shock to elation to embarrassment

[lionelz]

Well this weekend had a great time on the solent, was taking some advice from someone on here and decided to enjoy the journey as well as the destination (whitecliffe) and was traveling at 5 knots instead of the normal 20. so on Saturday decided to come in close to shore and take the inner gap through submarine barrier and go close in shore. So as we were going past Southsea castle SWMBO shouts at me as she saw a seal. Of which I started laughing and said you don't get seals here! Anyway on Sunday when coming back into gosport, I see a black labradour swimming from portsmouth to gosport and is about 200 meters from gosport, so I stop the boat and think I need to rescue this dog. So as I am getting closer I realise that it is not a dog but a seal!!!! So I now have my wife in my ear telling me I told you so and a big smile on my face as I was not expecting to see a seal in portsmouth harbour. Anyway I have stopped the boat to watch it and I then shout to a boat behind me in an excited manner that there is a seal in the harbour. He gives me a stupid look and shouts across in that dismissive manner, that the seal lives in the harbour. I am now red faced as I think I have discovered something exciting only to be shot down. So the question is, who else has had their excitement squashed as quickly as that and also who else knew that there was a seal living in portsmouth harbour.

 

[lisilou]

Not just Portsmouth...we had one visit us at the back of the boat in Swanwick the other week. I thought it was a rogue black fender til it winked at me!
L

 

[stranded]

No need to be red faced imho. We should feel sorry for people who cannot take joy in simple things, or in the excitement of others discovering new things for themselves. I didn't know there were seals in Portsmouth Harbour, but I still get excited to see them, and Dolphins, and a sun fish, and feeding gannets, and the psychotic swan in Dittisham, and just, well, so many things when sailing. While swmbo and daughter get through a book a day when we are on holiday, my summer reading collection generally returns home untouched - there is just too much to see, or to anticipate seeing!

 

[maverickofpoole]

There must be a fair few seals along the south coast. We have them in Poole, well one at least who our family have nicknamed Sammy. I know I know not very original but Sammy does get the grand kids excited (and grandad lol)

 

[jct1981]

Saw one on the Thames at Greenwich last month; Dad told me to watch out for the lump of wood, which then turned around toward us...

 

[l'escargot]

Frequent visitors to Cowes and Newtown this year too...

 

[chrishelen]

Used to be a one eyed seal in Looe harbour called Nelson, used to get fed chips by the holiday makers.

 

[AndieMac]

Not a seal story, but still animal related.

Returning to port with a load of passengers along a stretch of river, myself and others spotted what I thought was a small dog in the middle of the river, with just the small dark head above water.
I stopped the boat, called the crew for a MOB exercise to retrieve the lost pet, backed up carefully to within a couple of metres to drift slowly toward the creature. Left the helm to do the lift-out myself, leaned over (murky river water) to start the lift, hands under the shoulders, liiiift!
As it emerged from the murky water the small head and narrow shoulders got wider and heavier, it was a small kangaroo! I couldn't drop it back in because the passengers would have been upset, so would I have been, hanging on tight as the thing is in full panick mode trying to escape and hop everywhere across the boarding platform, scratching the insides of my fore-arms, even the small ones are very powerful, as I found out, having never wrestled a kangaroo before.
One of the crew grabbed a blanket to throw over it as I was pressing down hard wondering "what next skipper?"
Passengers gathered around to take photos of course, the funniest thing to happen all day, one of which (big country lad) offered to help restrain our newest guest under the blanket until I backed the boat up to the deep sided river bank then he threw our little friend ashore where he hopped away with great relief.

 

[sprocker]

We have a seal resident in Babbacombe bay, he/she comes in regularly (Especially at this time of year) to be fed unwanted Mackerel by the anglers off the pier. When it hauls out on the steps it is definitely the fattest seal I have ever seen!

Unfortunately there is an accident waiting to happen as the kids have taken to walking down the steps and feeding the seal by hand, whilst the holidaying parents laugh and point and take photographs from a safe distance.

 

[petem]

Not a seal story, but still animal related.

Returning to port with a load of passengers along a stretch of river, myself and others spotted what I thought was a small dog in the middle of the river, with just the small dark head above water.
I stopped the boat, called the crew for a MOB exercise to retrieve the lost pet, backed up carefully to within a couple of metres to drift slowly toward the creature. Left the helm to do the lift-out myself, leaned over (murky river water) to start the lift, hands under the shoulders, liiiift!
As it emerged from the murky water the small head and narrow shoulders got wider and heavier, it was a small kangaroo! I couldn't drop it back in because the passengers would have been upset, so would I have been, hanging on tight as the thing is in full panick mode trying to escape and hop everywhere across the boarding platform, scratching the insides of my fore-arms, even the small ones are very powerful, as I found out, having never wrestled a kangaroo before.
One of the crew grabbed a blanket to throw over it as I was pressing down hard wondering "what next skipper?"
Passengers gathered around to take photos of course, the funniest thing to happen all day, one of which (big country lad) offered to help restrain our newest guest under the blanket until I backed the boat up to the deep sided river bank then he threw our little friend ashore where he hopped away with great relief.

