No more soggy surveys!

We have ourselves a new canopy to our Survey Boat.

Many thanks to @Ocean Covers & Upholstery who have created the perfect cover for the back of the survey boat. No more soggy surveys, no more freezing cold boat trips, getting soaked and having to huddle up and keep cameras dry!

We now have a bright airy canopy with big windows, which we can remove as and when weather and sea conditions allow!

You've no idea how excited and happy about this we are. Surveying is fantastic - but once you're cold and wet it really doesn't seem so much fun, and camera kit really doesn't work so well if its wet or damp.

Many thanks to Dav & Jess who worked really had to make this work for us, and went above and beyond to ensure they managed to get this done when things didn't go quite to plan on our part, and also for their kind sponsorship towards the cost of the cover. Everything we do relies on donations so this was very much appreciated.

Please check them out on Facebook and Instagram, they are now Brixham based.

Now for some cleaning and maintenance and we are good to go survey!

#sealsurvey #equinoxIIthesurveyboat #mdlbrixham #brixhammarina #oceancovers #sealidentification #southdevon

It's that Grey Seal pupping time of year

It's been a busy but so far successful season for the few seal pups we are fortunate to have had born around our coastline.

We may have a number of adult and juvenile seals around our shores but pupping isn't something we encounter too often so every pup we do know about we monitor well.

Obviously we don't give out numbers or locations, but one seal pup in particular was born on an accessible beach, easily approached by humans and dogs. Because of this with the help of locals and holiday makers alike, the MMO (Marine Management Organisation) the landowners landlords and the local beach coffee van, along with BDMLR Medics and The Seal Project team, we kept one pup as safe as we could - with regular updates from those kind enough to watch over 'Melon' as the pup was named, and by ourselves.

Mum did give us a few tense hours, and on one overly summery September day the pup was getting quite distressed on the open, warm sunny beach - so we thought intervention might be necessary - but thankfully this wasn't needed and mum came back to feed the pup who was clearly stressed and getting dehydrated.

A matter of days later mum did abandon the pup, but the last time we saw 'Melon' - who was still a white coat - she was a nice plump pup who appeared to be coping well with life.

Here's hoping she has thrived and survived. Certainly the pups we know of, apart from some disturbance issues, were all born in kind weather conditions, with no rough seas or heavy storms to contend with.

That's not to say they are out of the woods yet, but they have had a decent start to life and here's to long and happy lives for them all.

Devon County 2022 show done and dusted... very well if we say so ourselves!

We planned to update you - but the show ground coverage wasn't great and to be honest the set up, the rain, the giggles, the school crowds, and the long days all took over from the simple things we all had planned. As a group we spent three days saying 'we must have a group photo'... it didn't happen, but good times were had, and Seadream Education who kindly invite us regularly to be part of this amazing Ocean Discovery Zone were awarded a Prince of Wales Award 2022 in recognition of their community work. Please check them out. they are amazing people with such knowledge. I do what I do because I love it, ( and just pointing out I have very clever qualified volunteers) but these guys are qualified and clever women who I admire greatly and we are very proud to be involved with them, and we do love the Devon County Show.

Here are a few images from this year's show... as ever, you always think you've taken more photos than you have.

Massive thanks to Hannah Beaumont who you need to check out on Instagram Meandtheplasticsea who was fab. We met during the Easter Bunny Beach clean days - check out his story and it will all make sense. Hannah kindly spent the first day of the show with us.

Days Two and Three I had both Nicola Dunkin & Jodie Warren, two of our fabulous volunteers, who alongside most of The Seal Project Team are British Divers Marine Life Rescue Marine Mammal Medics - which given along side Juliette & Jeanette from Seadream Education and the BDMLR stand run by our very own Trustee Chris Berry - who is also Devon Area Coordinator for BDMLR - it was quite a family event!

Thank you to everyone who came to talk to us, ask questions, ask us if we had dinosaurs, and cuddle and or un-entangle our cuddly seals, and the Arthur's who let us take photos - I sadly don't think we got a photo of the 'Arthur & Juliette'siblings - but if you read this please send us a photo! Its the first time our Seal skeletons have met so many name sakes, and the first time they've met siblings!