Porpoises

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oldgit

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We had a run down river on Monday to dispose of my brothers ashes and on the return journey spotted a couple of small porpoises making their way upstream.First time have seen anything like it for many years.
Probably been going around with my eyes shut,we had a couple of freeman of the river aboard and they said the sightings have been getting more and more frequent even on the upper reaches.
It also appears that salmon and sea trout have been caught.Hopefully a sign that the river is getting much cleaner,so if you are are on the salty bit of Mudway worth keep an eye out.
 
We had a resident group of seals in one of our local creeks for some years,however they seem to have moved on,possibly because of the number of folks popping round to see them. !
 
"Said seals are live and kicking (or swimming?) in Sharfleet"
"Last Weds morning I spotted a seal just upstream of Rochester Bridge"

During the "summer" an established family group of about six were in Sharfleet but could not find them when I took B1 to find them last autumn.
There is a lady seal*which lives up in Rochester, frequently be spotted from my boat, have a photograph of a seal in the pool immediately below sluice at Allington Lock.
Fresh water is obviously no problem when seal wants a fish dinner.:)
All sorts of weird events regards fish in Medway,what with salt water fish being caught up at lock and carp and pike being caught miles down stream in the tidal bits.
Friend who fishes for salmon and trout on the Torridge has regularly heard tales of sea trout being caught on the Medway up at Teston but whowever is doing the catching is keeping it to himself.
The lock keepers have also mentioned salmon turning up from time to time.



*V Def. female,it was constantly looking for food. :):):)
 
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My other boat is in the Walton Backwaters, & in Oakley Creek (leading to the explosives factory) there are about 80 common & grey seals; last trip out with the dog in October in the dinghy to see the seals something jumped out of the water very dolphin like, then another, then another, at least three porpoises. One jumped out and also stalled in mid air, but just as soon as I had seen them, they were gone. The dog didn't see them at all, but was fascinated by the many seals.
 
Suspect the return of most of these mammals is down to our local factories no longer being allowed to dump toxic filth into the river.A notorious pollutor not that long ago was the paper mill up at New Hythe,fortunately the UK was forced by EU to clean up its act and were no longer allowed to dump untreated waste water into the Medway.
 
Had our first sighting of a porpoise last year on the Trent at West Stockwith. The resident lockie there said it was the first time she had seen one so far up river. Also spotted on the Ouse not long after so they do seem to be venturing into the rivers.

It is quite common to get seals on the Witham as well. They come in for the fishing then head back out into the Wash when they have had their fill.
 
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