Road/Gellideg/Merthyr Tydfil

Gurnos Road/Merthyr Tydfil

High Steet/Penydarren

Newport

A48/Castleton/Near Motel

A48/Berryhill/Newport

A468/Caerphilly Rd/Rhiwderin

A467/Southbound/50 mph section

Bassaleg Road/Newport

B4591/Risca Road/Glasllwch Crescent

Allt-yr-yn Ave/Newport

B4237/Cardiff Rd/Waterloo Rd to Clytha Square

Corporation Road/Lysaght Village

Corporation Road/Newport

B4237/Chepstow Road/near One Stop

B4596/Caerleon Rd/East of Beaufort Rd

Ponthir Road/Caerleon

B4237/Chepstow Rd/The Coldra

B4245/Magor Rd/Langstone

Cardiff

M4/Junctions 33 to 34/Bridge site

Heol Trelai/Ely/Cardiff

A48/Cowbridge Rd West/opposite The Culverhouse

St Fagan's Road/Fairwater

A470/Manor Way/Whitchurch High School

Merthyr Road/Cardiff

Ty Draw Road/Roath

A48/Llanedeyrn/Cardiff

Ball Road/Llanrumney/Cardiff

Ty Winch Road/Old St Mellons

Willowbrook Drive/nr Heritage Park/Cardiff

Cypress Drive/St Mellons

Swansea

B4295/New Rd/Crofty

Pennard Road/Kittle

Mayals Road/Swansea

Heol Y Mynydd/Gorseinon

Swansea Road/Llewitha

B4295/Cwmbach Rd/Cockett

A4216/Cockett Rd/Cwmbach Rd to Broadway

Pentregethin Road/Gendros

A483/Fabian Way/Nr Port Tennant Rd

Heol Ddu/Swansea

Swansea Road/Llangyfelach Road/Llangyfelach

A48/Clasemont Road/Morriston

Clydach Road/Ynystawe

Birchgrove Road/Birchgrove

Neath Port Talbot

Baglan Way/Port Talbot

Willow Way/Old Road/Baglan

B4290/New Road/Jersey Marine

B4424/Neath Road/Tonna

A4109/Main Road/Aberdulais

Swansea Road/Trebanos

A474/Neath Road/Rhos

A474/Graig Road/Alltwen

A474/Commercial Road/Rhyd y Fro

A4109/Pantyffordd/Golwg y Bryn

B4069/Brynamman Rd/Brynamman

Flintshire

A548/Sealand Road/Sealand/Flintshire

A5151/London Road/Trelawnyd

A5151/London Road/Trelawnyd/outside Jacksons Garden

A541/Afonwen/Mold

A5026/St Asaph Road/Lloc, Flintshire

A5026/Lloc

A548/near the junction for Garden Row/Mostyn/Flintshire

Holway Road/Carmel to Holywell

Pantasaph to Pentre Halkyn Road (near Bryn Teg Farm), Brynford

Well Hill to Greenfield Road

Greenfield Road/Greenfield

Boot End/Bagillt/near to The Boot and Ship Hotel/Flintshire

A5119/Northop Rd/Flint

A5119/Northop Road/Flint Mountain/Flint

Maes Celyn/Northop

B5123/Main Road/Rhosesmor

A541/Hendre/Flintshire

B5129/Kelsterton Road/Deeside/Flintshire

B5126/Mold Rd/Connah's Quay

A5119/Sychdyn

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The exact locations where police mobile speed cameras are currently operating in every part of Wales - Wales Online

A commuter driving between Chester and Flintshireclaims to have seen a black, fairly large animal they believe could have been a puma.

They were driving home from work along Sealand Road when the sighting occurred near the Texaco petrol station around 12.30am on the morning of Saturday, June 18.

MORE: 'Large black cat' ran into A51 road ahead of motorist near Tarvin roundabout

In a report to Puma Watch North Wales, they described seeing ananimal that ran into fields on the Blacon side of the road.

