Puffins and Seals

You lookin' at me?

It's now been 3 months since we moved and although our pace of life is slower and more relaxed, being self-employed and starting up a new business has swallowed up most of our spare time.  We've taken the odd cycle ride or walk here and there, but never really had a proper day off.  So, for the sake of mind, body and soul, we put together a pic-nic and set out for a boat trip to Puffin Island.

The weather was good - warm and dry.  It was a calm day so the water not too choppy and we had clear views of Snowdonia in the distance as we chugged our way down the Menai Strait towards Puffin Island.

There are no inhabitants on the island, just loads of different bird species.  Some birds make it their home all year round and some just visit for the breeding season before they fly off again.  

You would think, by its name, that Puffins would be on the island all year round but, no, these guys are only here from March/April to July.  We chose our dates well because in another 2-3 weeks they'll be gone.  The puffin population decreased significantly a few years ago because of a rat problem but now the rats are gone and the puffins are on the increase again.  They are quite difficult to spot because they prefer to nest higher up in the cliffs and on the land (some nest in old rabbit holes).  We did see a few bobbing around in the water though.

Blurry image of puffins in the water - as close as we managed to get

As well as the birds, there are the mammals.  We saw some grey seal pups and their mums, enjoying a spot of sunbathing on the rocks

We also saw some porpoise but they are very shy so you have to keep a close watch for the few seconds when their fins pop up out of the water (never enough time to get a photo).  It was lovely to see a mum and her young one swimming close to the boat.

It was a great trip but we found out later that some people who had gone out on the Rib Ride boat on the same day had spotted some dolphins playing in the water and not shy at all about leaping out to say hello.  It's a shame we didn't see them ourselves, but a good excuse to go back another day ...