Do seals leap?

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romany123

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If not are there dolphins in the English channel? Saw two of them leaping quite high between the Solent and Brighton a couple of months ago on passage to the east coast. In all my years of sailing I have never seen that before in uk waters.

<hr width=100% size=1>Dave
 
Currently there is a seal residing in the Thames at Chiswick. He/she has been nicknamed Marilyn by locals because of its large soulful eyes.

Dolphin/porpoise are by no means rare in the channel -witness the number of deaduns that get washed up on west country beaches - usually blamed on fishing nets.

Check <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again
 
I have never seen a seal leap. I would hesitate to categorically state that they cannot, but it is pretty unlikely. There is no reason that there would not be dolphins in the Channel, so it is most likely that they are what you saw. Great aren't they?

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Quite a few dolphins about in the channel;, but I've never seen a seal leap, we have lots out here around the rig (seals), they have a special platform for them on the old ekofisk tank, so they can sun themselves and rest. One of my favourite pastimes, when not busy is to go and watch them.

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We have lots of seals on the east coast I have a mooring on the walton backwaters and we see them a lot. The only time I have seen them jumping well porpoising was last year when we saw a large (I assume male) chasing a smaller one down the river (mating?) who knows. But yes it was a beautiful sight.

<hr width=100% size=1>Dave
 
Have had several encounters with dolphins in recent years in the channel. Last year NW of Alderney we had 8-10 swimming with and under the boat for at least 10 minutes. This year we had a similar experience mid-channel between Falmouth and L'Aberwrach. Wonderful and managed to get some good photos.

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Yes, seals do leap. But the only place I have seen them do so is in shallow water where I assume they can kick off the bottom (so to speak). We watched two seals leaping clear of the water time and time again in the narrow passage between Tanera Mor and Tanera Beag in the Summer Isles where there was about a metre of water over the coral sands.

By the way, they also sing.

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Singing Seals

Regularly hear the seals singing on the Abertay sands (near the mouth of the river Tay). There have also been dolphins in the Tay this year and last - reckon to see them on one out of every two trips downriver from Dundee.

Alan

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Re: Singing Seals

I have only ever heard seals barking, once had one about 4ft from stern of our mirror bark in the fog, I nearly needed a heads on board a dinghy,

As for Dolphins, we had them all the way across the Irish sea both ways and across the Bristol Channel, pods of 40 plus. Two things that astounded me, the first when about twenty came from about 500 yds off the beam tight formation at full pelt skimming the surface towards the boat, excited like puppies get, at the prospect of playing in our wake, astounding.

The second, and something I hope I will repeat, at night, they were all over the boat, glowing green in the phosphorous, 10ft down a perfect glowing green silhouette of dolphins swimming under the boat....truly magical. See my Irish cruise for more >>

35_Irish_Sea_Dolphins_30_08_03_1817.jpg


<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk/TC_IrishCruise_2003_00.html>Irish Cruise</A>
 
Yes - a week ago in Canna. But the place where we've heard them at their best are the Monach Isles in June.

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Almost certainly Dolphins. There has been a pod of six living near St Albans for a number of years now, and 6 - 7 years ago I saw a pair heading up Spithead between Chi and Langstone (the first reported there for a great many years apparently). Further west aparently they are increasingly common, and I can remember seeing a school of perhaps 60 or 70 off Torbay 25 years ago.

Sailing in Cardigan Bay it was unusual not to have several sightings each season, particularly between Aberporth and Cardigan Sound, and I have pleasant memories of being accompanied by them playing in the bow wave, diving under the boat, and generally doing Dolphiny things around me, out there quite often, in the 80s.

Current advice is not to pursue them or get too close them (they do not understand the danger of propellors and can be seriously injured by contact with your prop), switch off your echo sounder - there is some question that the HF sound confuses and maybe hurts them, and stand off a hundred yards or so to observe. If they choose to follow you and 'investigate' your boat, then you are in for one of the biggest thrills sea life has to offer!

One high spot for me was being 'eyed up' by Jack, the Dolphin that adopted Newquay in W Wales 20 years ago: as I came out he swam alongside only a couple of feet off, and I could clearly see him looking up at at me as if to see if I was one of his regular friends from Newquay. He very soon decided I was not on his visiting list, and zoomed off to find someone else to play with.

Doesnt happen like that in the Solent....

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