taken 18 years ago, near to High Hauxley, Northumberland, England
Seals on North Steel
Many seals haul out at low tide on the skerries, rocks and Coquet Island itself. There are commercial boats out to the island (but you may not land as it is an RSPB closed reserve) but you can get a lot closer by paddling out in a sea kayak - seals will often come very close to a vessel without an engine to see what you are. Here Mary Waddington paddles a double sea kayak on a Swaledale Outdoor Club trip, while her daughter Sarah takes photographs from the front cockpit - possibly the ideal way to get closeups.
NU2905 : North Steel, Coquet Island These shoals, covered by as much as 1-3m at high tide, are called 'bushes'. OED in this sense defines 'bush' as 'to stop an opening'.