Davidson Drakes-Jarrett said: I was driving home from Chester, my place of work, heading towards A494 when on Sealand Road about 30 metres after Texaco garage and 120 metres ahead of me a black fairly large animal ran across the road into the farm.

It definitely wasnt a fox and it ran across so quick I couldnt really pick out any features or have time to catch a photo.

All I could make out was its body that was fairly big and streamlined.

READ MORE: North Wales Police call in the experts during search for 'big cat' in Ruabon

The sighting has been addedto the Puma Watch North Walesinteractive map, alongside sightings in Flintshire, Wrexham, Denbighshire, Conwy and Gwynedd.

The Puma Watch map

Puma Watch founder Tony Jones said: "Chester has become a hotspot for big cat sightings, with multiple clusters occurring over the last year. This includes one occasion where an animal wascaught on camera on Chester Meadowsby a delivery driver.

"Last year, we shared a report of another motoristspotting a suspected panther stalking sheep, just a few miles away near the M56s Chester Services. Additionally, a lorry driver spotted a big catcrossing the same road behind Costco Chester."

READ MORE: Woman called police after spotting 'black panther' on garden fence

He added: "Also last year and not far from the sighting reported today, someone spottedwhat could have been a puma near Blacon, at a location well under a mile from four other recent sightings. Just along the canal to the North, a large, black animal with a very long tailwas spotted twice within a week, around the abandoned Old Oaks Golf Course and the Countess of Chester Country Park.

"These sightings followed a 4ft-long cat with a great big tail being spotted twice in one night in fields bordering Blacon,behind Sealand Road Asda.

"Prior to this, on the other side of the city centre, a member of the public reported an encounter with a 'growing and snarling'creaturein Huntingtons Caldy Valley Nature Park, while in December,a big cat was caught on camera prowling Chester Meadows."

One of Chesters alleged population of big cats has been added tothe "Lego Chester"display in the city.

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Driver spots 'big black cat' on Sealand Road between Flintshire and Chester - The Leader

Season 19 of the show has seen Sue Perkins explore her German ancestry, Matt Lucas discover a connection to Anne Frank, and Richard Osman learn that his great-grandfather was involved in a notorious murder case.

Ralf Little is the latest celebrity to take a close look at his family tree, and he will discover one of his ancestors was involved in an important Second World War battle

Who is Ralf Little?

Ralf Little was born in Bury in 1980 and dropped out of his studies to become a doctor at the University of Manchester to pursue a career in acting.

Littles first major acting role was as Antony in the sitcom The Royle Family.

He later played Jonny in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, a comedy series about five friends living in Runcorn.

His most recent and best known role is as DI Neville Parker in the comedy crime series Death in Paradise.

Littles film roles include playing Hooky in 24 Hour Party People, and Sophies brother in Nativity 3: Dude, Wheres My Donkey?!

Little is also a former semi-professional footballer, having played for Staines Town, Maidstone United, Edgware Town, Chertsey Town, and Stone Dominoes.

He also made three international appearances for Sealand, a team representing the unrecognised principality of Sealand - the club is not a member of Fifa or Uefa.

In 2010, Little took part in Soccer Aid, playing for England, playing on the left wing.

Little is engaged to American playwright and screenwriter Lindsey Ferrentino. The couple were due to get married in 2021, but their big day was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

What does Ralf Little find out on Who Do You Think You Are?

Ralf Little discovers that his grandfather, Arthur Bailey was involved in a major Second World War battle.

Bailey was on aircraft carrier HMS Indefatigable, the first British ship to be hit by a kamikaze pilot during the battle of Okinawa.

He also finds that he is not the only footballer in his family, as his great-grandfather, Albert Lockley, played for Chirk FC in North Wales, and scored in the final when the team won the 1894 Welsh Cup.

But Little also learned that his great-grandfather turned his back on football when a wave of religious fervour swept Wales in the early 20th century.

Little said: So he gave up playing football for religion? I cant begin to tell you, as an atheist, how upsetting that is to me.

What a twist. What a twist. Did not see that coming. I am disappointed. I am. Im kind of heartbroken."

