Seal on River Great Ouse

[Phil Ambrose]

Motoring upstream from Denver about a mile from the mouth of Brandon Creek I saw what I thought was a dog swimming across the river in front of me, started to alter course to miss it when it disappeared under the water! got a boat hook hand and then it surfaced again only now it looked like the back of a skin diver's hood, rounded, black and shiney.

Now I am rather puzzled and the "diver" turned round and appeared to be showing me something. Then it dawned on me, it was a seal with his jaws clamped round a not very happy Zander whose mouth was flapping wildly (almost as big as the seal's)

 

I know seals are down at Earith but this is the first time I have seen or heard of one up this far, it may have "locked" through with a boat at Denver. Interesting to see up so close along side the boat.

 

Phil

[Naughty Cal]

They often lock through Boston with the boats and fish in the non tidal Witham.

 

Strangest thing we ever saw was a dolphin/porpoise on the Trent at West Stockwith!

[ditchcrawler]

Motoring upstream from Denver about a mile from the mouth of Brandon Creek I saw what I thought was a dog swimming across the river in front of me, started to alter course to miss it when it disappeared under the water! got a boat hook hand and then it surfaced again only now it looked like the back of a skin diver's hood, rounded, black and shiney.

Now I am rather puzzled and the "diver" turned round and appeared to be showing me something. Then it dawned on me, it was a seal with his jaws clamped round a not very happy Zander whose mouth was flapping wildly (almost as big as the seal's)

 

I know seals are down at Earith but this is the first time I have seen or heard of one up this far, it may have "locked" through with a boat at Denver. Interesting to see up so close along side the boat.

 

Phil

There was at least one that came a long way inland with the floods last year as it was photographed, so there may be several hanging around the system

[calamity507]

We had one come all the way to Bedford with us , a few years back

[steelaway]

Motoring upstream from Denver about a mile from the mouth of Brandon Creek I saw what I thought was a dog swimming across the river in front of me, started to alter course to miss it when it disappeared under the water! got a boat hook hand and then it surfaced again only now it looked like the back of a skin diver's hood, rounded, black and shiney.

Now I am rather puzzled and the "diver" turned round and appeared to be showing me something. Then it dawned on me, it was a seal with his jaws clamped round a not very happy Zander whose mouth was flapping wildly (almost as big as the seal's)

 

I know seals are down at Earith but this is the first time I have seen or heard of one up this far, it may have "locked" through with a boat at Denver. Interesting to see up so close along side the boat.

 

Phil

Ditto!!!

 

Alex

[Wanted]

You can get crabs in Brentford......

 

[Phil Ambrose]

Crabs in Brentford? There's no answer to that.

Phil

[Barry]

You can get crabs in Brentford......

 

Yeah...I heard that too

[Wanted]

A sand crab and a mud crab who were best friends died in an accident. They went to heaven and God said, "Sandy, Muddy, there's only one place left in heaven. One of you will have to go to hell."

Sand crab insisted that mud crab deserved heaven more, so sand crab went to hell. 10 years passed. Mud crab asked God one day, "I really miss sand crab. May I please go down to hell to see him? Just for a little while?" God said "Since you asked so nicely, you may go to hell and see Sandy, but you must be back by 6 o'clock tonight for angel harp lessons."

Mud crab left at once to go to hell. When he arrived, he saw sand crab over in hell's disco. They caught up and had a great time reminiscing. Then Muddy remembered the promise he made to God and looked at his watch. It was 5:59!! He said goodbye and rushed back to heaven. When he got up there, it was 6:02. God was irate.

"You're late! And where is your angel's harp, young crab?"

"Oh, no."

"What?"

 

 

 

"I left my harp in sand crab's disco!"

 

Night night

[Phil Ambrose]

Boom-Boom

 

Phil

[Starcoaster]

I don't get it...

[Wanted]

I don't get it...

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b9ZkMUv3_5U

[David Mack]

A sand crab and a mud crab who were best friends died in an accident. They went to heaven and God said, "Sandy, Muddy, there's only one place left in heaven. One of you will have to go to hell."

Sand crab insisted that mud crab deserved heaven more, so sand crab went to hell. 10 years passed. Mud crab asked God one day, "I really miss sand crab. May I please go down to hell to see him? Just for a little while?" God said "Since you asked so nicely, you may go to hell and see Sandy, but you must be back by 6 o'clock tonight for angel harp lessons."

Mud crab left at once to go to hell. When he arrived, he saw sand crab over in hell's disco. They caught up and had a great time reminiscing. Then Muddy remembered the promise he made to God and looked at his watch. It was 5:59!! He said goodbye and rushed back to heaven. When he got up there, it was 6:02. God was irate.

