| Why
not join us on one of our daily boat trips when you visit
North Norfolk and see the SEALS &
BIRDS in their natural environment at BLAKENEY
POINT. Beans Seal Trips have been a family run business for over 50 years and are a very popular and safe way to enjoy
a close up view of the wildlife - without disturbing it. We run every day throughout the season (1st April until 31st
October) as well as regularly throughout the winter. We can only operate with the tide so departure times change daily.
Most of our times are shown on our timetable (click on the Month you require) but we also run extra trips at busy times.
At present, bookings are only taken by telephone - click on Prices and Bookings for more details. |
| One of our five purpose-built
ferries will take you safely from Morston or Blakeney Quay to see the seals and birds. All our boats are licensed by the Maritime Coastguard
Agency and carry full life saving equipment. The fully trained and knowledgeable crew can provide you with lots of local information.
We operate totally within Blakeney Harbour and therefore do not venture out to the open sea. The trip itself lasts for about an hour,
excluding time spent on Blakeney Point. |
 |
 |
After
a short boat ride we arrive at the seals. They are usually basking on the sandbanks at the far end of Blakeney Point. You should always see some seals - the question is: How Many?? The colony is made up of Common & Grey seals and numbers
around 500. Common seals have their young between June and August, the Greys between November and January. Both suckle their pups
for about three weeks during which time they grow very quickly, putting on between 1kg and 1.6kgs a day due to the very rich and fatty milk they feed on. |
|
The seals are generally quite inquisitive and often pop up and swim around the boats for a look at us!
We can also usually sail very close to the basking seals on the beach which gives a great opportunity for photographs
and also ample time for questions. The grey seals are the larger of the two species - they have large speckles on their
coats and longer pointed heads with parallel nostrils. The common seals have a more rounded face with ‘v’ shaped nostrils. |
 |
 |
On many of our trips, after seeing the seals, we will then land you onto Blakeney Point if you wish. The duration
of your stay will depend on tide and weather conditions but is usually between half an hour and an hour. The National Trust
took over the Point in 1912 and it is now an international breeding ground for many migrant birds during both summer and winter.
During your visit you may like to take a stroll up to the Old Lifeboat House. This is now used as a base for the Wardens during the
summer and also as an Information Centre. Or you may like to head for one of the hides which are located at prime sites – from
these you can take a closer look at the breeding birds. Alternatively, just take it easy and relax near one of the many secluded
sand dunes. The beach at the Point is also a safe spot for the children to have a splash about along the shoreline. |
|
Seals generally spend up to 90% of their lives out of the water basking on the sandbanks. The females usually outlive
the males: 35 years is about the maximum for them and 25 years for the males. Although very clumsy and cumbersome on land, once in
the water, seals can be very agile, reaching speeds of up to 20mph. They can also submerge for up to 30 minutes if necessary and
in certain waters have been recorded diving to a depth of 600ft (300 metres). Generally though, it’s a quick 3 - 5 minute dive for fish
which the seals locate in the water not only by sight but also by feeling vibrations through their whiskers. Seals tend to feed out at sea
although some of their favourites – flounders, white bait and sand eels - are often found in the Harbour. An average size seal can often
take up to 10lb (22kgs) of fish in a day. |
 |
 |
Blakeney Point is also famous for its bird life. Its most popular summer visitors are the terns - mainly Common,
Sandwich and Little Terns and, quite often, also Arctic Terns. Many of them begin to arrive from West Africa during
mid-April and breed into the season. They make a small scrape in the shingle where they lay their eggs. After hatching,
the chicks can be seen running along the shoreline near the seals. You will be able to get a good view of them from
the boat as well as of the other various shorebirds: Oyster Catcher, Ringed Plover, Turnstone, and Dunlin to name but a few.
During the winter months, you will see large numbers of duck and geese including Mallard, Widgeon, Teal, Pintail,
Pinkfooted Geese. Greylag and Brent Geese usually arrive from October onwards. |