Little also learns about the role of another of his ancestors in the development of Manchester which became a major industrial city following the industrial revolution.

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Who is Ralf Little, when is he on Who Do You Think You Are? | NationalWorld - NationalWorld

Can you tell the difference between a common seal and a grey seal? Genevieve Leaper shares some tips for identifying the different types of seal

When angels fell, some fell on the land, some on the sea. The former are the faeries and the latter were often said to be the seals.

While this old Orcadian view of seal origins is more poetic, modern science suggests the different types of seals evolved from land-dwelling carnivores and are more closely related to bears than angels.

Seals are so ubiquitous around our coasts that its easy to take them for granted. Most people probably dont realise that Britain is the best place in Europe to see seals.

We may only have two species but the UK is home to more than a third of the common seals and almost all the grey seals in Europe. Indeed our 120,000 grey seals represent 40% of the world population.

There are a few ringed seals in the Baltic but to find more species youd really need to head north to the Arctic. Grey seal distribution extends south to the Wadden Sea and northern France, but sailors further south are unlikely to see seals of any sort. The Mediterranean monk seal, the only species in southern Europe, is now very rare and endangered.

There are in fact only 18 species of true seals worldwide (not counting the recently extinct Caribbean Monk seal), mostly found in polar and temperate regions. Their close relatives the eared seals (sealions and fur seals), are not found in Europe, and their tusked cousin, the walrus, is (normally!) confined to the Arctic.

Article continues below

One spring day when I was a teenager, we were sailing across Poole Bay as we had many times before.

Zoe Barlow shares her experience of losing a rudder during sustained attacks by orcas whilst sailing her Sun Odyssey 40

With just two species, youd think that identification wouldnt be much of a problem, but it can be quite tricky to tell them apart. The names are somewhat misleading; the common seal is less common than the grey and both are generally grey in colour though can be sandy, brown, or almost black.

The common seals alternative name of harbour seal is equally unhelpful. This species does tend to stay closer inshore but its the grey seals that sometimes take to hanging around fishing harbours waiting for a free handout.

The scientific names are slightly more descriptive, provided you can distinguish a calf like seal (Phoca vitulina) from a hooked-nosed sea-pig (Halichoerus grypus).

Young grey seal, Halichoerus grypus, Ythan estuary, Aberdeenshire

Some say that the grey seal has a face like a dog while a common seal looks more like a cat. Certainly the grey has a longer nose compared to the flatter face of a common seal but its Canadian name, Horsehead, is perhaps the most appropriate.

With his long convex nose, an adult bull grey seal is unmistakable, much larger and generally darker than either common seals or females of his own species. Young grey seals however can be extremely hard to distinguish from common seals.

Common seals can even be mistaken for other marine mammals at a distance; they can jump clear of the water like a dolphin.

Common seal Phoca vitulina, Mull, Hebrides

If you hear seals singing a strange and rather mournful wailing theyre grey seals. It is a haunting and melodic sound carrying over the water; closer to the effect is slightly spoilt by the punctuating snorts and grunts. Common seals are generally silent though I have heard a young pup calling plaintively for its mother.

Both species can be seen all round Britain and Ireland, but the largest numbers are found in Scotland. Anyone sailing the west coast of Scotland will have noticed on the chart a lot of rocks labelled Sgeir nan Ron, Ron being the Gaelic name for seal.

The Northern Isles and Hebrides are the main strongholds for the common seal, with large haul outs also in the Wash and Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. Theyre rather uncommon in southwest England but there are a few in the Solent and Chichester harbour.

Grey seal pup in white lanugo coat, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Outside of Scotland, the largest grey seals colonies are found on North Sea coasts, such as the Farne Islands, Donna Nook in Lincolnshire and Blakeney Point in Norfolk. They also breed on Walney Island in the northwest and there are smaller colonies in Cornwall and Wales.

Unlike the truly marine whales and dolphins, seals spend time on land and are therefore mostly found in coastal waters. They are most conspicuous at their haul outs, where they often gather in large numbers; harder to spot when feeding at sea where they are more solitary and spend much of the time underwater.