Brilliant and definitely one for the back page of YBW!

 

[rafiki_]

Not a seal story, but still animal related.

Returning to port with a load of passengers along a stretch of river, myself and others spotted what I thought was a small dog in the middle of the river, with just the small dark head above water.
I stopped the boat, called the crew for a MOB exercise to retrieve the lost pet, backed up carefully to within a couple of metres to drift slowly toward the creature. Left the helm to do the lift-out myself, leaned over (murky river water) to start the lift, hands under the shoulders, liiiift!
As it emerged from the murky water the small head and narrow shoulders got wider and heavier, it was a small kangaroo! I couldn't drop it back in because the passengers would have been upset, so would I have been, hanging on tight as the thing is in full panick mode trying to escape and hop everywhere across the boarding platform, scratching the insides of my fore-arms, even the small ones are very powerful, as I found out, having never wrestled a kangaroo before.
One of the crew grabbed a blanket to throw over it as I was pressing down hard wondering "what next skipper?"
Passengers gathered around to take photos of course, the funniest thing to happen all day, one of which (big country lad) offered to help restrain our newest guest under the blanket until I backed the boat up to the deep sided river bank then he threw our little friend ashore where he hopped away with great relief.

. Brilliant. I've fed Roos on a NSW south coast beach. They can get a bit angsty if you are not prompt with the feeding.

 

[CharlieAlpha]

Not just Portsmouth...we had one visit us at the back of the boat in Swanwick the other week. I thought it was a rogue black fender til it winked at me!
L

If it winked are you sure it was not 'Steve' in a wet suit lurking about.

 

[lisilou]

If it winked are you sure it was not 'Steve' in a wet suit lurking about.

Thanks...I now can't unsee this!

 

[scubaman]

Not a seal story, but still animal related.

Returning to port with a load of passengers along a stretch of river, myself and others spotted what I thought was a small dog in the middle of the river, with just the small dark head above water.
I stopped the boat, called the crew for a MOB exercise to retrieve the lost pet, backed up carefully to within a couple of metres to drift slowly toward the creature. Left the helm to do the lift-out myself, leaned over (murky river water) to start the lift, hands under the shoulders, liiiift!
As it emerged from the murky water the small head and narrow shoulders got wider and heavier, it was a small kangaroo! I couldn't drop it back in because the passengers would have been upset, so would I have been, hanging on tight as the thing is in full panick mode trying to escape and hop everywhere across the boarding platform, scratching the insides of my fore-arms, even the small ones are very powerful, as I found out, having never wrestled a kangaroo before.
One of the crew grabbed a blanket to throw over it as I was pressing down hard wondering "what next skipper?"
Passengers gathered around to take photos of course, the funniest thing to happen all day, one of which (big country lad) offered to help restrain our newest guest under the blanket until I backed the boat up to the deep sided river bank then he threw our little friend ashore where he hopped away with great relief.

That's a great story ! I bet the feeling of relief was mutual.

 

[KevB]

Chichester harbour has a resident seal which we've seen a few times. It sometimes comes into the marina itself and a few years back would often climb out onto bathing platforms to take in the sun.

 

[BruceK]

The oddest thing I've seen in the water was a Grey squirrel swimming across the Conwy estuary mouth during high water slack from Deganwy to Beacons in a purposeful manner that clearly was an intended crossing. What was more incredible was the speed at which it could swim and that it's fur appeared to remain largely dry or at least aerated. So agile was it we thought it must be an otter or similar when first spotted.


edit. Random pic to show what we saw. Dry and quick little beggars

 

[oldgit]

The oddest thing I've seen in the water was a Grey squirrel swimming across the Conwy estuary mouth during high water slack from Deganwy to Beacons in a purposeful manner that clearly was an intended crossing. What was more incredible was the speed at which it could swim and that it's fur appeared to remain largely dry or at least aerated. So agile was it we thought it must be an otter or similar when first spotted.


edit. Random pic to show what we saw. Dry and quick little beggars

Blimey

 

[PEJ]

With about 8 people on board, 3 of us saw a seal in the Medina (Isle of Wight) just up from the fuel berth. Of course the people that didn't see it thought we were fibbing.

Glad to know someone else has seen them in the Solent.

 

[prv]

Had a seal pop up his head and circle the boat while anchored in the middle of Langstone Harbour. Seemed almost as if he wanted a bit of the curry I was eating in the cockpit

Pete

 

[AndieMac]

.....As it emerged from the murky water the small head and narrow shoulders got wider and heavier, it was a small kangaroo! I couldn't drop it back in because the passengers would have been upset, so would I have been, hanging on tight as the thing is in full panick mode trying to escape and hop everywhere across the boarding platform, scratching the insides of my fore-arms, even the small ones are very powerful, as I found out, having never wrestled a kangaroo before.....

To give you an idea of what we are talking about...