"You're late! And where is your angel's harp, young crab?"

"Oh, no."

"What?"

 

 

 

"I left my harp in sand crab's disco!"

 

Night night

Many years ago on My Word Dennis Norden related a long story on how he had rescued the entertainment at a party given by Frank Muir, ending up with:

 

"I let my art enhance Frank's disco!"

Edited September 16, 2013 by David Mack

[ditchcrawler]

Crabs in Brentford? There's no answer to that.

Phil

Mitten Crabs on the Middle Level

[Keeping Up]

Motoring upstream from Denver about a mile from the mouth of Brandon Creek I saw what I thought was a dog swimming across the river in front of me, started to alter course to miss it when it disappeared under the water! got a boat hook hand and then it surfaced again only now it looked like the back of a skin diver's hood, rounded, black and shiney.

Now I am rather puzzled and the "diver" turned round and appeared to be showing me something. Then it dawned on me, it was a seal with his jaws clamped round a not very happy Zander whose mouth was flapping wildly (almost as big as the seal's)

 

I know seals are down at Earith but this is the first time I have seen or heard of one up this far, it may have "locked" through with a boat at Denver. Interesting to see up so close along side the boat.

 

Phil

 

At the end of last month we encountered the same thing on the Severn above Gloucester. The seal was having a mighty tussle with a huge fish.

[keble]

And the latest non-news on this Severn seal:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-25086493

 

"The search to capture a grey seal which has been swimming in the River Severn near Worcester for the past year has been put "on hold".

 

Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue said it had not been able to find the female seal since the search began on Friday.

 

A plan to trap her in a river lock has been postponed because the locks are closing for a two-week holiday shutdown.

 

The Anglers Trust claims the seal has been depleting fish stocks.

 

Conservation group Natural England granted a licence to have the seal removed and relocated."

[The Pipe]

And the latest non-news on this Severn seal:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-25086493

 

"The search to capture a grey seal which has been swimming in the River Severn near Worcester for the past year has been put "on hold".

 

Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue said it had not been able to find the female seal since the search began on Friday.

 

A plan to trap her in a river lock has been postponed because the locks are closing for a two-week holiday shutdown.

 

The Anglers Trust claims the seal has been depleting fish stocks.

 

Conservation group Natural England granted a licence to have the seal removed and relocated."

Probably eating less fish than the average Pole. Do they actually think one seal will make that much difference to fish stocks?

Also note that the first thing the "Anglers trust" wanted to do is shoot her.

Edited November 28, 2013 by Jim Evans

[johnmck]

We visited Donna Nook on the Lincolnshire coast the weekend before last. This is the main breeding season, with 700 born up to then. It is really worth going, haunting sounds and you are but yards from the animals.

In the visitor centre ( hut!) they have a graphic showing seal movements as a number are tagged. It was amazing to see how far inland they explore from this colony, certainly as far as York and back, as well as other waters.

 

 

Update.

Saturday 23 November
There are now 1239 pups, 1309 cows and 495 bulls.

Edited November 28, 2013 by johnmck

[PaulG]

And the latest non-news on this Severn seal:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-25086493

 

"The search to capture a grey seal which has been swimming in the River Severn near Worcester for the past year has been put "on hold".

 

Mercia Inshore Search and Rescue said it had not been able to find the female seal since the search began on Friday.

 

A plan to trap her in a river lock has been postponed because the locks are closing for a two-week holiday shutdown.

 

The Anglers Trust claims the seal has been depleting fish stocks.

 

Conservation group Natural England granted a licence to have the seal removed and relocated."

Amuses me that the "other site" (with typical regard for accuracy of content), uses a picture of a Harbour Seal to Illustrate their story about Keith the Severn Seal, when in fact he (she?) is a Grey Seal that looks quite different.

[Gordon Chesterman]

Just spotted another seal (or the same one seen at Denver a fortnight ago...) on Friday afternoon. This one was swimming towards Cambridge on the River Cam, half a mile South of the 'Five Miles from Anywhere' pub at Upware. He (or was he a she?) seemed quite happy. Gordon

[Naughty Cal]

We visited Donna Nook on the Lincolnshire coast the weekend before last. This is the main breeding season, with 700 born up to then. It is really worth going, haunting sounds and you are but yards from the animals.

In the visitor centre ( hut!) they have a graphic showing seal movements as a number are tagged. It was amazing to see how far inland they explore from this colony, certainly as far as York and back, as well as other waters.

 

 

Update.

Saturday 23 November

There are now 1239 pups, 1309 cows and 495 bulls.

 

 

It is well worth the visit at this time of year .