Common seals mostly stay inshore, within 25 miles of their haul out, and even venture up rivers. If you see a seal in the middle of the North Sea its likely to be a grey seal. Satellite tracking has shown that they can travel hundreds of miles on foraging trips, even across to Norway.

Seals swim with their webbed hind feet. The front flippers are used for steering, also for hauling out and moving on land where the hind legs are useless. Although ungainly they can move surprisingly fast. They are well adapted to aquatic life with thick blubber and large lungs.

Seals forage on the seabed, regularly diving to 50m or more (grey seals can go much deeper) as well as in shallow, coastal waters. As well as large eyes for good underwater vision, they can detect their fish with their whiskers, which are sensitive to changes in water movements.

Grey seal

Both species eat a lot of sandeels, whitefish and flatfish. Common seals also like squid and octopus. At an anchorage on Jura I watched one diving repeatedly in the same spot near the rocky shore, surfacing only briefly to breathe.

As I watched the trail of bubbles I could only imagine what was going on underwater, maybe it was trying to extract an octopus from its hiding place it must surely have been a very desirable prey to be worth so much effort.

Seals are curious and can be very playful, especially young greys. More than one diver has had their fins nibbled and they will follow my kayak for some distance. I hear heavy breathing astern but as soon as I turn to look, the seal vanishes with a splash.

Rowing a dinghy slowly can be a good way to get a close view. Some are bold enough to swim right up to a kayak or dinghy if you sit quietly it sometimes seems like a group of youngsters are daring each other to approach ever closer.

Just occasionally you might see a seal that is neither common nor grey

One individual I got to know well just loved my kayak. Scarbelly (named for his most recognisable feature) liked to swim upside down under the kayak, rubbing his belly against the hull and caressing it with his flippers. He would have hauled out across the spraydeck if Id let him.

Stand-up paddleboards could have been designed for seals and social media is full of stories of seals hauling themselves on board and apparently enjoying being taken for a ride. However friendly they appear its probably not really a good idea, seals have powerful jaws with formidable teeth.

Im rather glad the big bulls keep their distance these guys can weigh over 300kg though I have seen adult grey seals playing with floating objects. One calm day my attention was caught by the danbuoy marking a creel (lobster pot) waving around violently.

Common seals may look friendly, but keep your distance they have powerful jaws with formidable teeth

As I watched the seal lunged out of the water again, grabbing the flag in its teeth to pull it down to the water where it let go, catapulting the pole upright. This was repeated several times before the seal turned its attention to the rope below the surface.

Although I never witnessed this behaviour again, I did notice the creel flags in this area looking particularly frayed. I wonder if the fisherman guessed why some of his flags wore out so quickly.

Seals are unpopular with many fishermen; some blame the seals for dwindling fish stocks and have retaliated by shooting them, which is now completely illegal.

Fisherman feeding a mackerel to a grey seal from a creel boat in Canna harbour, Hebrides

But in one Hebridean anchorage, I have watched a fisherman lean over the side to feed a seal by hand. They obviously knew each other, the seal had been loitering for a while and swam to the boat as soon it arrived.

As elsewhere in the world, seals were once hunted for their skins as well as meat and oil. Common seal skins were used to make Scottish sporrans until the early 1980s. The main threats now include entanglement in discarded fishing gear, toxic chemicals and other marine pollution and disturbance at breeding sites.

They have no natural predators except killer whales but can suffer high mortality from disease such as phocine distemper virus. Storm Arwen last winter coincided with the grey seal breeding season and hundreds of pups are thought to have died at some colonies such as St Abbs Head.

Grey seals mating at the shoreline

Breeding is one aspect of their lives where our two seals have very different strategies. Grey seal pups are born in autumn or winter. The timing of breeding varies considerably around the coast, from August and September in Cornwall and Wales to December in Scotland and the North Sea.

These are the white, fluffy-coated pups that look so adorable as they spend their first few weeks lying on the beach getting fat. Seal milk is very rich and pups gain weight quickly.

