Features

Wildlife Blog: Seals at Donna Nook

Practical Photography

24 November 2009 09:44

Right now grey seals are breeding on the Lincolnshire Coast and it’s a fantastic opportunity to get shots of these marine mammals. Editor-in-chief Andrew James visited Donna Nook this week to see what this unique wildlife experience is really like. Here’s his quick blog and resulting photos… (Click the images on the right for a closer look and to read more about them.)

DONNA Nook in Lincolnshire is a special place if you like wildlife photography. Right now (Autumn) grey seals that are normally out of sea come into breed. It’s a place that I have been promising myself I’d go and photograph but somehow each year I’ve missed it. But when wildlife snapper Chris Weston reminded me he was running a course at the venue I thought I’d commit myself and make the effort to go.

Weather is often a critical factor in photography and it’s been pretty wild for the last week but when I studied the forecast it looked like there might be a window of light first thing Sunday morning. Of course, I wasn’t expecting it to work out like that!

Despite a couple of late night beers (it’s my birthday this week so I’m allowed) I managed to drag myself out of bed for a pre-dawn start and, along with the rest of the group, trudged across the sand flats to the sand bank where the seals and their pups are located.

The area is exposed so can get very cold. I wrapped up in lots of layers and waterproof outer shell. I was glad I did because even in the relatively mild conditions the wind was cutting.

Once at the seals you have very close contact. That’s not to say you should get too close to them because this can alarm them but it is possible to shoot some very intimate portraits with a telephoto lens.

Approach them carefully. I simply crawled ‘slug-like’ into position bit by bit. I noticed a few photographers on the beach who approach on foot and this simply pushed the most active seals back towards the sea. A more subtle and patient approach definitely works best.

Once in position I relied on a beanbag to rest the 100-400mm lens I was using with my 5D and simply lay belly down in position and waited for an opportunity.

Believe it or not, the promised for light actually materialised and what a different it made. It was only perfect for an hour or so but that’s all you need to get what you want. I had in my head the type of shots I was after – female and pup interaction, cute single pups, fighting adults and so on. I didn’t get everything though. I saw adults sparring in the surf but was never in the right position for a good shot but at least I now have a reason to return.

If you fancy getting yourself along there now is the time to go. But it gets busy at weekends and access isn’t always possible during the week when it becomes an RAF bombing range. There’s also the safety aspect to consider too. You don’t want to get stranded in front of a retreating tide. If you can wait until next year you could always go as part of one of Chris’s groups. I might even show up again in search of that sparring seal image I missed this year.

For more information of Chris Weston’s PP-approved photo courses click here.

For up-to-the-minute information on the seals click here.

For more information on photographing the seals click here.