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Sail out to see the seals
Local people and visitors to the area are being given the chance
to enjoy one of the most popular wildlife adventures that Kent can
offer.
The wildlife sailing trips are one of the most environmentally
friendly ways to see the area’s seals in their natural habitat and
have been commissioned by the Thanet Coast Project. Each excursion
lasts between four and five hours onboard the open yacht ‘Wildlife’
with skipper Mike Turner taking people to visit the seals and
explore one of our offshore sandbanks.
The trips will be taking place on the following dates and
times:
- Saturday 12
April
8.30am
- Sunday 25
May
7.45am
- Monday 26
May
8.30am
- Saturday 21
June
6.30am
- Sunday 22
June
7.00am
- Friday 25
July
9.15am
- Saturday 26
July
10.00am
- Wednesday 6 August
8.00am
- Thursday 7
August
8.45am
- Saturday 23
August 8.45am
- Thursday 24
August 9.30am
- Saturday 20 September 7.45am
- Sunday 21 September 8.30am
Tony Child, Thanet Coast Project Manager, said: “It’s a superb
way to view both our local grey and harbour seals at their natural
sites. Many people do not realise that we have seals just two miles
off the coast of Birchington. The Kent seal populations have been
relatively unrecorded, and it has only been in recent years that
have shown counts of up to 140 animals can be found around the
North East Kent coast”.
The trips are dependent on good sea and weather conditions and
excursions may be cancelled in the event of bad weather. Should
this happen, refunds will be given. Anyone going on the seal trips
needs to be at the slipway to the beach, near the Minnis
Restaurant, at least 15 minutes before sailing time. You need to
wear shoes for paddling in the sea, as there will be a rubber
dinghy transfer from ship to shore at Minnis Bay and at the sand
bank. Snacks and drinks are welcome as there will be time to picnic
onboard or on the sand bank.
As part of the Management Scheme for the North East Kent
European marine sites, the Thanet Coast Project will be working
with wildlife watching operators this spring to help them produce
local marine wildlife watching guidelines and set up a system of
better scientific records of the sightings made during these
excursions.
Published 27.03.08
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