But once weaned, these youngsters get no more help from their mothers. Once they have moulted their white coats they must go to sea and fend for themselves. Males take no part in childcare; their interest is in the females who will be ready to mate soon after giving birth. Bulls will fight vigorously for females and many have the scars to show for it.

Watching one female with a late pup hauling out in a small cove, I was afraid Id disturbed her when she turned to move along the shore instead of heading up the beach to her pup.

Then I realised that someone else had caught her attention. The bull hurried to meet her and they spent the next half hour in an amorous embrace at the waters edge, the male gripping her neck with his teeth and both seemingly oblivious to the waves washing over them.

Seals are particularly vulnerable to disturbance when breeding, pups have been abandoned by mothers after people approaching too close to take selfies. Few people are out sailing when the majority of grey seals are pupping but common seals breeding in summer are more at risk from coastal sailors and other watersports.

They favour the same sort of sheltered places that make good anchorages, so please do give them a bit of space.

Common seal pups are born in June or July and as the females often give birth on intertidal rocks or sandbanks they have to be able to swim within a few hours and will then follow mother. Moulting takes place after the breeding season; autumn for common seals and winter or spring for greys.

Large bull grey seal scratching while hauled out to moult

This is another time when seals spend longer periods ashore. It may look like an easy life being a seal, lying around for hours on end, but they are not just being lazy. The moulting process uses a lot of energy and seals need to spend as much time as possible out of the water where they can maximise hair growth by increasing the blood supply to the skin.

Judging by the way they scratch themselves with their front flippers, moulting is also an itchy process.

Seals have long fascinated humans, quite beyond seeing them as a source of food and skins. Maybe its the habit of bottling, hanging upright in the water like a human swimmer, and staring back with those big soulful eyes, or because they come and go between sea and shore.

The Northern and Western Isles and Ireland abound with stories of the selkie folk. The selkies were seals in the water that became human on land. They had to carefully hide their skins when they came ashore, being unable to return to sea without.

The tales vary but often involve a cunning young man stealing the sealskin of a beautiful selkie-girl so she has no choice but to marry him. There was never a happy ending; the selkies always escaped back to sea when they could.

Its probably impossible to recognise a selkie but just occasionally you might see a seal that is neither common nor grey.

Young grey seal hauled out on a sandy beach

Wally the Walrus may have grabbed the headlines with his tour of the British Isles last summer but walruses are by no means the only pinniped visitors from the arctic. Bearded, ringed, harp and hooded seals have all turned up on our shores.

Some years ago I spotted a seal with unusual colouring in deep water north of Shetland. Its head was dark on top and silvery underneath. I wouldnt have been surprised to see a grey seal so far offshore, but this one looked much more like a common seal.

It was only when we saw another next day, with the same two-tone colouring, that I suspected these might be a different species altogether. They were in fact juvenile hooded seals, which are pelagic when young, wandering long distances, even as far as Portugal.

Shetland is the best place to find unusual pinnipeds but there have been records all along the east coast of Britain and harp and hooded seals have been seen in the southwest. The bearded seal, which would be better described as moustached, is probably the most distinctive, having very long whiskers with curly tips.

Wherever youre sailing there are probably at least one of the two different types of seals not far away. So check to see if your anchorage is already occupied and keep an eye out for that sleek, round head in the water.

Male 300kg, 200cm; Female 80kg, 180cm

75-85kg, 135-145cm

Eyes halfway back on side of head.

Nostrils parallel when closed (but appear V-shaped when open)

Eyes closer to front of head and more forward facing.

V-shaped nostrils

Dont approach the animal yourself. Call for advice and assistance:

This feature appeared in the July 2022 edition of Practical Boat Owner. For more articles like this, including DIY, money-saving advice, great boat projects, expert tips and ways to improve your boats performance, take out a magazine subscription to Britains best-selling boating magazine.

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Types of seal and the best places to spot them from your boat in the UK - Practical Boat Owner Magazine