Grey seal

Last Wednesday I was out for a dive in the Dutch Grevelingen when I got company of a grey seal. It stuck with us for about ten minutes, playing with our fins, twisting and turning around us and really taking his time to get acquainted.

Of course, I had the 60mm macro on the camera -- bugger.

I'll go back next Wednesday. I'm told there is a group of five grey seals in the area. Is there any way to attract seals? Sounds, any means to exploit their curiosity? (I will not feed). Your recommendations will be greatly appreciated!

--Rob

Wear ND Jet Fins, they love play and bite them

In Dublin bay, seal are very shy; don't like fast movements and noise fast boats

In Dun Laoghaire swimmers, seals and scuba divers share the sea

They normally avoid scuba divers but they come if you're swimming or doing skinny diving

I've learnt about seals behaviour more from swimmers than scuba divers so it might be good idea ask to regular swimmers in the area

If an area shared with swimmers, definitely, feeding seals isn't a great idea and if there's children around is .... incredible irresponsable!

Anyway, from my experience they might go to you if you're doing snorkel or free diving.

If you meet one during a dive ... slow down, pretend that you're ignoring it ... small seals like the Jet fins (I think because they looks like mum or dad fins) so, in your case, it might be a good idea that your buddy wears it and you don't ... even though the seal is behind the fins of your buddy it keeps an eye on you ... like small children when they know there're doing something wrong!! so keep the game of pretending that you're ignoring it

I know it's sound complicate. It isn't and is a good fun

Maria

I'll go back next Wednesday. I'm told there is a group of five grey seals in the area. Is there any way to attract seals? Sounds, any means to exploit their curiosity? (I will not feed). Your recommendations will be greatly appreciated!

Floppy fins and bright colours (yellow is good). These fins of mine always go down well:

And my friend bought these yellow gloves especially - and they worked really well too:

I have never thought of offering seals food. I am not sure it would work well - the BBC tried it on one show I saw last year and it didn't seem to help them (although the camera work was so poor - it could have been seal central and you wouldn't have known).

Generally the best seal encounters and photos come when the seals come to you because they are curious. That usually means they will hang around too.

Alex

the BBC tried it on one show I saw last year and it didn't seem to help them (although the camera work was so poor - it could have been seal central and you wouldn't have known).

Alex

I saw that ... "Because of the unique way the BBC is funded" the producer probably did the shooting to save money Seems to be a growing trend ...

Dive safe

DeanB

Come on spill the beans which show?

With regard to attracting Seals then you could always rent out my Mother-in-Law. Whenever we take her to Lundy the Seals flock to her and she normally has to continue the dive with one attached to her forearm or her hood. I'm sure that we can work out a really good hire rate (no return necessary!) so PM me for details!

Cheers, Simon

Eileen if you somehow ever read this then just kidding - HONEST!

I don't remember the name of the show, but it was Simon King in the Shetlands. Who I really like as a presenter and cameraman - even if he does let his enthusiasm get the better of him some times. You get a point each time he says favourite (see last Spring watch!): "here is my favourite bird, on my favourite lake, in my favourite reserve at my favourite time of year." But I'll always forgive him because he really means it.

Anyway, it was enjoyable watching, being mainly about birds, and I was pleased to see them tackle UW subjects.

I just find it frustrating that so often they end up with second rate UK UW footage, because they give the camera to some chap with a ticket - I think it was Simon King wobbling the camera - rather than an UW specialist (like the two posting above).

I am hoping for a marked improvement from the Britain's Secret Seas, and from what I hear we'll get it.

Sorry for dragging this off topic. But moaning about the BBC is not only a licence payer's right, it is also a favourite British pass time. Not that I am really moaning - I just feel they sometimes waste an excellent platform to inform and inspire about British Seas (and freshwater) with a "that will do" attitude. They'd never accept second rate material for a topside story.

Alex

I remember once seeing a Gordon Buchanan documentary on Mull. It was an absolutely awesome 60 min doc beautifully filmed with a really engaging storyline. That is apart from the 3 - 4 mins on Basking sharks which was utterly dire. I agree 100% that the Beeb would never allow topside footage like that to be used, yet they routinely allow underwater footage to be taken by more or less anyone at hand. Then again 99.9% of viewers would never get to see anything underwater from around the UK so perhaps they just assume they can get away with it.

I'm also looking forward to Britain's Secret Seas. The visuals that I've seen look really good, so let's just hope the storyline, narration and production in general is better than it was on Oceans (I've heard through the grapevine that people had to go in and rescue the production as it was heading that way, so lets hope they managed it!).

Cheers, Simon

Floppy fins and bright colours (yellow is good). These fins of mine always go down well:

Now that you speak about bright and yellow ...and going behind yellow gloves ..... my buddy was with his brand new shinny twin tanks ... that's a new prespective

I had always thought seals bite yellow fins thinking they're fish ... it seems they come to swimmers for our gleaming skin ... good to know it